Top 5 - Best Netherlands Beer (Amsterdam)

Netherlands Beer - The Gold Standard

Beer, that 5-12,000-year-old universal party drink everyone loves (depending on who you ask) is highly sought after in just a few select locations around the world. That’s not including countries where the most popular beers are imports – even overtaking the popularity of their own local beers.

With this in mind, it’s more important than ever to support local breweries and spread the word about beers you love, so get down to your local brewery and give them an honest review! You might be surprised.

As this title suggests, The Netherlands are one of those few select locations that are still in the business of producing quality amber nectar that’ll knock your socks off. Truly, there’s beer there so divine that you’d assume it was brewed in a church (and you’d be right!).

That said, finding great beer in The Netherlands is half the battle. Finding the right place to drink it is another. Never fear! For this article, no stone has been left unturned – from ease of access to atmosphere and price, we’ve done the hard work of sifting through each and every nook and cranny to find you the best Netherlands beer (and the best places to quaff it) focussing on Amsterdam.

Drinking hats at the ready!

Best Netherlands Beer #5 - Walhalla

(Spijkerkade)

Pricing: €

Walhalla is a tucked-away modern microbrewery in the Oud Noord neighbourhood which began as a successful crowdfunding campaign back in 2016. Although it’s quite a small venue on the inside, it features a decent amount of outdoor seating and offers all sorts of interesting local snacks between drinks.

The on-draft beer selection is constantly refreshed, so you never really know what’s in store (not including the bottled/canned stuff) but people everywhere are singing its praises all the same. Walhalla offers the chance to join in on impromptu brewery tours on their events page, as well as pinging their followers with special releases in good time.

As we can’t recommend anything on draft (in case it’s gone forever), try their Loki Golden IPA which can be bought by the can. The incredible artwork on every can is a selling point all in itself!

If you’re looking for something modern, unconventional and surprising, pay a visit to Walhalla!

#4 - Heineken Brewery

(Amsterdam - between Funenkade and Zeeburgerstraat)

Pricing: €€

We had to give a nod to what is (arguably) the OG of Dutch breweries, Heineken. Being on the favourites list of many a beer nut and remaining at the top despite its advanced age rivalling that of Old Father Time (est. 1873) it’s a fantastic pale lager beer with heaps of flavour and history. Ask anyone.

One of the best parts of the Heineken Brewery is the self-guided tour where you get to learn everything there is to know, from their four natural ingredients to the brewing process itself. Plus, at the end you can either get two bottles of Heineken or learn how to pull an ice-cold pint on draft right then and there.

If you’re a connoisseur or a budding beer apprentice, a tourist or even a local, the Heineken Brewery is to the modern adult as Wonka’s chocolate factory was to Charlie; it’s an industrial masterpiece with a fair few tricks up its sleeve.

Best Netherlands Beer #3 - Oedipus

(Amsterdam Noord)

Pricing: $$

Names aside, Oedipus is the collective brainchild of four dedicated friends who used to operate out of a tiny apartment in Amsterdam back in 2010, selling the fine-tuned excess of their brewing experiments. Through word of mouth and flavour alone, they raised enough to open a taproom in Amsterdam Noord.

Since its apartment days, if you can believe it, the beer has been further refined, plus their range has expanded by orders of magnitude. They often collaborate with other breweries, too, creating all sorts of stouts, lagers, ales, BA and everything in-between using ingredients sourced locally as well as abroad.

Oedipus’ beer was even scouted and picked up by a Michelin star restaurant (De Librije). So, if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary where you’ll be spoilt for choice, the Oedipus taproom is the place to go.

(Hidden Gem 💎) #2 - Wispe Brouwerij

Pricing: $$

If you find yourself within Christian circles on a Sunday morning it’s not uncommon to hear references to ‘the blood of Christ’. This is to say, the idea of alcohol has been long been connected to deities throughout history.

It’s either by holy coincidence or a show of faith, then, that the lesser-known Wispe Brouweij in Amersterdam ended up brewing their beer inside a church! Established in 2009 by a trio of brothers and endorsed by the then mayor, they’ve partnered with various businesses throughout The Netherlands and have since made quite the name for themselves.

In 2015 alone they managed to produce 450 hectoliters of beer! Their brewery has a capacity of 2500hl, so there’s plenty to go around.

At the time of writing, Wispe Brouwerij has 9 standard beers ranging from blonde to IPA as well as one seasonal beer (Wispe Bock). They produced a special one-off ‘WispEK’ for the European Football Championship in 2021, which is enough to convince us that they’re in the big leagues (literally).

Their taproom is located in a quaint renovated church Sint-Laurentiuskerk on the river Vecht and is well worth the trip for the sights alone!

#1 - Brouwerij ‘t IJ

(Amsterdam - between Funenkade and Zeeburgerstraat)

Pricing: $$

Off the top of your head, what have you never thought of pairing Netherlands beer with? Well, prepare to be blown away (apologies in advance) by Brouwerij ‘t IJ, a former bath house-turned-brewery situated near a windmill!

Trying our best to sidestep any extra windmill-related punnery, this longstanding brewery has been knocking about since good ol’ 1985. At the time of writing, Brouwerij ‘t IJ produces three seasonal beers (IJndejaars, Paasij and IJbock) as well as eight standard beers, each with their own character and unique flavour profile.

Their oldest recipe (and a fan favourite) is Natte, well-known for its brown sugar and plum notes with earthy tones throughout. We highly recommend this one!

Brouwerij ‘t IJ is consistently mentioned by tourists and locals alike as having an amazing atmosphere (with great booze to boot). So, if your hair is short or you don’t mind looking windswept and you’re all about liquid lunch with a view, Brouwerij ‘t IJ has something for you!

Questo tip: If arriving by car, search for a space near Zeeburgerpad and Zeeburgerstraat for cheaper parking. You can also reach it on foot, by bike, on the tram and even by boat.

This concludes our Top 5 list of the best Netherlands beer (and where to quaff it). As always, remember to keep our tips handy and, if you’re looking for more fun things to do in The Netherlands, try any one of our on-location exploration games where you can learn all sorts of interesting Dutch facts!