Recommendations for Amsterdam Beer Tour

[keelkemper]

A mate and myself have the good fortune and the good wives who will allow us to escape to Amsterdam in Feb. 2005. I intend to do a brown cafe tour of about 4 full days. What outstanding BENELUX beers to you consider are "must try" or "must buy". My effort here is to condense the hundreds of available beers into a short list of beers to "go looking for" and some to bring home.

Ive done enough research to know that the "Vlo" at Cafe Belgique meets my criteria. Your help based on your BENELUX experience is greatly appreciated.

[keelkemper]

WOW...50 views and zero replies, maybe i should re-phrase the question:

What benelux beers do you consider to be the best ones to go looking for on my little pub crawl around Amsterdam?

Dont be bashful...please your thoughts are welcome

[P-Train]

I've been there but can't seem to recall any places to go.

I guess I had too good of a time.

Enjoy yourself and don't walk in the bike path!!

[P-Train]

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=14924&name=Pizza+courier+%27targeted%27+Amsterdam+sex+zo ne

Just be careful.

[goon2]

Hi there.

One pub that you must see is Inn De Wildman. It is about 5 blocks away from the Red Light District and had perhaps the best selection of Belgians we could get in Amsterdam. Granted, this was back in 1996, but it was a great place.

While you're there, have a Rochfort 8, then a 10, and where else can you go, but to a Westvleteren 12!

Have fun over there!

/Goon

[keelkemper]

I appreciate the tips, it is interesting to note the amount of "terrorism" that appears to be rampant in the "very tolerant" Netherlands. I read recently that an acutal Al Queda "training camp" has been discovered outside of Amsterdam. Man these terrorist need a good beer something bad.

I have duly noted the beer and pub recommendations and will give them a go and report back...please any other ideas or most welcome...

[Theakston]

I thought I remembered posting on this - in the wrong section of the board really:
Here's an old thread (http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122)

[Richard English]

In my experience the beer scene in the Netherlands is relatively poor with most bars having only the multi-national brands. I'd be inclined to hop on the train to Belgium which is far, far better. The journey by rail takes less than three hours and there are trains every hour

The Delirium Tremens bar, just off Grande Place in Brussels, has around 2,500 beers, including some cask-conditioned lambics.

[keelkemper]

thanks so much for the tips...I will report back my findings so future zymerfans can benefit from my road trip...

[gallowd7]

At least a year or so ago the Washington Post did a Travel section story on a writer and his friend who did a "Cheap ticket/no-sleep" bar and brewery tour. Go to the site (registration) and look up Amsterdam.

If I have time I'll try and look.
Have Fun

[gallowd7]

OK, found it very easily, check your PM or hear is the link:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36480-2001Feb7.html


Check That: This is for Brussels. Sorry. Again, have fun.

[Richard English]

As I said, Belgium! The Netherlands doesn't begin to compare!

[fidcastro]

I think I can help you out here. My wife is Dutch, and we have spent a LOT of time drinking beer in A-Dam.

The best three places to go, period:

In de Wildeman (http://www.indewildeman.nl/) (In the Wildman):
From Centraal Station, cross the street to the south on Damrak. Turn in to the third ally on the right. Cross Nieuwendijk (the pedestrian only shopping street) and it will be on your left on the next block. As of this past June, it was still the only place in Amsterdam to drink beer that has a non-smoking section. This is my favorite place. They have about 12 taps that rotate, plus another 200 in bottles: mainly Dutch and Belgian.

Cafe Gollem (http://www.cafegollem.nl/)
Better atmosphere than In de Wildeman, but smaller and infinitely more smokey. About the same number of beers, but less taps. They don't open till 4, so don't go early. To get there, head away from Centraal on Damrak until you get to Dam Square. Go diagonally through the square so that you pass the to the left of the palace (I think it is Palais Straat). Take the second left (just past De Bierkoning (http://www.debierkoning.nl/), the best beer store in Amsterdam). Take the second ally on the right, and you will find Gollem.

Next, 't Arendsnest (http://www.arendsnest.nl/)
They specialize in Dutch beers. This is your best bet to find all the Christoffel beers. This one was a little harder to find. Ask the dude at Wildeman, he'll tell you how to get here.

Other great places to check out:
't Ij; Windmill Brewery, only open from 3 to 7.
't Smalle; great atmosphere, near the Anne Frank house in the Jordaan district.

If you make your first stop at In de Wildeman they might have an Amsterdam pub guide (in English) that is very helpfull. if they don't have it there, they definitely have it at Bierkoning.

Have a great time. If you have any questions I'd be glad to help out.

