Our Amsterdam Friends Share Our New Local Beers
Funky Falcon by Two Chefs Brewing
Sebastiaan, Hotel Manager // All photos by Studio Peper
“This is my personal favourite, and the name has a great story behind it. Dutch sailors supposedly made the dodo bird go extinct and also discovered its closest relative, the legendary raphus funkos cucullatus (funky falcon) on the island of Mauritus. The beer’s recipe includes lemongrass, which the bird was said to eat.”
East Coast Porter by Brothers in Law Brewing
Marc, Management Trainee
“As the name suggests, the brewery is family-owned and started by three brothers in law. They spent years working in the beer world before branching off to brew their own. This beer tastes like chocolate and coffee, so it’s perfect for the whole day [Laughs].
Bloesem Blond by Gebrouwen Door Vrouwen
Sephala, Bar & Desk Host
“‘Gebrouwen Door Vrouwen’ in English means ‘brewed by women’ (it sounds a lot more fun in Dutch). This brewery was founded by two sisters from Amsterdam who started brewing beer at home on the stove, and now their beer is one of the best of the city.”
Mannenliefde by Oedipus
“A beer with Szechuan peppers! In Dutch, ‘mannenliefde’ means ‘man love’. They call it a stereotype-free beer. On the label you’ll notice little yellow dots that are actually hair, and the hair is shaved into a heart. Fun fact: the Max Brown Canal District building used to be a hotel called Hotel New York, and it was one of the first gay hotels in Europe.”
Biri by Brouwerij ‘t IJ
“This beer was a collaboration between the brewery Brouwerij ‘t IJ and Waterkant, one of the best summer hangout spots in Amsterdam. It’s a Corona-esque beer that tastes like summer.”
White Ale by Lowlander
“Lowlander created their White Ale as a tribute to the ‘rugged and restless spirit’ of a Dutch explorer named Willem Barentsz and his crew, who attempted to find a northern passage to the Indies and instead got stranded with frozen beer and polar bears. That explains the polar bear on the bottle.”
Belhamel by De Eeuwige Jeugd
“‘Belhamel’ is an old word in Dutch that means ‘rowdy boy’. Drink a few of these beers and you’ll get rowdy. There’s actually a cosy restaurant right across the canal called Belhamel that we highly recommend to guests of Max Brown Canal District.”
Columbus by Brouwerij ‘t IJ
“This is Marc’s favourite. The brewery is located right by the biggest wooden windmill in the Netherlands, a quick bike ride from Max Brown Canal District.”
Playground by vandeStreek
“This non-alcoholic beer is brewed in Utrecht at a brewery started by two friends. Even though it’s non-alcoholic, it’s full of complex, challenging flavors. It’s brewed with five types of American hops.”
See you soon in Amsterdam
