Dutch beer
Dutch beer is broader than the pilsner the country has traditionally been known for. Dutch brewers make hop-forward IPAs, stouts and bocks, and give Belgian styles their own twist. Here you'll find Hoptimaal's available Dutch range, from Frontaal Brewing Co. to VAT'33.
- In stock now175 beers
- Breweries51
Breweries from Netherlands 51
Rock City BrewingAmersfoort · 11 in stock
Frontaal Brewing Co.Breda · 10 in stock
VAT'33Amersfoort · 8 in stock
Brouwerij KeesMiddelburg · 8 in stock
Eleven BreweryUtrecht · 7 in stock
De Kromme HaringUtrecht · 7 in stock
WalhallaAmsterdam · 6 in stock
ROTT. Brewing CompanyRotterdam · 6 in stock
EemAmersfoort · 6 in stock
Dutch BargainGroede · 6 in stock
Van MollEindhoven · 5 in stock
Stadshaven BrouwerijRotterdam · 5 in stock
GallivantHengelo · 5 in stock
Big Belly Brewing CompanyBreda · 5 in stock
BaxbierGroningen · 5 in stock
t MirakelAmersfoort · 4 in stock
KatuinerAmersfoort · 4 in stock
Het UiltjeHaarlem · 4 in stock
Brouwerij Poesiat & KaterAmsterdam · 4 in stock
Brouwerij HomelandAmsterdam · 4 in stock
Brouwerij de Eeuwige JeugdAmsterdam · 4 in stock
X-brewingKatwijk · 3 in stock
Two ChefsAmsterdam · 3 in stock
Moersleutel Craft BreweryAlkmaar · 3 in stock
Kaapse BrouwersRotterdam · 3 in stock
JELSTERRotterdam · 3 in stock
Jake's Beer3 in stock
Grutte PierWyns · 3 in stock
Brothers In Law BrewingUtrecht · 3 in stock
Bierbrouwerij De KoningshoevenBerkel-Enschot · 3 in stock
KompaanDen Haag · 2 in stock
Het Platte HarnasBarneveld · 2 in stock
Gulpener BierbrouwerijGulpen · 2 in stock
Gooische BierbrouwerijHilversum · 2 in stock
Brouwerij De Rode Hoed2 in stock
Bird BreweryDiemen · 2 in stock
Rolo1977 Beers1 in stock
Oproer BrouwerijUtrecht · 1 in stock
OersoepNijmegen · 1 in stock
MuifelbrouwerijOss · 1 in stock
LindeboomNeer · 1 in stock
Guilty Monkey BreweryNijmegen · 1 in stock
Goede Kant van het SpoorGeldrop · 1 in stock
Gebrouwen door VrouwenAmsterdam · 1 in stock
De Drie RingenAmersfoort · 1 in stock
Brouwerij Sancti AdalbertiEgmond aan den Hoef · 1 in stock
Brouwerij de ToekomstFijnaart · 1 in stock
Brouwerij De SnorVelp · 1 in stock
Brouwerij 't IJAmsterdam · 1 in stock
Bierbrouwerij De MagistraatAlmkerk · 1 in stock
Berghoeve BrouwerijDen Ham · 1 in stock
All beers in stock 175
From gruit and hoppenbier to the pilsner monopoly
For centuries, Dutch brewers worked with gruit, a herb mixture that was already being taxed in 1274. Around 1320 the first hopped beers appeared from the Hanseatic cities, and by about 1450 hops were commonplace. That new beer came to be called hoppenbier.
Lager arrived in 1864 and many old styles disappeared. In 1874 the country had 489 breweries, and in 1914 there were still 359. A law from 1926 banned the brewing of low-alcohol beer, after which 148 breweries were left in 1930. The low point came in 1980: 16 breweries, and more than 99 percent of the beer sold was pilsner.
The turnaround came in 1980 with the founding of the consumer organisation PINT. More and more small, independent brewers joined in, and today the Netherlands has more than 900 breweries.
Bock, Belgian influence and hops in the American style
Pilsner is still the best-selling style, although its market share fell from 98 percent in the 1980s to about 75 percent. Many brewers also make Belgian styles such as blond and tripel, while others opt for hop-forward beers in the American style. Weizen and IPA are popular too.
According to beer experts, bockbier (Dutch bock) comes closest to a typically Dutch style. In October and November most beer bars pour a bock, and since 2001 there has been the competition Het Lekkerste Bockbier van Nederland (the tastiest bock beer in the Netherlands). La Trappe also makes a bock, which by its own account is the only Trappist bock in the world.
Oud bruin and Dort, a strong and sweet lager from the 1950s, count as truly Dutch styles. Beyond that, Dutch brewers feel little bound by rules. Styles such as saison, tripel and barley wine regularly get a new twist with local ingredients.
Dutch beer at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you'll find Dutch beers from Frontaal Brewing Co., Rock City Brewing, Brouwerij Kees, VAT'33, De Kromme Haring and Eleven Brewery, among others. The styles range from IPA and stout to Witbier, tripel, bock and sour beer.
Each brewery has its own page with its beers, so you can search by brewery. Want something hearty? Look at the stouts and bocks. Looking for hops? The IPAs are a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is typically Dutch beer?
Pilsner is still the best-selling beer, but bock beer comes closest to a typically Dutch style. Oud bruin and Dort count as the two truly Dutch styles that have survived from the old tradition.
Which Dutch breweries are well known?
Heineken, Grolsch and Bavaria are the well-known lager brewers. On the craft side, Jopen from Haarlem, Brouwerij 't IJ from Amsterdam and La Trappe are among the best known. At Hoptimaal you'll find Frontaal Brewing Co., Rock City Brewing and Brouwerij Kees, among others.
Where do Dutch brewery names come from?
They are often named after the founder, a place, an object or a concept. Brouwerij Kees carries a first name, De Kromme Haring refers to a bent herring, and Frontaal from Breda refers to 'full frontal'.
Beer from other countries
- American beer 71
- Belgian beer 68
- Canadian beer 54
- German beer 37
- English beer 37
- Spanish beer 21
- Romanian beer 17
- French beer 16
- Swedish beer 15
- Norwegian beer 14
- Estonian beer 17
- Polish beer 11
- Irish beer 8
- Finnish beer 9
- Hungarian beer 7
- Latvian beer 8
- Croatian beer 8
- Danish beer 8
- Portuguese beer 4
- Welsh beer 5
- Scottish beer 4
- Brazilian beer 3
- Ukrainian beer 2
- Greek beer 3
- Slovenian beer 3
- Czech beer 3