-Fid

[keelkemper]

Mr. Fid...Wow, I appreciate it,, .just what i was looking for ....aint this site great...

[fidcastro]

No problem. Funny coincidence, my wife's cousin just flew in from Amsterdam last night. He is helping me brew a Baltic Porter (so is she).

Have a blast man. Prepare to freeze, though.

[keelkemper]

Well I live in Maine, so likely i will be going to a "warmer" climate at that time of year!...but I will dress appropriately...

Final question: how difficult will it be to find the Westvletern...are bottles available in bars...or just rarely for sale at Bier Konig store

[fidcastro]

I have bought it at De Bierkoning, but it isn't guaranteed to be in stock, and they will likely only have one of the three at any given time.

I have also drank all three of thier beers at both Gollem and In de Wildeman. You should be able to get them between the two.

I took matters into my own hands in the summer of '03, and I drove down to the St. Sixtus Abbey (http://www.sintsixtus.be/) and picked up a case of the yellow and a six-pack of the other two. It was only a 3 hour drive, and we stayed the night in Brugge afterwards. If you can work it in, I highly recommend it. Belgium has plenty to offer. Also in that area is the Rodenbah brewery, and on the way you would pass within 15 minutes of Westmalle.

-fid

[john.e.white]

Four essential visits in Amsterdam (there are many more) are:

the already mentioned In de Wildeman, not only does this have a good selection of Dutch and Belgian Beers, but probably the best selection of Franconian beers, including one or two on draught/tap outside of the Franconia itself;

't Arendsnest, a unique bar in that its hundred plus beers are all brewed in The Netherlands, see http://www.arendsnest.nl and my own Web page covering the place: http://www.whitebeertravels/arendsnest

Het Elfde Gebod, Zeedijk 5, The "Eleventh Commandment" is a classic bar with a superb beer list, an absolute Amsterdam must for both the Speciality Beer fan and those who like bars in general; and

't IJ Brewery, http://www.brouwerijhetij.nl . This brewery, by a windmill produces world-class beers. Its bar is wonderful. If you turn up on Fridays at 4pm one can have a brewery tour and at other times by arrangement.

Other wonderful bars in Amsterdam are covered in my forty-seven page downloadable beer guide to the city, which is obtainable from http://www.whitebeertravels/downloads .

Regards and Cheers!

John White

[john.e.white]

Sorry, in my recent posting on this I misquoted the address of my Web page covering 't Arendsnest, in Amsterdam; it should be

http://www.whitebeertravels.com/arendsnest

Regards and Cheers!

John White.

[keelkemper]

Mr. White's beer web page is a must for any serious beer chaser!

[Richard English]

It might well be - but I can't even look at it with that crazy collection of glasses and bottles following my cursor around the screen! I want information, not visual confusion!

[keelkemper]

I do agree with you Mr. English, Perhaps Mr. White could help with that. I find that I just take my cursor and pull it off to the side of the page.

[Xaos]

Originally posted by Richard English
In my experience the beer scene in the Netherlands is relatively poor with most bars having only the multi-national brands. I'd be inclined to hop on the train to Belgium which is far, far better. The journey by rail takes less than three hours and there are trains every hour

The Delirium Tremens bar, just off Grande Place in Brussels, has around 2,500 beers, including some cask-conditioned lambics.

Unfortunately, almost every bar in the Netherlands is owned by a brewery, so you really have to know the good ones that serve a lot of beers. They're there, just need to find them. I'm not from Amsterdam so I can't really help you with this, if you consider taking the train to Utrecht though (25 minutes) I know some really fine places....

[Xaos]

But to stick to the topic: La Trappe is the only non-Belgian (Dutch) Trappist and comes in different varieties. If you like white (weiss): I recently learned that most Belgians regard the Dutch Wieckse Witte better than Hoegaarden (at least that's what my roommate told me). For regular pilseners you might want to try Brand, Gulpener or Hertog Jan, those are quite alright. There are a lot of microbreweries in the Netherlands, but as said, most pubs are owned by a brewery so sell what the brewery has to offer. There are shops however with extraordinairy assortments of beer (in Utrecht: Bert's Bierhuis)...

[keelkemper]

I appreciate your willingness to carry the discusion forward, and realte your own amsterdam beer experience. my mate and i may just be up for a train ride, but were determined to be well mannered explorers seeking out the good beers in a classic international beer/bar scene setting. So there is no telling where that will leads us! ive gotten so many good recommendations, it would take a month to see them all, so i am going focus on a few of the classics,...de wildeman, ardenest, belgique, gollum, and others,,,that just off my head...tread on some pretty sacred ground, best i figure...see ya long the way...