“The bready or cereal notes in genever can add a mysterious backbone to many gin cocktails,” says Alex Smith, who often combines the two spirits, riffing on the tiki tradition of using two rums in the same drink. But here he lets genever shine on its own, shaking it with savory, caraway-laced kümmel for an herbaceous drink that’s sweetened with pineapple gum syrup and lightened with sparkling wine.
The Dutch Nemesis
Alex Smith, Whitechapel | San Francisco

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce genever, preferably Bols
- 3/4 ounce kümmel, preferably Combier
- 1/2 ounce pineapple gum syrup
- 3/4 ounce lime juice
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 ounces sparkling wine
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except the sparkling wine in a cocktail shaker.
- Shake and strain into a large coupe.
- Top with sparkling wine.