Beer City: 's-Hertogenbosch

City: 's-Hertogenbosch
Country: The Netherlands


's-Hertogenbosch, also known as Den Bosch (or Duketown in english), is the capital of the Dutch province of Brabant. It is a charming medieval style city famous for its annual carnaval, culture, the painter Hieronymous Bosch, bossche bollen (cream filled chocolate pastries), cathedral and binnendieze (river running through and underneath the city).

What the city is not known for however is its craft beer scene, while it should be!

Oh yeah, and its also my hometown... so no subjectivity here.

's-Hertogenbosch, 'de Parade' square (Source: Den Bosch)

The following is a list of what I consider to be the best craft beer spots in my hometown, there are a lot more great places to enjoy craft but I had to make some sort of selection. They are not in any particular order of personal preference, they are however listed in the most logical order if you are entering the city from the central train station, just in case you want to visit them all in one day....

So lets just call it the Discovery of Beer Trail!

Last Sunday, together with a friend of mine, I visited each of the bars/breweries listed below and had a great brew filled afternoon and evening, so great in fact that I totally forgot to take pictures for this blogpost, so you will have to make do with some sourced images from the internet...my bad

1. Jongens van de Wit

Address: Hofvijver 4

Brewery and Brewpub

On tap: 25  (up to 9 from the brewery)
Bottled beer: 25+

The newest addition in terms of craft beer to Den Bosch, the Jongens van de Wit (JvdW) brewery and brewpub offers a great place to eat and more importantly drink. Emphasising local, JvdW offers guests beer brewed above the brewpub and food dishes using local ingredients and inspired by Dutch culture.

Brewery & Brewpub Jongens van de Wit (own image)

Although only having opened their doors quite recently, JvdW is already becoming a popular hangout. Located in the city's palace district (paleiskwartier), which is a relatively new section of the city and a stark contrast to the old medieval city centre, JvdW reflects the nature of its surroundings through its modern and industrial design.

Brewpub. I'm in this picture somewhere :P (Source: De Jongens van de Wit) 

In terms of home brewed beers, I've had the pleasure of tasting two so far; Maagdelijk Blond (Blonde) and Bossche Brunette (Dubbel). The Blonde had a strong hopped flavour, sweetness and lingering bitterness which made it a lot more adventurous in terms of taste in comparison to classic blonde ales. The brunette had some similar characteristics to the blonde, but with more malty and caramel notes present instead of bitterness. Although OK, these first few brews to come out of this brewery weren't really that exciting for me, and as such im really looking forward to seeing what they will create in the future.

Enjoying a Bossche Brunette!

The first modern brewpub in the city, JvdW is a great addition to the craft beer scene in 's-Hertogenbosch.

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2. Thornbridge 's-Hertogenbosch

Address: Koninginnenlaan 28

Bar
On tap: 19 + 3 real cask ales
Bottled beer: 50+

Thornbridge? The name may sound familiar. Thornbridge is a popular English brewery which started operating in 2005. The brewery has since grown significantly and now operates 2 brewery sites and 9 pubs, all of which are located in the United Kingdom.

All except one...

Thornbridge 's-Hertogenbosch (Source: Thornbridge)

The first Thornbridge pub on the 'mainland', Thornbridge 's-Hertogenbosch opened its doors in 2015. I think its pretty awesome to have the only Thornbridge pub outside the UK in a city such as Den Bosch, instead of in another Dutch city such as Amsterdam. 

Thornbridge Bar (Source: Tripadvisor) 

With both a wide variety of Thornbridge and guest brews both on tap and cask, and a variety of different international bottled beers, there is no shortage of brews to try. Moreover, Thornbridge also frequently has some funky brews on offer such as Brewdogs Sink the Bismarck (41% Quad IPA) and Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32% Imperial Stout).

Enjoying a Thornbridge St.Petersburg!

The pub conveys a classic English pub atmosphere, something which provides an refreshing change from the norm. Moreover, Thornbridge provides a great place to watch live sports on multiple flat screen TV's, or to have a go at a round of darts yourself. 

A great 'English' addition to beer city 's-Hertogenbosch!

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3. 't paultje

Lepelstraat 31A

Bar
On tap: 9
Bottled beer: 300+

Just inside the cities old bastion walls, you will find the start of an section of the city called 'de uilenburg', an old section of the city bristling with bars and restaurants. The first bar you will encounter as you enter this part of the city is proeflokaal 't paultje.

't paultje (Source: Brabound)

Operated by the same owner of Thornrbidge, proeflokaal (tasting room) 't paultje has by far the most choice in terms of bottled beer in the entire city. Aptly named after the owner, Paul, the bar mainly focuses on Dutch and Belgian craft beer, and there is a whole lot of it to try!

Proeflokaal 't paultje (Source: 't paultje)

The bar staff, and owner, are very friendly and helpful in helping you select the best brew for you out of the hundreds of different beers on offer. This is a good thing too, because until recently, for almost two years, there was no beer menu available. Moreover, some real good stuff is sometimes hidden away in the cellar, so if you are looking for something special don't hesitate to ask.

Enjoying a Ciel Blue from Brouwerij t'IJ

A great bar, beer selection and atmosphere. Proeflokaal 't paultje is a great part of beer city 's-Hertogenbosch!

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4. Tapperij het Veulen

Korenbrugstraat 9A
Bar
On tap: 9
Bottled beer: 50+

Down the street past 't paultje and taking the street to the left over the 'binnendieze', you will find Tapperij Het Veulen.

Tapperij Het Veulen

Although all bars and brewpubs in this list are great, Tapperij Het Veulen is probably my personal favourite out of this list. Although het Veulen doesn't have the most taps, or bottled beer variety, there are two main reasons why this bar tops my personal list.

