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The Authentic Dutch Guide to Enjoying Dutch Beer Culture

Just as the Dutch formerly commanded the world’s waters, this little beer-drinking nation is set geographically in a sea of beer, literally. This overview of the many varieties of best Dutch beer brands (especially Amsterdam beer brands) is intended to assist you in understanding the Holland beer drinking scene and deciding which ones to try.

1. The Essential Guide to Dutch Beer

1.1. Dutch beer’s history

dutch-beer
dutch-beer

Dutch beer brewing predates the Middle Ages. British producers added hops after seeing them in Dutch brews. Heavy, dark, and medicinal were traditional styles. Gruit was a popular Dutch beer style in the late Middle Ages and Dutch Golden Age. As Europe’s leading commercial nation, the Dutch Republic afforded brewers access to ingredients they could only dream about.

As a maritime power, the Dutch Republic’s alcohol output changed. Jenever, the ancestor of gin, gained popularity throughout the Golden Age. The Netherlands became a spirit-drinking nation as a result.

Nineteenth-century Dutch beer drinking changed. Bavarian beer types were a welcome shift from the heavier kinds of the past. Alfa, Amstel, Brand, Gulpener, Heineken, and Lindeboom brewed their first beers. The era’s breweries imitated Kölsch and Dortmunder. As smaller breweries were consolidated, the Dutch taste for pale lager beer remained until the 20th century. The Netherlands had 15 breweries in the 1980s.

The Netherlands is no longer a pilsener desert. Dutch beer lovers liked small-brewery lagers and classic Belgian brews. Breweries have popped up in every province, and craft beer dominates grocery store shelves. CBS says the Netherlands had 605 breweries in 2020.

1.2. Some intriguing Dutch beer facts

dutch-beer
dutch-beer

Beer in the Netherlands comprises pale lagers, including Bavaria, Heineken, and Grolsch, which are popular worldwide. Heineken is now the world’s second-largest beer brewer, trailing only Anheuser-Busch InBev, which purchased competitor SABMiller in 2016. Bavaria is in almost 130 countries, primarily Asia and the Middle East.

While pale lager accounts for most beer produced and consumed in the Netherlands, Dutch brewers also produce specialties. The most popular specialties are witbier (wheat beer) and Bok, which is made in the autumn and spring and is closely linked to German Bock.

The Netherlands exports the most beer of any country in the world, accounting for over half of the total output.

Out of total production of 2,300 million liters, about 1,300 million liters were exported in 2004.

2. How and where do Dutch people drink beer?

dutch-beer
dutch-beer

Nowadays, beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in the Netherlands. People drink it at home, at parties, at cafés, at borrels, and so forth. When you order a beer from a café, it is frequently supplied from the tap. A two-finger thick foam layer is regarded as ideal for a superb beer. In general, beer is served cold in the Netherlands. Special beers frequently have their cups. You can get a beer in a variety of sizes; the following are the most common:

  • Kleintje (small)
  • Fluitje (19-25cl) 
  • Vaasje (23-33cl) 

Many Dutch breweries sell their beers in cafés or beer bars, but many also have on-site taprooms. Dutch breweries are mainly in industrial neighborhoods, which are sparsely populated (a great excuse to head there by bicycle). These brewers have more space, so many conduct summer beer festivals like the Borefts Beer Festival at Brouwerij de Molen.

3. Popular Dutch beer breweries and brands

The Netherlands has over 600 breweries. From globally consumed beers to beloved local brews, these are some of the greatest beer brands the Netherlands has to offer!

3.1. Heineken

Beer Heineken - Nhà hàng Gành Hào
Heineken

The term “electronic commerce” refers to the sale of electronic goods. There are 125 Heineken breweries dispersed across more than 70 countries. And Heineken is not only a beer maker; it is also Europe’s leading cider producer.

After the first World War, Heineken swiftly became the greatest beer importer in the US, becoming the first beer importer after the national prohibition. In the Netherlands, the brewery grew by acquiring competitors, such as Amstel in 1968.

