Passion for craftsmanship attacked by generalizing headline

A rotten apple in the basket spoils the good fruit. A proverb that sums up in a single sentence what is currently occupying the Groningen hospitality industry. According to De Telegraaf, various Groningen cocktail bars are allegedly making extensive use of illegally distilled liquor.

“An image that is unfairly handed to us,” according to Patrick Beijk, owner of Mr. Mofongo, who has his own distillery at his cocktail bar. “Not only Mofongo, but the entire hospitality industry in Groningen is being cast in a bad light in this way.”

A brief overview of the situation. Former staff of recently bankrupt hospitality establishments in Groningen have spoken out to De Telegraaf about the illegal distilling practices of their former boss. The gentleman in question allegedly distilled alcohol himself, without the necessary permits and without paying excise duty. An illegal way to evade the sky-high alcohol excise taxes. The ex-employees state that opened bottles were regularly delivered and that the flavors of the liqueurs, for example, were not entirely above board. So far, a bad business for the establishments owned by this entrepreneur. The headline of the article in De Telegraaf, ‘Illegal liquor in Groningen hospitality’, gives the piece a rather unpleasant turn for the entire Groningen hospitality industry. Naturally, a simple calculation is easily made given a generalizing headline like this. A Groningen cocktail bar like Mofongo, with an immense distillation facility to produce its own alcohol, is then quickly placed in a suspicious light. Unjustified, according to the owner of this establishment with Groningen's most famous cocktail bar: "a former colleague from the hospitality industry is ruining it for the rest."

Quality first
While De Telegraaf claims that distilling spirits has become a new national pastime that, shrouded in illegality, has also reached the hospitality industry, Mofongo distills various types of alcohol for reasons entirely different from merely a fun hobby used to evade taxes. “We have a beautiful cocktail bar, a unique concept of its kind. It is every craftsman’s dream to create their own product, prepared with love and passion for it,” says Beijk. The fact that distilling alcohol oneself pays off in the long run is of course a nice bonus, but certainly not the main reason for Mofongo to distill alcohol: “the quality presented to the guest through home-distilled alcohol is the primary reason. The special thing about our still is that it is equipped with a meters-high distillation column, allowing virtually pure alcohol to be extracted from the fermenting mass with a single distillation. This benefits the purity for, for example, the production of our homemade gin and liqueurs,” according to the entrepreneur.

This meticulous process is therefore not for the average person. “We employ well-trained and specialized distillers who keep a close eye on the process from grain to bottling. Lennart Deddens is responsible for our distillery. We specifically brought him over from Brussels as a passionate specialist in the field of cocktails and spirits.” It is not simply a matter of throwing some cheap ingredients together, as is stated in the Telegraaf, Beijk counters the newspaper: “If I read that the alcohol had an off-taste, it could very well be that they didn't separate the lees; then you get a musty taste. It is a meticulous process in which the proportions, acidity, and temperature of the ingredients determine the quality of the final product. Not to mention the dangers involved in distilling.”

Specialized field
If you have little to no knowledge of distilling, you are venturing into dangerous territory. The substances you work with are hazardous, and there is a risk of explosion. Working carelessly increases the chance of poisoning your guests with improperly distilled alcohol, something that must be prevented at all times. “Nasty accidents can happen if distilling is not carried out properly; a safe working environment is therefore very important,” states Beijk. The aforementioned safe working environment becomes immediately apparent after a tour of the distillery: an orderly setup where all hazardous substances that could cause an explosion when combined are processed far apart.

It can be concluded that the old craft of distilling alcohol must not acquire a nasty aftertaste due to unjustified finger-pointing at cocktail bars in Groningen. Just as one swallow does not make a summer, one rotten apple does not render the entire harvest worthless. Mofongo distills legally and according to the rules, with love and passion for the craft at the forefront. Something Groningen can be proud of and for which Mr. Mofongo should be cherished.

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Beppie van der Sluis