Beer in the Netherlands

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The former Heineken brewery in Amsterdam, now a museum

Beer in the Netherlands includes pale lagers, especially Bavaria, Heineken and Grolsch, that are consumed globally. Grolsch is the leading import lager in the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} Heineken is the world's third-largest brewer of beer, after Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller.^{[citation needed]} Bavaria is the leading import lager in Iraq. The brewery is active in more than 130 countries, in particular in Asia and the Middle East.

While pale lager makes up the majority of beer production and consumption in the Netherlands, most Dutch brewers also brew specials. The most common specials are witbier (wheat beer) and Bok, brewed in Autumn and Spring, a tradition closely related to German Bock.

The Netherlands exports the largest beer of any country in the world – approximately 50% of production.^[1] In 2004, almost 1,300 million litres were exported out of a total production of 2,300 million litres.^{[citation needed]}

Breweries[]

Amstel, Grolsch and Heineken – three popular Dutch brands

There are three major brewery companies in the Netherlands: Heineken (also brews Amstel), Grolsch, and Bavaria. Belgian breweries also take part in the market. Inbev for example sells Jupiler, Dommelsch, and Oranjeboom in the Dutch market. According to the Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor, Heineken controls about fifty percent of the market and the other three fifteen percent each.^{[citation needed]} Between the them,^[who?] the large companies operate eight breweries.^{[citation needed]} In addition to the multinationals, there are five^{[citation needed]} independent lager breweries and around forty^{[citation needed]} five small, new microbreweries and brewpubs. A dozen other companies own no brewing plant themselves and have their beers brewed by third parties in the Netherlands or Belgium.^{[citation needed]} The new breweries mostly brew top-fermenting beers roughly similar to those from Belgium. In addition there are also examples of British-style ales and traditional lagers.

The Dutch province, North Brabant, is home to two of the ten Trappist Breweries. The monks that run the Koningshoeven Brewery in Berkel-Enschot brew several beers, mostly branded La Trappe, and has been active since 1884, while the brewery of the Zundert abbey was only founded in 2013 and brews a beer named Zundert. The four classics La Trappe Trappist beers are awarded with Golden European Beer stars in 2018. La Trappe Blond did won a Golden award in the World Beer Cup 2016. It was chosen as winner out of 6600 other international beers. ^[2]

Some beers have their own regional consumption base. Bavaria, Budels and Dommelsch are popular in North Brabant. Grolsch is a favourite in the eastern province Overijssel.^{[citation needed]}

Dommelsch Beer Brewery, The Oldest Dutch Brewery ^[3]

Lentebier from Dutch brewery Jopen

Visit the La Trappe Brewery in the Abbey De Koningshoeven surrounded by Brabantian nature

See also[]

• List of Dutch breweries
•  Beer portal
•  Netherlands portal

References[]

External links[]

• Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor
• The Brewers of Europe