Stokerij Sculte

The Netherlands

"The Dutch single malt whisky of Stokerij Sculte truly reflects the character of the region Twente."

Monastery distillery

Stokerij Sculte is a small craft distillery, located in the former monastry Maria Ad Fontes in Ootmarsum in the region Twente, close to the German border. The monastery has quite an interesting history. It was founded in 1850 with the help of a wealthy wine merchant that lived next to the church square. Some of his daughters joined the order of convent sisters, so he decided to buy a piece of land for them in Ootmarsum so they could establish a monastery there.

The original building was completely demolished in 1936 and replaced by a building that included a chapel and a belltower. During World War II the German Wehrmacht confiscated the monastery in 1944. Nowadays it is home to the distillery, a restaurant and some art workshops.

The art of distilling

Founder Gerard Velthuis, former owner of an advertising company, started distilling fruit in 2004 and won several awards at prestigious competitions like the Destillata in Austria. That’s also where he learned the tricks of the trade from a distiller friend who showed him the distilling process somewhere up in the mountains, using a small kettle with an open fire underneath.

Eventually he purchased a small kettle himself and did some courses in Austria before bringing the proces of distilling fruit back home with him to Twente. Nowadays his daughter works in the business as well and so does Roy, a distiller who mastered the skills with help from Gerard.

Dutch Single Malt Whisky

Because fruit can be processed only during a specific time of the year, Gerard came up with the idea of distilling wort made of barley, because barley is available all year round. This distillate was stored on casks made of oak wood from Twente, resulting in a 100% regional product: single malt Dutch whisky from Twente.

Recently, in 2018, the distillery purchased and installed a second still. The production will remain small, but hopefully this rare whisky will become available to some more whisky lovers.

Visiting Ootmarsum

The history of this small city goes back to the Middle Ages. Around the year 770 one of the first churches in this region was built in Ootmarsum. Because the city centre is still quite authentic with it’s narrow streets, authentic houses and mills, it attracts lots of visitors. As an art lover you will certainly appreciate all the art galleries and street art.

Updated: 10-06-2024