Going to Amsterdam right now. Any good bars, and what is a good local beer (not Heineken)

Bavaria - several varieties.
Amstel - several varieties.
Brand - several varieties.
Dommelsche - several varieties.
La Trappe
De Hemel Nieuw Ligt
Jopen Koyt

Heineken is better/fresher than what you'll find in the states (if that's where you're from).
Also Oranjeboom and Grolsch.

And many, many more...


Also zillions of good bars everywhere...depends on what you consider a 'good bar'.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

You should really go to De Wildeman pretty close to central station. There is a lot of variety there. Sometimes they even have cask ales. Also check out Beer Temple, an all American Bar with around 25 special draft beers. Plus there is an Dutch Special Bar connected with them. If that doesn't fill up your beer dreams I don't know what more to tell you. Have fun though!!! Cheers

That sounds great. "Good bar" is a bar with lots of good beers: ales, stouts - both light and dark ones, and light and strong ones.... also cask ones... I want to celebrate my Amsterdam Marathon Sunday late afternoon / night with a great beer or several ones... cheers.

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frankotero
You should really go to De Wildeman pretty close to central station. There is a lot of variety there. Sometimes they even have cask ales. Also check out Beer Temple, an all American Bar with around 25 special draft beers. Plus there is an Dutch Special Bar connected with them. If that doesn't fill up your beer dreams I don't know what more to tell you. Have fun though!!! Cheers

True
Also try brouwerij t ij. ( a brewery in an old mill)

Yes, I forgot that one Whale. That's another absolute must. Have fun man, and cheers all the way. Amsterdam is f-ing great! Rock And Roll all the way

Marathon? Congrats!
These ought to quench your thirst:



Interesting brief history of De Koningshoeven Brewery:

La Trappe

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I have been to Amsterdam many times and I'm going again next week it is a great city to walk around and stop off at a few places to have a drink or a smoke whatever you are into.

Nate

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Hairball
Marathon? Congrats!
These ought to quench your thirst:



Interesting brief history of De Koningshoeven Brewery:

La Trappe

Last two times in Amsterdam I went to this place... and it was really nice!
bierfabriek

sjouke

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Hairball

Heineken is better/fresher than what you'll find in the states (if that's where you're from).

I'm not a big fan of Heineken either but my dad got me one of those mini beer regrigerated taps that at the time only worked with Heineken and Heineken light mini kegs (now Newcastle makes min kegs for it which I much prefer). I felt obliged to use it. I was really surprised how much better the beer tasted, fresher I suspect, and not spoiled by light filtered through the green bottles.

To me, as an American, the minute I disembark at Schipol I head to one of the airport bars for an actual Amstel. In the United States they don't import Amstel lager, so it's special to me. If you're into something along the lines of Hoegaarden, try Wieckse Witter, the Dutch equivalent. Lucky f****r. Tot ziens!

Some lovely restaurants with long beer menus at Rembrantsplein, suggest try a few, ask server what's good and enjoy the ambience! Jealous...

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mtaylor
Going to Amsterdam right now. Any good bars, and what is a good local beer (not Heineken)

hertog jan Beer, they have many kinds of this beer. Love it.
Jeroen

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Hairball
Bavaria - several varieties.
Amstel - several varieties.
Brand - several varieties.
Dommelsche - several varieties.
La Trappe
De Hemel Nieuw Ligt
Jopen Koyt

Heineken is better/fresher than what you'll find in the states (if that's where you're from).
Also Oranjeboom and Grolsch.

And many, many more...


Also zillions of good bars everywhere...depends on what you consider a 'good bar'.

Heineken is better/fresher than what you'll find in the states (if that's where you're from).
Also Oranjeboom and Grolsch.

I ones bought a six pack Heineken export beer (green bottles) in an US gasstation It really has a strange taste no comparison how it taste out here......

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-10-17 18:09 by NICOS.

Dont go to Rembrandplein or Leidseplein. Way too expensive.
Jeroen

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corriecas
Dont go to Rembrandplein or Leidseplein. Way too expensive.
Jeroen

Perhaps a bit more expensive, but if you're talking about just a couple beers no big deal.
Lots of outdoor seating which is great for people watching and enjoying fresh air...
If someone's never been to Amsterdam before, probably the best bet to start at either place,
and then move on from there to the less crowded/less expensive areas.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Try....Grimbergen triple.

