Holland America Line Launches New “De Lijn” Gin for 150th Anniversary

Gin has been a staple spirit in Holland America Line’s history dating way back to the company’s origination. To pay tribute to that long 150-year tradition, the cruise line is launching a new and exclusive label of gin on board ships fleet-wide. Honoring Holland America Line’s roots, a bottle of the new exclusive spirit ‘De Lijn’ is decorated with a label boasting the name in Dutch orange and accented with drawings of blue juniper berries. The berries were drawn with a style that Holland America Line has coined as Modern Delft, a homage to the iconic blue and white of Dutch Delftware. 

De Lijn gin is crafted with a blend of Dutch-inspired botanicals, including orange, rose, elderberry, lemon verbena, raspberry, lemon, and juniper. Each botanical is cold distilled separately for a distinct and delicious flavor. The result of the carefully crafted spirit is a made-in-America premium gin, inspired by the Netherlands and crafted exclusively for Holland America Line. 

“Gin often carries characteristics of its geography, and we wanted to produce a blend that not only captured our Dutch heritage, but also used botanicals in a modern way to make it unique to our brand,” said Anthony Stice, vice president of dining and beverage operations for Holland America Line. “We call it a ‘Nieuw’ Western Gin, our take on the fast-growing New Western Dry Gin category; we selected a bright and floral profile, finishing it slightly over-proofed, making it ideal for mixing cocktails. This is Holland America Line’s first produced spirit, and we’re excited to see our guests’ reaction.”

To celebrate the launch of De Lijn, Holland America Line will feature the spirit in three brand-new 150th Anniversary cocktails: 

“Dutch 150”– A twist on a French 75 made with De Lijn gin, lemon juice, and sparkling wine 

“150th Martini”– A classic martini made with De Lijn gin and Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth 

“De Lijn Gin and Tonic”– A cocktail exclusively prepared table-side in the Pinnacle Grill specialty restaurant. In addition to De Lijn Gin and Fever Tree Premium Indian Tonic, the signature cocktail blends a flavorful assortment of seasonal botanicals including juniper berries, peppercorns, star anise, verbena, mint, and expressed citrus. 

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Holland America Line’s ‘De Lijn’ gin will be available in all bars and lounges fleet-wide as a gin of choice or in one of the special cocktails beginning in November 2022. Bottles of the new premium spirit will also be available for purchase in all shipboard shops.