Worlds first cocktail brand
Bols Heritage
Learn about the world's first cocktail brand, since 1575
Empowering bartenders and
crafting inspired cocktails
Bols high-quality liqueur range, spirits and cocktails
Bols, the world’s first cocktail brand, brings 450 years of distilling, mixing and blending expertise, delivering unmatched quality, heritage, and creativity to craft legendary cocktails for every occasion.
1575
The Bols family establishes distillery ‘t Lootsje in Amsterdam and starts distilling liqueurs.
1600
Liqueurs are used for medicinal purposes and festive rituals.
1652
Lucas Bols, the grandson of the founder, is born.
1664
The Bols family starts producing Genever, the predecessor of gin, which plays an important role in the emergence of the cocktail culture in the US in the 19th century.
1688
William III, king of England, introduces genever to England. English soldiers noted the bravery- inducing effects of genever on Dutch soldiers and dubbed it “Dutch Courage”.
1700
Grandson Lucas Bols turns the distillery into an international company and creates over 300 liqueur and genever recipes. He becomes a majority shareholder of The Dutch East India Trading Company, giving him the privilege to be the first to select the best herbs and spices.
1700s
Distillers obtain coloring into liqueurs, yellow by saffron with lovage seeds or turmeric cooked in brandy.
1719
Lucas Bols dies and is buried in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam.
1780
The distillers-brothers Van Daalen in Middelburg take 2 ounces of refined borax, 1 ounce of finely bumped cochineal, 2 pints of brandy and 2 pints of rainwater. By cooking it in a closed stone pan with an added 1/8th ounce of green copper red, the color blue is created and used for Eau Celeste.
1816
The widow of the last male Bols heir sells the company, on condition that the Lucas Bols name will be forever used on all its products.
1820
Bols creates a revolutionary new genever recipe, using an incomparable grain spirit made from long fermented corn, rye, and wheat; triple distilled.
1823
Bols ships the first batch of liqueurs and genever to America, the start of the cocktail revolution. Genever becomes 1 of the 4 base spirits for cocktails in the USA.
1862
The world’s first cocktail recipe book by Jerry Thomas in which 1 in 4 cocktails are made with genever. Genever outsells gin 6 to 1.
1920
Bols introduces the first pre-mixed cocktails, including the Manhattan.
1920s
Bols uses the iconic octagonal bottle and invents Blue Curacao liqueur, used in classic cocktails such as Aviation and Blue Moon.
1926
The first recorded mention of Bols Crème de Ciel, “cream of the sky”. A blueish / violet colored liqueur, now known as Bols Blue Curacao.
1933
Bols launches the first label for Bols Blue, previously known as Crème de Ciel.
1979
Bols updates the Blue Curaçao label, depicting palm trees and vibrant trending colors blue and green.
1996
“Bols Blue. The Blue Experience” campaign launches – Blue becomes the spearhead of the Bols liqueurs.
2000
Bols Blue becomes the largest Bols liqueur (30%), being available in 110 countries.
2004
Launch of the iconic Bols Liqueurs bottle, made by and for bartenders to improve efficiency and ease of use and its distinctiveness.
2005
Bols initiates the world championship bartending: Bols Around the World.
2006
The Bols Cocktail Experience, Worlds only cocktail experience, opens in Amsterdam.
2007
The Bols Cocktail Academy, Europe’s biggest bar school, opens in Amsterdam.
2010
Bols launches Bols Yoghurt, the first cream liqueur that doesn’t curdle when mixed in cocktails.
2014
The Lucas Bols distillery returns to the heart of Amsterdam, just behind Dam square.
2021
Bols launches the innovative Bols Ready to Enjoy Cocktail tubes and multi-serve bottles in 5 cocktail flavors.
2025
Bols celebrates 450 years of mixing magic. In honor of this distilling expertise, Bols Blue 1575 is launched, a tribute to the original Bols Blue Curacao Liqueur.