First, and foremost, I like the atmosphere here the most (not that I don't like the atmosphere in the other spots in this list), any day of the week you will find a sizeable crowd and its fully packed on weekends.

Enjoying a Veulen Blond 

Secondly, although they don't have the largest selection of brews, the selection changes quite frequently both on tap and bottle, assuring that there is something new to try each time you visit. The recently introduced beer 'blacklist' also provides more exotic and rare beer options. Het Veulen also has two good house beers on offer, brewed by bar staff: Veulen Blond (Belgian Blond and Den Duvelmakere (Belgian Tripel). Moreover they are part of the ABT (alliance of beer taphouses), ensuring frequently changing beers on tap and consistent quality. 

A great addition to the craft beer scene in 's-Hertogenbosch!

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5. Bar le Duc / Stadsbrouwerij van Kollenburg
Brewery and Brewpub
On tap: 12
Bottled beer: 80+

A few doors down the street from Het Veulen you will come across Cafe Bar le Duc and Stadsbrouwerij (City Brewery) van Kollenburg.

Brewery Sign with City Flag (Source: Pinterest) 

Brewery van Kollenburg is located in, and underneath, Cafe Bar le Duc. The brewery was founded in 1999 , and currently brews 8 distinct beers, 6 all year and 2 seasonally, all of which are available in the bar section. The brewery and brewpub really have an authentic city brewery feel to them, giving it a special and pleasant atmosphere. Furthermore, same as Tapperij Het Veulen, Bar le Duc is part of the ABT.

Bar 'Bar le Duc' (Source: Missethoreca)

Although in all honesty im not the biggest fan of van Kollenburg brews, I find them OK  but really nothing special (I do still drink them from time to time), the bar does offer a significant selection of other beers, including local brews and rarer variants such as Westvleteren 12. Moreover, it is possible to order a beer tasting of all Kollenburg brews on tap. Furthermore it is possible to book a tour in the adjoining brewery for small groups.

Enjoying a 'Jonge Jan'

Brewery and Brewpub Bar le Duc/van Kollenburg is a key addition to the craft beer scene in 's-Hertogenbosch, and a must visit.

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6. Stadscafe de Basiliek
Bar
On tap: 10
Bottled beer: 50+

A bit further into the city you will find Stadscafe De Basiliek. A Dutch classic themed pub with lots of connections to the Carnaval side of the city, a great range of craft beer, and awesome atmosphere.

Stadscafe De Basiliek (Source: Stadscafe De Basiliek) 

Aside from having a classic Dutch pub feel to it, De Basiliek has a very welcoming atmosphere and knowledgeable staff when it comes to beer. De Basiliek is also a great place to try out local brews from the city, from breweries such as D'n Draok and Boegbeeld, which are frequently included in the pub's beer list. 

Aside from having a significant amount of brews, both from bottle and tap, De Basiliek also has its own 'house beer', brewed by the Muifelbrouwerij exclusively for the pub. The 'Basiliek Blond' is a refreshing, sweet, citrusy blond ale which is definitely worth a try while you are there (why not, its the only place you're going to be able to try it)

De Basiliek is a worthy addition to beer city 's-Hertogenbosch!

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There you have it, my favourite places to beer in my own hometown!

Aside from these breweries, brewpubs and beer bars, 's-Hertogenbosch has many more great craft beer spots on offer. Moreover, the city boasts multiple additional breweries  (D'n Draok, Boegbeeld, Heineken), beer bars (Bar 35, Hotel Terminus, M'n Tante, De Rooie Haen, De Palm, and more), and great beer shops (Bottle Shop Den Bosch, Copernicus 2000). Moreover, 's-Hertogenbosch hosts a couple of beer related festivals annually (Het Nederlands Speciaalbier festival & DORST)

Busy times @ Het Nederlands Speciaalbier Festival (Source: Het Nederlands Speciaalbier Festival) 

So if you ever find yourself in the area, or want to spend a great brew filled day in an awesome medieval city, give Beer City 's-Hertogenbosch a try!

Cheers!

Beer Style Discovery: Saison

Beer Style: Saison

Saison, or farmhouse ale as its sometimes referred to, is a beer style originating from Wallonia.

For those less familiar with European geography, you are probably wondering where in the world this strange sounding place is. Well, it happens that Wallonia is a French speaking region of probably the best known beer country in the world; Belgium.

Enjoying a Saison in the Abyss from Bliksem 

Farmhouse ale, which is often used to refer to Saisons, is a direct reference to the beer style's history.

Saison, meaning season in French, was brewed in autumn, winter and into early spring(when conditions were best) on farms all over the region.  This allowed for the farms labourers (some of which would be brewing in the colder months) to enjoy a nice refreshing brew on the long, hot, summer days.

Due to the fact that each farm, or area, created its own variation of the brew, the style was very broad and indistinctive. This still is the case today, as many different versions of the style exist. In modern times however, it is often agreed upon that the Saison Dupont, or the Saison Dupont Vieille Provision, represent the style's archetype.

Saison Dupont, the style's archetype (My picture wasn't great, so I took this one)

Saisons today often contain 5-8% ABV and are usually high in carbonation, dry, and contain fruity notes. But, as mentioned earlier, many different variations of the style exists such as spicy variants, or those aged on barrels.

Enjoying an Imperial Saison aged on white wine barrels! 

Although we are in the middle of winter right now, modern brewing techniques are no longer dependant on the weather for good brewing months. Therefore, there is no excuse to go out and give this great style a try!

Cheers!