General Category > Beer Travel

Where to go in Amsterdam, Belgium, and Cologne?

(1/2) > >>

skyler:
The GF and I are heading to Europe (her first time leaving North America) in 11 days! :D

Our itinerary:

Dec 15-17 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dec 17-20 Leuven, Belgium
Dec 20-22 Cologne, Germany
Dec 22 Brussels, Belgium
Dec 23-27 Bruges, Belgium
Dec 27-29 Amsterdam, Netherlands

And we're making the trip to Westvleteren to stop by St. Sixtus Monastery if I manage to make a reservation despite the time zone issue, as well as my not knowing ahead of time what my license plate number will be.

I would like to know thoughts on some nice Kolsch brewpubs and Amsterdam breweries/beer bars. Though I have been to each of these cities (besides Leuven and Westvleteren), I would appreciate any other beercentric (or perhaps coffeeshop-centric) advice my fellow homebrewers can offer.

Oh, and I am planning on stopping in Antwerp on my way back to Amsrterdam from Bruges just for a quick stop at Kulminator for a couple vintage ales.

MDixon:
You might find this useful for Bruges, Brussels, and Antwerp.
www.belgiumtrip.notlong.com

Of course in Bruges you need to hit up the normal suspects:
De Garre
Cambrinus
Vlissinghe
Brugs Beertje

If you want to have a spooky good time, take a train into Ghent and go to Velootje. Keep in mind he only opens when he wants to.

hopfenundmalz:
This is all you need.  http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/

Koeln - go to Malzmuehle for good beer and food.  You are also a short train ride to Duesseldorf, which I have gone to rather than Koeln, but that is just me.  Love the Altbier.

Brussels, go to the Cantillon Museum Brewery. 

uthristy:
You usually can't go wrong with the following coffeeshops:

Grey Area
Dampkring
Barney's
Katsu
Basjoe

Hit or miss shops:

Greenhouse
Old Church
Rokerij
Bushdoctor

Stay away from:

Any coffeeshop on Damstraat/Oude Hoogstraat.
Any coffeeshop on Nieuwendijk.
Any coffeeshop with an overdone reggae theme.

skyler:

--- Quote from: hopfenundmalz on December 05, 2009, 06:57:07 AM ---This is all you need.  http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/

Koeln - go to Malzmuehle for good beer and food.  You are also a short train ride to Duesseldorf, which I have gone to rather than Koeln, but that is just me.  Love the Altbier.

--- End quote ---

Yes, I too prefer altbier over kölsch. However, Cologne has a Christmas Market that is supposedly really great, and I figured we could do some X-mas shopping. Also, I have already been to many fine brewpubs in Dusseldorf, but have not in Cologne. We still may well ride over to Dusseldorf for a day to have some beers (and visit with a friend who lives there).

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page