Desperados, Murphy’s, Brand, Strongbow, Jillz, Affligem, Wieckse, Bintang, Tiger Beer, Vrumona, and Scottish & Newcastle are among its many well-known brand names.

3.2. Bavaria

dutch-beer-Bavaria
dutch-beer-Bavaria

Swinkels, a Dutch family, has been brewing beer for seven generations, making their brewery one of the oldest in the Netherlands.

Bavaria is now the largest independent brewery in the Netherlands, producing about 7 million hectolitres of beer every year. Over 130 nations receive two-thirds of the beer produced. Because they were the first brewery to export alcohol-free beer to the Middle East, the brewery established a strong market position.

3.3. Amstel

dutch-beer-Amstel
dutch-beer-Amstel

Amstel is a Dutch beer brand owned by Heineken, another well-known Holland beer brand. Initially. Amstel beer was mostly enjoyed there in the beginning. The beer, on the other hand, was a success and was famous throughout the Netherlands.

3.4. Grolsch

dutch-beer-Grolsch
dutch-beer-Grolsch

Willem Neerfeldt originally made Grolsch in Groenlo in 1615, making it one of the Netherlands’ oldest beer brands.

Asahi Group Holdings now owns the brand. Known for its flip-top beer bottles, the brewery mainly produces a line of light lager beers, with Grolsch Premium Pilsner being its signature beverage, accounting for 95% of all sales. Grolsch also manufactures the Amsterdam brand for the European market.

4. Famous Amsterdam beer breweries

The number of beer breweries has increased since 2001. Breweries have grown in popularity, particularly in Amsterdam. The term “independent” refers to someone who does not work for the government. The following are the most well-known Amsterdam beer breweries and brands:

4.1. Poesiat & Kater

Poesiat Kater
Poesiat Kater

It produces not only Poesiat & Kater beers but also Van Vollenhoven beers. Van Vollenhoven Beers are traditional Dutch beers with a contemporary touch, whilst brews are specialty beers.

4.2. Amsterdam beer brands: Brouwerij Troost

Brouwerij-Troost-amsterdam
Brouwerij-Troost-amsterdam

It is Amsterdam’s largest independent beer brand. Troost, which opened in a former convent in De Pijp in 2014, serves 11 beers, two sodas, gin, and jenever. They have locations in Westergas and Oud-West as well due to their growing popularity. If you’re just starting as a brewer and don’t have the necessary equipment, Troost can help because you may rent a place there to brew your beer.

4.3. Bierbrouwerij De Prael 

de Prael Shop - Amsterdam Magazine
Bierbrouwerij De Prael 

De Prael is not your average beer brewery. It is one with a mission, namely to support persons who have difficulty accessing the work market. De Prael offers four tasting rooms in all, located in Amsterdam’s Oudezijds, Houthavens, The Hague, and Groningen. You may sample their 11 regular beers there, as well as their unique and seasonal brews.

4.4. Amsterdam beer brands: Brouwerij ’t IJ

Brouwerij ’t IJ-amsterdam
Brouwerij ’t IJ-amsterdam

Brouwerij ‘t IJ has been manufacturing beer since 1985 and is one of Amsterdam’s most well-known brewers. It is now a tasting room, with the brewery located at Zeeburgerpad. You may also try one of their Holland beers in their tasting room, ‘t Blauwe Theehuis in Vondelpark.

4.5. Oedipus

NOORDT X OEDIPUS — Brouwerij Noordt
Noordt – Oedipus

Oedipus began in 2009, with the four founders’ appreciation of premium craft beer and homebrewing experiments in their homes. Their approach to brewing was successful, and they were soon selling their vibrant beers at festivals, including their own, Kimchi Festival.

It wasn’t until 2013 that the lads started thinking about a “real” location for a brewpub. They established their first brewpub in the north of Amsterdam in 2015, and they’ve been growing ever since!

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Maris Lopez
Maris Lopezhttp:////my-lifestyle.co
Hey there! I'm Maris, an American girl who is passionate about adventure, the outdoors and all things travel!
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