As I sit in front of my computer here in New York reading trip reports and getting very jealous. I open my favorite beir and imagine I am sitting outside Molly Malones deciding if I should choose an old favorite or try a new girl... I can't wait till March !!! I prefer Amstel Light

Just give a corner seat at Ziggy's and let me watch the world go by and I am happy. It's where I go to to just settle down and, have a few beers and talk to the people (the owners) to catch up on what's really happening in the RLD and Amsterdam in general. The people that I have had beers with in that bar have been for the most part a great experience. I go next door, get a joint, drink a beer, then back to the ladies. Oh yeah, what beer, depends on who is buying! But I pay my share!

I really like the Wit Bier (don't know which brand though). It's a little bit sweet, a very different taste to normal bier. I recommend it if you haven't tried it before.

I have definitely become a Heinekin man now for obvious reasons ;-)

SVU

Are you talking about favorite beer..

Or favorite beer available in Amsterdam ??


Best Regards

Smuler

Amstel Light?? Why not Miller Light or Bud Light?? Maybe some Schlitz Malt Liquor or Colt 45?

Really??? While in Amsterdam you need to branch out and enlighten your taste buds! Maybe,,,,even take a trip to Belgium and go to the "mother ship" of beer production.

Check this out:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~patto1ro/pubs.htm

I particularly enjoyed their comments about Leffe Blonde :-)

Want a 95 pt. beer? Try Scaldis

Your favorite beer in general, and what you drink when in Amsterdam...

I don't drink American beer anymore. After so many trips to Dublin ,Amsterdam,& London it taste like seltzer water to me now... Regarding Belgium beer. There is a small bar in NYC named "Duvel" right off 42nd street and 7th. The owners are Belgium and its a very nice time with a great selection of the finest Belgium brews. Just a warning for those of you who have never tried Belgium beer: The alcohol content is more than your average beverage. I have been drinking for 25 years and after 7 or 8 Leffe Blondes, Witte, and Lucifer's I was destroyed....

I must say Columbus,a good and very strong beer from Ij Brewery a local brewery in Amsterdam. The brewery itself is well worth a visit.

Now you're talking my language!!!
I agree that the Ij Brewery is definitely worth a visit...But those are some strong and exotic beers. Not exactly a session beer.

My recommendation is to visit the Arand's Nest (sp?) at 92 Herengracht. This is a dutch bar serving Holland's lesser known beers. I suggest that you start with a Christoffel Blond...A nice ale from Southern Holland. For the hop head...I think its called Snark...A Pale Ale.

Plenty of other fine Dutch Microbrews here. The Bar itself is a bit quiet...Mostly locals...very friendly place.

Only word of caution here...Don't ask for a Belgian beer...At the Nest, it's all about the Holland micros...

cheers all,
-ale

I will surely spend a couple of hours in the Nest the next time i am in Amsterdam,sounds like a perfect place to relax in,thanks Alelover.

Wow..

I have a couple things to say:

Hi 420- you mention this " Scaldis "...I looked it up on Beer Advocate

Actually made by http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/604

Brasserie Dubuisson Freres

They have 3 different ones:
Regular, Noel, and Prestige..all rated very highly, and all are 12-13 % alcohol

I do not drink Belgians..so I cannot comment..How much is this beer ??


You are correct regards branching out..there are a couple excellent beer destinations in Amsterdam

1. Brouwerij 't IJ ... As mentioned by Talggreven ( Welcome to the board ) , and Alelover..this is a great place to drink Columus, Zatte, and Struis...They are located @ Funenkade 7..I usually take the # 10 Tram there...It is across from the Esso station.. open from 15:00-20:00 every day
2. Cafe in the Wildeman- IMHO, one of the top 5 beer bars that I have ever been to..great selection of beers. Located on Kolksteeg between the Singel and De Wallen ( I use it as a pitstop during qualifying laps LOL )
3. Café 't Arendsnest located at Herengracht 90..owned by Peter..great guy..head of some Dutch Beer organization..as previously stated, only Dutch beers available
4. Cafe Gollem . ( Where are you Rheingau ?? ) located @ 4 Raamsteeg...Now this is a real Belgian Beer bar !!!
5. Across the street- world class beer shop called : De Gekraakte Ketel (The Cracked Kettle)

I will stop there.


I make it a habit to bring beer gifts to both Cafe in The Wildeman and Arendsnest the last 3 years..I bring Wim along as my John Wayne ( to ride shotgun )..but we somehow always end up at the 3 Sisters ...I really think Wim is on the payroll..

Beer fact- both these places crave American Microbrews...especially Imperial Stouts and Huge IPA hopbombs
They cannot get enough of them...

They will be shocked at what I am bringing this year !!!

I notice that both Flying Dog and Great Divide are being distibuted in Holland..Imagine my surprise when I saw them there in May



Alelover- where are you Cali based ?? Both San Francisco and ESPECIALLY San Diego, are fantastic beer destinations !!!


