Results: A Brief History of Beer in the Netherlands also known as Holland, over the Centuries Continues...

During the 18th century – 19th century, beer got some serious competition from tea and coffee, as well as jenever (also known as genever), a juniper-flavoured traditional liquor in the Netherlands. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s that Dutch people would consume more beer than jenever again. Would you like to receive a miniature house filled with Jenever?

In the 20th century, before WWII, there were 180 breweries in the Netherlands. After the war, around 80 breweries remained. It was around this time that Heineken started buying smaller, existing breweries to become a heavy hitter on the Dutch beer market. Henry Pierre Heineken was very innovative and clever in his marketing of Heineken beer. Freddy Heineken took a further step to establish "gezelligheid" capturing the essence of coziness and enjoyment. Do you feel "gezelligheid" in regards to drinking beer?

Small breweries started to disappear. In the 1980s, there were only 14 breweries left. Special and local beers gained popularity in the 2000s, causing the number of beer brands and breweries to grow. In 2019, there were over 600 breweries in the Netherlands and more than 150 of these offered beer tastings and tours. Have you ever been on a Beer Tour in the Netherlands?

Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in the Netherlands. People drink it at home, at parties, cafes, at a borrel etc… If you order a beer from a café, often it is served from the tap. The perfect beer is considered to have a two-fingers thick foam layer. In general, it is custom to serve beer cold in the Netherlands. A favourite, and one of the biggest export products in the country, is pale lager. Other Dutch favourites include white beer and seasonal beers. Do you like lots of foam on your beer?