What People Drink in the Netherlands: Traditional Alcoholic Beverages That Define Dutch Culture

The Netherlands drinks what its landscape and history allow: grain-based spirits from windmill-powered distilling towns, and sturdy seasonal beers for a maritime climate. Ports like Amsterdam and Rotterdam brought spices and botanicals that shaped bitters and liqueurs.

You’ll find sipping rituals in brown cafés, herbal cures from the north, and orange-hued toasts on royal days. Dutch drinking culture values balance—neat spirits in small tulip glasses, beer matched to the season, and conviviality without fuss.

Jenever is the Netherlands’ ancestral spirit and the forebear of modern gin, distilled from a mash of malted barley, rye, and sometimes corn to make moutwijn (malt wine), then blended with neutral spirit and flavored with juniper and botanicals. Two styles dominate: oude (old-style, meaning traditional recipe) is maltier and sometimes lightly oak-aged, while jonge (young-style) is cleaner and drier. Most bottlings sit at 35–40% ABV. The aroma spans juniper, bread crust, and faint citrus; oude often shows grain sweetness and a rounder, oily feel.

The archetypal serve is the tulip-shaped borrelglas, filled to the brim and sipped with a bow before lifting. In Amsterdam and Rotterdam, a kopstootje—literally “little head-butt”—pairs a shot of chilled jenever with a small beer. The custom echoes 16th–19th century distilling powerhouses like Schiedam, whose windmills once malted grain for the spirit trade. Today it’s a café staple before a herring snack, during a workday borrel (drinks hour), or as a warming nip on cool evenings.

Korenwijn, literally “grain wine,” is a fuller, more archaic cousin of jenever built on a high proportion of moutwijn. By regulation it typically contains 51–70% malt wine and runs 38–50% ABV, with many examples matured briefly in oak. Expect aromas of fresh-baked bread, juniper resin, vanilla, and pepper, with a plush, malty palate that’s richer than jonge jenever yet more polished than rustic farm distillates.

Historically popular from the 18th century onward, korenwijn reflects a grain-focused Low Countries agriculture and the craft of barrel-rested spirits. It’s treated as a sipping drink rather than a quick shot: neat at room temperature in a small tulip glass, sometimes paired with cheese, smoked eel, or Hollandse Nieuwe (new-season herring). In Rotterdam’s harbor cafés and across Utrecht’s beer bars, it appears at the table as the contemplative counterpoint to lager—an after-dinner dram, a slow companion to conversation, or a traditional toast during family celebrations and winter holidays.

Beerenburg is a northern Dutch kruidenbitter (herbal bitter) created by macerating a blend of roots, barks, and spices—often including gentian, licorice root, laurel, cloves, and juniper—into jenever or grain spirit. The result, generally around 30% ABV, is a dark, bittersweet liqueur with a medicinal edge: aromas of forest floor and orange peel lead to a warming palate that finishes dry. The name traces to 19th-century herbalist Hendrik Beerenburg, whose spice packets were adopted by Dutch distillers.

The drink took firm root in Friesland, where distilleries in and around Leeuwarden popularized regional styles. Locals sip it neat as a winter warmer, drizzle a splash into tea, or pour it over ice with a lemon twist. In brown cafés, you’ll sometimes see Beerenburg as a chaser to lager, but it’s most at home after skating outings, cold-weather walks, or during countryside gatherings. It speaks to the Netherlands’ maritime trade in botanicals, using imported spices to build a distinctly local restorative.

Advocaat is a dense, custardy liqueur made from egg yolks, sugar, and brandewijn (brandy) or jenever, typically 14–20% ABV. The texture is striking—silky and spoonable—while the aroma evokes vanilla, nutmeg, and pastry cream. Because of its richness, it’s often served in a small glass with a dollop of whipped cream—an advocaatje met slagroom—or spooned over ice cream and holiday desserts.

Its origins lie in Dutch and Flemish domestic kitchens, where distilling culture met dairy abundance. Today it remains a café classic across Amsterdam and Utrecht, especially around Easter and Christmas when custard flavors feel celebratory. Production is straightforward: yolks and sugar are gently heated and emulsified with spirit, sometimes with a touch of vanilla or citrus zest. The result is not a shot but a treat—more akin to a dessert course—shared during family visits, after Sunday lunch, or as a nostalgic order in traditional cafés.

Oranjebitter is a bright, bittersweet orange liqueur reserved for royal occasions, most famously Koningsdag (King’s Day). Crafted by macerating bitter orange peels—and sometimes gentian or angelica—in brandewijn or jenever before sweetening, it usually lands around 30–35% ABV. Expect zesty marmalade aromas, spice-box undertones, and a bracing, slightly tannic finish that stands apart from sugary orange liqueurs.

The tradition dates back to the 17th-century House of Orange, with periodic revivals for coronations and royal birthdays. On April’s national holiday, crowds in Amsterdam’s canalside bars or Rotterdam’s street parties toast in orange—either neat and well-chilled, lengthened with sparkling water, or turned into a simple spritz with dry cava. Outside royal events, it pops up at sports victories and national commemorations. Oranjebitter’s enduring appeal is symbolic: a glass that’s festive without being cloying, tying together Dutch citrus trade history and modern civic ritual.

Bokbier is the Netherlands’ autumn seasonal, a malty, caramel-rich interpretation of bock that arrived via German influence and took on a local identity. Today most examples pour 6.0–7.5% ABV, with deep copper-to-brown hues, notes of toffee, toast, dried fruit, and a gentle herbal hop snap. Many breweries also produce a spring variant, lentebok, which is lighter in color and body but similarly malt-forward.

The season starts in October, when cafés in Amsterdam and Utrecht swap crisp summer lagers for warming pints and host tastings of regional bocks. While industrial examples are usually clean, bottom-fermented lagers, craft brewers sometimes use ale yeasts or experiment with Dutch-grown barley and specialty malts. Bokbier pairs naturally with stamppot, roasted game, and aged Gouda. It’s the beer locals reach for as winds pick up along the North Sea—an annual marker of shorter days, cozy interiors, and the shift toward heartier fare.