SVU- since we are neighbors, I can tell you that there is a fantastic beer destination occuring right under your nose- In Williamsburg/ Greenpoint / Park Slope ...Brooklyn

PM me if you are interested.

Talggreven - are you from Denmark ??


Best Regards Smuler


Tonight's offerings :

Southern Tier "Krampus (Imperial Helles Lager) " - 9 % alcohol- Lakewood New York

Lagunitas " We're Only In It For The Money " ( American Tripel )- 8.2 @- Petaluma, California

Smuler,

Scaldis is a "must try" beer. It is literally the "Cristal" of beer. Mr. Plug turned me on to it last year and I fell in love rather quickly. It comes in 8.2 oz bottle ILO a standard 11.2 ounce. Not cheap,,,I can buy a 6 pack of Natural Lite for the same price:-)

After reading this post and revisiting the website I posted earlier I started drinking...Duvel, Gulden Draak,,now a Kasteel Rouge to finish me off. All three were great with a nice dinner of Calamari, Scallops, Shrimp, olive oil, and loads of garlic. Made me think I was in Brussels.... for a moment!

Tomorrow,,I am off to restock my supply at Bevmo http://www.bevmo.com

1 P(1) Gulden Draak 5 $4.49 $22.45
2 P(1) Duvel Belgian Ale 6 $3.19 $19.14
3 P(1) Tripel Karmeleit 1 $8.99 $8.99
4 P(1) La Chouffe 2 $4.59 $9.18
5 P(1) Gouden Carolus Triple 2 $3.99 $7.98
6 P(1) Scaldis Belgian Special Ale 2 $4.49 $8.98
7 P(1) $10 off $75! 1 ($10.00) ($10.00)

Subtotal: $66.72
Tax: $5.30
CRV: $0.00
Total: $72.02

P.S.

Wim and I enjoyed the 3 Sisters as well. A great location overlooking the Wag and decent beer to boot!

Heineken is awesome in Amsterdam but terrible in the USA. Stella Artois is pretty dam good also!

What????.....no Belgium owned Budweiser....."The Great American Lager"...LOL....

Here are the beers in my collection : % of alcohol listed

( A great number have made it to Amsterdam in the form of gifts )

Victory Brewing- Downingtown PA
Storm King Imperial Stout- 9.1 %
Old Horizontal Barleywine- 11.0%
Golden Monkey Tripel-9.5 %
Hop Wallop 8.5 %

Dogfish Head- Lewes Delaware
120 Minute IPA- 21.0 %
90 Minute IPA- 9 %

Brooklyn Brewery- Brooklyn, NY
Black Chocolate Stout- 10.6 %

Bells Brewery- Kalamazoo. Michigan
Hop Slam- 10%
Double Cream Stout- 7.5 %
Java Stout-7.5 %
Expedition Stout- 10.5 %

Stoudt's Brewery- Adamstown, PA
Double IPA-10 %

Speakeasy Brewery - San Francisco, CA
Double Daddy IPA- 9.5 %

Sierra Nevada Brewery- San Francisco, CA
Bigfoot Barleywine- 9.6 %

Flying Dog Brewery- Denver, Colorado
Double Dog Imperial Pale Ale ( 2006 version )- 10.5 %
Double Dog Imperial Pale Ale ( 2007 version )-11.5 %
Gonzo Imperial Porter- 9.2 %

Weyerbacher Brewery- Easton, Pennsylvania
Thirteen Imperial Stout- 13.4 %

Dieu Du Ciel- Montreal, Quebec
Peche Mortel ( Mortal Sin )- 9.5 %

Founder's Brewery- Grand Rapids, Michigan
Breakfast Stout- 8.3 %


This is only my 12 oz collection

I haven't even listed the 22 ounce Bombers that I have


Best Regards

Smuler

Ok Smuler, we have to meet sometime to compare all of our similar "vices".

I was in Northern Michigan this summer and discovered Bells Oberon. Pretty tasty brew. I still don't put American Craft brews in the same league as the Belgian's but will be open to trying :-)

Last week, I was attended a Chimay event here in Scottsdale. After consuming a few 750 Grand Reserves onne of the local brewers cracked me up when he blurted out:

"Wine is one ingredient,,,grapes! Beer has so many more possibilities. Hell, you can buy world class 95 pt Beer for $10-$15,,why go crazy over grapes?"

The best beer I have had in Amsterdam was at "in the Wildeman" where I had a dark Dutch beer called Rasputin, from a small Dutch brewery called "Brouwerij De Molen". Mostly I think it is a waste to drink the normal Heineken or Amstel in Amsterdam while I can get them anywhere in the world. Usually I go to the bars in the RLD where the choice of beer is pretty poor so I often end up with a Heineken anyway. Does anymbody know if there is a bar in the RLD that has a good selection of beer? especially dark strong beer...

Good Morning all...

Now we're getting into details...Sounds good.

First off...Almost all the beers mentioned here are high in alcohol content...Not a problem...But seriously, how many 9%'ers can a person drink? While I love a good strong Imperial stout...Can't drink too many of those types.