Trust me!

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Hairball

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corriecas
Dont go to Rembrandplein or Leidseplein. Way too expensive.
Jeroen

Perhaps a bit more expensive, but if you're talking about just a couple beers no big deal.
Lots of outdoor seating which is great for people watching and enjoying fresh air...
If someone's never been to Amsterdam before, probably the best bet to start at either place,
and then move on from there to the less crowded/less expensive areas.

Ofcourse you should go to what you like best but if authenticity is your thing then don't go leidseplein or rembrandtplein. The locals dont go the bars there.
Melkweg paradiso clubs is a different story.

How was the race?

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NICOS


I ones bought a six pack Heineken export beer (green bottles) in an US gasstation It really has a strange taste no comparison how it taste out here......

Are you sure it wasn't 'skunked'? Green bottles can go a little funny if not looked after accordingly. I don't mind Heineken, though I prefer Grolsch, personally. If I were visiting the Netherlands, I think I would seek-out beers that I had not heard of. The likes of Grolsch, Heineken and Amstel, are globally available, pretty much.

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Whale

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Hairball

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corriecas
Dont go to Rembrandplein or Leidseplein. Way too expensive.
Jeroen

Perhaps a bit more expensive, but if you're talking about just a couple beers no big deal.
Lots of outdoor seating which is great for people watching and enjoying fresh air...
If someone's never been to Amsterdam before, probably the best bet to start at either place,
and then move on from there to the less crowded/less expensive areas.

Ofcourse you should go to what you like best but if authenticity is your thing then don't go leidseplein or rembrandtplein. The locals dont go the bars there.
Melkweg paradiso clubs is a different story.

All the locals I know make it a point to take fist time visitors to either, more so Leidseplein.
Then, as stated, move on to more less crowded,less expensive, and as you say 'authentic' areas.
It's like going to New York City and visiting Times Square which all first time visitors do.
Crowded, expensive, and touristy, but it's a 'must do' experience and then you move on.

And yes - Melkweg and Paradiso are both great, have seen many amazing shows there - from Jimmy Cliff and Burning Spear, to Steve Winwood and Parliament.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Big Al

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NICOS


I ones bought a six pack Heineken export beer (green bottles) in an US gasstation It really has a strange taste no comparison how it taste out here......

Are you sure it wasn't 'skunked'? Green bottles can go a little funny if not looked after accordingly. I don't mind Heineken, though I prefer Grolsch, personally. If I were visiting the Netherlands, I think I would seek-out beers that I had not heard of. The likes of Grolsch, Heineken and Amstel, are globally available, pretty much.

As far as I know Big Al, the only Amstel available in the US is Amstel 'light'...at least in California.
Tastes like Coors light when compared to a regular Amstel lager found in the Netherlands.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Hairball

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Big Al

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NICOS


I ones bought a six pack Heineken export beer (green bottles) in an US gasstation It really has a strange taste no comparison how it taste out here......

Are you sure it wasn't 'skunked'? Green bottles can go a little funny if not looked after accordingly. I don't mind Heineken, though I prefer Grolsch, personally. If I were visiting the Netherlands, I think I would seek-out beers that I had not heard of. The likes of Grolsch, Heineken and Amstel, are globally available, pretty much.

As far as I know Big Al, the only Amstel available in the US is Amstel 'light'...at least in California.
Tastes like Coors light when compared to a regular Amstel lager found in the Netherlands.

I understood the reason Amstel lager is not sold in the U.S. (I don't know about Canada and Mexico) is that Amstel lager is a Heineken product and they didn't want to compete with themselves. This is why Heineken sells a product in the U.S. called Amstel Light, a 'diet' beer. Which is why I was surprised when I started seeing a Heineken Light product, though I don't see it as much anymore, or in very many places. Amstel Light is a frustrating product for those of us who have actually had real Amstel. The very first taste gives an indication of real Amstel, and then it disappears.

For a short time I was able to get another of my favorite Dutch beers, the 'wit bier' Wieckse Witte in the U.S. I remember going to Maastricht, the home of Wieckse Witte and getting it on tap and keeping one of those magnificent glasses. Then it stopped appearing at my local beer specialty shop and my next trip to Amsterdam I found the product had also been acquired by Heineken. It is now called Wieckse, and I don't know if they changed it, but it doesn't taste all that different from Belgium's Hoegaarden.

