Wagging Finger

Distillery

Erik Molenaar is a passionate lover of spirit drinks – whisky and gin, to be specific. In addition to his day job, Erik has been importing whiskeys and selling them under his own label: Kintra. Still, he wanted more. Erik started his own distillery in 2015, and since April 2016 his own brand, Wagging Finger Gin, has been on the shelves of liquor stores.

“Reclaiming our Heritage”

Wagging Finger is Dutch tradition, tongue in cheek; the raised finger alludes to our Calvinistic temperament, but now with a fair dose of self-mockery. Wagging Finger raises its finger against the big marketing machines that would have us believe what they want. With the motto “Reclaiming our Heritage”, a fist is raised against the many foreign brands of gin because they are all based on our own “jenever” liquor. The name “Gin” is in fact a corruption of the Dutch word jenever.

Flying start

Erik Molenaar has two brands of his own Gin on the market. These are distilled in a privately owned still that is located in the Deventer business district. Erik has joined forces with a beverage wholesaler. Via their network and through direct purchases, at present Wagging Finger is stocked in over 200 liquor stores and off-licences. This number is rapidly growing.

Erik is currently receiving many requests from abroad via the Internet. Many potential purchasers, who are combing the Netherlands for a small, artisanal distillery, end up right on his doorstep.

Kintra Whiskey

Erik is temporarily less focused on his Whiskey-activities. Erik: “The prices at the moment are too high to be able to bring a good, affordable whiskey onto the market. I have built an excellent name with my brand Kintra, and I am not going to sell my customers whiskey that is too expensive or of lower quality than they are used to.”

Caroni rum

Erik has also started importing, bottling and then exporting Caroni rum. This is a special kind of rum that is no longer being made and is therefore in high demand. The first shipment has already been shipped to Taiwan.

Erik is ready for the future with its own larger production space. He has recently invested in a scrap mill, mixing vessel and digester chamber, so the alcohol can be brewed in-house.

Various types of gins, corn wine, and whisky, produced in-house, will also expand the portfolio.

Export Countries

Belgium | Germany | France | Italy | Hong Kong | Taiwan

Ceo

Wagging finger | Erik Molenaar