Brouwerij 't IJ
Small Amsterdam brewery next to a windmill, opened 1985.
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Brouwerij 't IJ, also known as The IJ Brewery, is a small Amsterdam brewery set in a former bath house called Funen, right beside the De Gooyer windmill. Its name comes from the IJ, the body of water that serves as the city’s waterfront. Founded in October 1985 by ex-musician Kaspar Peterson, it was one of several small Dutch breweries that emerged as drinkers grew tired of beer from major companies. The brewery produces twelve standard beers, three seasonal ones, and occasional limited editions.
Tours and tastings are offered, and there is a pub with an outdoor terrace. Due to noise complaints from neighbors, it opens only from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Brewing takes place in the pub’s basement and at a separate building on Zeeburgerpad. In 2019, a second bar opened inside the Blauwe Theehuis in Vondelpark.
The brewery’s logo shows an ostrich, an egg, and a distant windmill. Among the standard beers, Natte, Zatte, Columbus, and Struis are certified organic. The standard lineup includes Blondie (5.8%), Biri (4.7%), Columbus (9%, amber and hoppy), Flink (4.7%), Free IPA (0.5%), I.P.A. (6.5%), IJwit (6.5%, a white beer), Natte (6.5%, a brown/red dubbel), Session IPA (4%), Struis (9%, sweet and dark), Vrijwit (0.5%), and Zatte (8%, a yellow/gold tripel). The three seasonal beers are IJbock (6.5%, dark bock), Paasij (7%, amber springbock), and IJndejaars (9%, varying each year).
Lore & Background
Brouwerij 't IJ was opened by Kaspar Peterson, a former musician, in October 1985. It was one of several small breweries that opened in cities around the Netherlands in response to consumers' dissatisfaction with beer brewed by the larger companies. The brewery is located in a former bath house named Funen, next to the De Gooyer windmill. Its name references the IJ in Amsterdam, a body of water considered to be the city's waterfront.
The brewery brews twelve standard beers and three seasonal beers, besides limited edition beers. The standard beers Natte, Zatte, Columbus, and Struis are certified organic. The brewery allows tours and tastings, and has a pub with an outdoor terrace.
It opens from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. but no later, owing to local residents' objections to the noise. It brews in the pub basement and in a building in the nearby Zeeburgerpad. In 2019 it opened a second bar in the Blauwe Theehuis in the Vondelpark.
The brewery's logo features an ostrich, with an egg, and a distant windmill.
Reader's Guide
Brouwerij 't IJ is a small brewery in Amsterdam that opened in October 1985, founded by former musician Kaspar Peterson. It was part of a wave of small breweries in Dutch cities that arose from consumer dissatisfaction with beer from larger companies. The brewery is housed in a former bath house named Funen, adjacent to the De Gooyer windmill, and its name derives from the IJ, Amsterdam's waterfront body of water.
The brewery produces twelve standard beers and three seasonal beers, with four standard beers—Natte, Zatte, Columbus, and Struis—certified organic. Tours and tastings are offered, and the on-site pub, which includes an outdoor terrace, operates from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. due to noise complaints from local residents. Brewing takes place in the pub basement and at a building on Zeeburgerpad.
In 2019, a second bar opened in the Blauwe Theehuis in the Vondelpark. The brewery's logo depicts an ostrich, an egg, and a distant windmill. Its significance lies in its role as an early craft brewery in the Netherlands, its distinctive location, and its range of organic and seasonal beers.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Brouwerij 't IJ (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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