The best spots to drink jenever in Amsterdam

Jenever is once again a source of Dutch pride and joy, so move over tulips, wooden shoes, and windmills! This gin is back in a big way and Amsterdam has plenty of bustling bars and cafés where you can enjoy this trendy drink. Why not order a traditional kopstootje: a glass of beer served with a glass of jenever. We’ve listed our top four places below where you can enjoy a good glass of jenever.

Proeflokaal A. van Wees – Herengracht 319

This tasting room opened in 1973 and has more than seventeen jenevers to choose from. You can also book a tasting to try different Amsterdam distillates and learn more about the manufacturing process and the history. A tasty tip: the kopstootjes come in different beer-and-jenever combos for a perfectly balanced flavour experience.

Wynand Fockink – Pijlsteeg 31

Down the narrow Pijlsteeg, an alley tucked away behind the national monument on Dam Square, you’ll find the Wynand Fockink tasting room/bottle shop, named after the man who founded a liquor distillery in 1679. The liquors and jenevers are still made, served, and enjoyed according to the same seventeenth-century method: by bowing to the drink and slurping the first sip from a traditional tulip glass, as per tradition.

Distilleerderij ’t Nieuwe Diep – Flevopark 13

At the edge of Amsterdam Oost, the Flevopark offers an oasis of green tranquillity. Located in the heart of the park is a distillery you’d walk straight past if you didn’t know it was there.

Kopstootbar – Marnixstraat 429

Located in the heart of the city centre, the Kopstootbar is the perfect place to order the drink of the same name. The bar started by developing its own brand of jenever (Jajem), which is naturally on a proudly displayed on the menu. The Kopstootbar is the perfect place to stay (until the lights come on, at least)!
Cheers!

Photo by Wayne W on Unsplash