My goal in Amsterdam is to deftly coordinate my drinking, smoking and shagging...A couple of strong ales can (and has) created a roadblock to that coordination.

I compare the strong beer issue to hash and weed...While I enjoy good strong hash, can't smoke it the whole trip...Must change up the routine to include plenty of weed.

So, a trip to the Ij Brewery is fun, and their offerings are well made, but I can only drink one or two here...Not exactly a true session.

The Belgian listed above are very good...I've moved on to some lesser known ales:

Petrus Special
Moeder Ostre
Keyte Oostense (They make a Dobbel-Tripel for you lovers of the strong ales 9.2%)
Cuvee Des Troll (Made by Dubuisson)

In Center City, you may be able to find these at Der Bierkoning.

Here in Orange County, most Microbreweries are a bit disappointing. although Newport Brewing Company has a steam style ale that is very nice alnog with the John Wayne Imperial Stout. (Made for Wim I think.)

Two breweries from San Diego have excellent beer...Stone Brewing and Alesmith...Both cater heavily to us hop-heads...Even got a few strong ones in their line-up too.

Right now...It's all about the holiday ales...Sierra Nevada Celebration, Santa's Private Reserve from Rogue, Anchor Steam Holiday (too much damn spruce again) and Alesmith Holiday ale. Tis the season!!!

Funny though, I thought I was the only one who weighted down their luggage with beers..And to give away no less!!! Bringing over Micros from California is my own foreign exchange program...Always well received.

Any visitors to Orange County are always invited to contact me for a guided tour of the best hops and grain mixtures available here. Chances are good that I may have a hombrew or two that I've made...But they do go quick...Got a lot of neighbors that enjoy my ales.

Nostrovia,
-ale

Ok kids..
onto the 22 oz's

Dieu Du Ciel- Montreal , Quebec
Peche Mortel- Imperial Stout - 9%

Victory Brewing- Downingtown , PA
Baltic Thunder Baltic Porter- 8.5 %

Port Brewing Company/ Pizza Port- Carlsbad, California
2nd Anniversary Ale- American DIPA -8 %

Weyerbacher Brewing- Easton, Pennsylvania
Double Simcoe DIPA- 9 %
Blasphemy Quadrupel- 11.8 %

Stone Brewing Company- San Marcos, California
Vertical Epic 0808- Belgian Strong pale Ale- 8.4 %
Double Bastard-American Strong ale- 10 %
Old Guardian Barleywine ( 2006 )- 11.26 %
Imperial Russian Stout ( 2006) - 10.8 %
Stone 10th Anniversary- American Imperial IPA- 10 %
Stone 11th Anniversary- American Strong Ale- 8.7 %
Stone 12th Anniversary- Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout- 9.2 %

Schmaltz Brewing Company- San Francisco
Jewbelation 12- American Brown Ale- 12 %
Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA -American Imperial DIPA- 10 %

Deschutes Brewing- Bend, Oregon
Abyss- Imperial Stout- 11 %

Avery Brewing- Boulder, Colorado
Maharaja- American DIPA- 9.7 %

Lagunitas Brewing- Petaluma, California
Lucky 13-American Red Ale- 8.3 %
12th Anniversary Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale- Imperial DIPA- 9.9 %

Southern Tier Brewing- Lakewood, New York
Unearthly IPA- Imperial DIPA- 11 %
Creme Brulee- American Doule Imperial Stout- 10 %
Jahva- Imperial Coffee Stout- 12 %
Oat- Imperial Oatmeal Stout- 12.5 %


420- I never had the Bell’s Oberon…Bell’s is really hard to get here in the Metro NYC area..I rely on a girl that I work with to go back to Michigan for the holidays..I get some off of her…

We certainly will meet- check your PM

Makelove- you are so right about checking out beers that you never have an opportunity to get in your neck of the woods…wherever that may be…

Alelover- since I basically go to Amsterdam to smoke, I really sort of cut back on my beer adventures… your point about the strength of the beers is correct..a couple of these, and you will be doing the Curly shuffle…

I get pleasure giving these products to beer people ( as I enjoy giving out presents to the ladies )…

Girls hate the smell of alcohol on a guy- so I certainly contain my consumption, along with a good mouthwash before we session…

Thanks about the Bierkoning..I forgot…dropped off A Flying Dog to a nice dude named Jan last year…

San Diego- you certainly must give Alpine Brewing a try…Also, go to Hamilton’s Tavern, O’briens, and now Toronado has move down and opened a branch along with their SF location. Liar’s Club kas moved inland also, from Pacific Beach…

Alesmith was a big disappointment to me…but I do have the Alesmith Speedway Stout to drink on Xmas day..we have been waiting 3 years to drink it, as I smuggled it back from San Diego..


Thanks for the invite to the LA area.. I might take you up on a pint or 2 one day…

Come to NYC..you will be shocked, as I can take you to at least 15 excellent beer venues…plus the Rockefeller Center Xmas tree is going up on Tuesday…


Best Regards


Smuler