Diet beer in laughed upon the Netherlands.

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Koen
Diet beer in laughed upon the Netherlands.

I had a friend from England (Matt from Guildford) visit me while I was in Amsterdam during one of my extended stays.
He was a hardcore Englishman who was raised drinking strong dark ale pulled from a cask - anything else was considered lightweight or 'diet'.
Not only did he consider all Dutch lager lightweight, he couldn't understand the Dutch tradition of leaving a head of foam on his pint - he felt he was being shortchanged.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Hairball

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Koen
Diet beer in laughed upon the Netherlands.

I had a friend from England (Matt from Guildford) visit me while I was in Amsterdam during one of my extended stays.
He was a hardcore Englishman who was raised drinking strong dark ale pulled from a cask - anything else was considered lightweight or 'diet'.
Not only did he consider all Dutch lager lightweight, he couldn't understand the Dutch tradition of leaving a head of foam on his pint - he felt he was being shortchanged.

Shortchanged it is if the head of foam is more then two fingers high.....and this will sometimes happen in crowded or too busy places......

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NICOS

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Hairball

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Koen
Diet beer in laughed upon the Netherlands.

I had a friend from England (Matt from Guildford) visit me while I was in Amsterdam during one of my extended stays.
He was a hardcore Englishman who was raised drinking strong dark ale pulled from a cask - anything else was considered lightweight or 'diet'.
Not only did he consider all Dutch lager lightweight, he couldn't understand the Dutch tradition of leaving a head of foam on his pint - he felt he was being shortchanged.

Shortchanged it is if the head of foam is more then two fingers high.....and this will sometimes happen in crowded or too busy places......

It's actually a law in the United Kingdom that a pint is a pint, and should be filled to the correct line with the head of foam (if any) above the line.
Anything less, the person might feel shortchanged as was the case with my friend Matt.

United Kingdom law

"In the United Kingdom, draught beer must be sold in Imperial measure . United Kingdom law requires certain steps be taken to ensure that a pint of beer is indeed a pint. Though this can be achieved using "metered dispense" (calibrated pumps), the more common solution is to use certified one-pint glasses. Until recently these had a crown stamp and number etched upon them indicating that the certification had been done by an agency of the Crown".



As for me, I'm of English and Dutch ancestry (with a wee bit of Scottish), so I acknowledge and appreciate both ways!
I prefer lagers while in the Netherlands, and Ales while in the U.K.



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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2015-10-19 02:02 by Hairball.

No offense to the British but I believe there should be some foam on top. Maybe it's a myth but I thought that helps keep it fresh. Maybe a larger glass is the answer with a quantity amount line. Back to Holland, I really enjoy their beer culture, seems it's on the up rise.

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frankotero
No offense to the British but I believe there should be some foam on top. Maybe it's a myth but I thought that helps keep it fresh. Maybe a larger glass is the answer with a quantity amount line. Back to Holland, I really enjoy their beer culture, seems it's on the up rise.

Perhaps the myth of foam keeping it fresh pertains to a nice fresh lager (?), but for a crude old ale it probably doesn't matter much.
I'm not an expert on beer or international beer laws and traditions haha, but I enjoy beer and the history.

The link I posted addresses the larger glass secnario you mentioned, and goes on to say:

"Despite this emphasis on accurately measured glasses, there is a practice of defining a pint of beer as only 95 percent liquid.[11] It is common for drinkers to be served less than a full 20 ounce (568 ml equivalent) pint of liquid[12] — either because too much of the glass is taken up by a foamy "head", or simply because the customer has been sold a short measure. To counter this the British Beer and Pub Association have issued guidelines for bar staff to respect a customer who asks for a 'top up' to a full 20 ounce pint.

For those wishing to avoid this practice while still serving beer with a large head, "lined" or "oversized" glasses are available. These have a line near the top (usually labelled "pint to line" ) to which the beer should be poured, with the head forming above it. In the past a number of breweries supplied these glasses to their pubs; this is now rarely the case and lined glasses are found mostly at enthusiasts' events such as beer festivals, serious cask ale pubs, and breweries' own bars. The use of lined 568 ml pint glasses in pubs is advocated by the Campaign for Real Ale".


Back to the Netherlands:

As my Dutch Grandmother used to say: "If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much"

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......