Amsterdam’s Windmill Brewery

An Afternoon with Friends at the Brouwerij’t Ij

Of all the windmills found in the Netherlands, there are eight still standing in the city of Amsterdam. One of them, the Gooyer, is located right on top of an award winning artisan microbrewery, the Brouwerij’t Ij. Guess who was exceedingly happy about that? I’ll give you a hint: his name starts with a J and ends in OEY.

Kicking back at a table in the Brouwerij’t Ij, is where Joey and I decided to spend our Sunday afternoon in Amsterdam with friends. Sitting down for some food and a drink was the perfect way to spend our day, after all you can’t go wrong when your afternoon revolves around beer.

The microbrewery was a very busy place when we arrived. We had a hard time finding a table to claim as our own. Once we had found a spot in the back of the brewery the boys went to grab a palette of sampler beers from the bar.

Joey Drinking His Tray Of Beer At The Windmill Brewery In Amsterdam

Beer and Ox Meat

Not only did they come back with beer but they also got us a plate of cheese and traditional ox meat. The ox meat essentially looked like raw sausage – pink and red on the inside held together by a thin layer of intestine. I was super sketched out looking at the meat, but after a little convincing it went down the hatch. I can’t say that I would ever order it myself, but ox meat definitely wasn’t as bad as I imagined it to be.

Cheese And Ox Meat At The Windmill Brewery

The beer samplers on the other hand, I didn’t need any convincing to start tasting them. The Brouwerij’t Ij produces a range of organic and seasonal ales. We tried 5 different beers; Plzen, Natte, Zatte, Columbus and I.P.A.

1. Plzen:

Plzen is the Brouwerij’t Ij house ale. Blond with a dry hoppy taste, the cool thing about this beer is that you cannot buy it in store. It is only served in house.

2. Natte:

Natte is a smooth red-brown beer that makes me think of a classic Belgian style brew. Dark in coloration, Natte has a 6.5% alcohol content and was neither a favorite of Joey or me.

3. Zatte:

Zatte is one of the first beers that Brouwerij’t Ij created back in the year 1985. Zatte was hands down my favorite beer of the set of five. The fresh fruit and grains make for a light beer with a smooth flavor on the tongue.

4. Columbus:

The Columbus is an amber coloured ale and was the strongest beer we drank in terms of alcohol percentage (9%). Thanks to its generous amount of hops, Columbus had an aftertaste with some serious pep to its step.

5. I.P.A:

I.P.A is a pale ale that is guaranteed to spin the blades on your windmill so to speak. With fresh flavours of citrus and lychee popping out against the bitterness of Cascade hops, this dark-blond beer with leave you craving another sample.

The blooming city of Amsterdam is one that is able to meet all your demands. If you are on the lookout for a nice place to sit down with friends and drink a brew or two, look no further than the Brouwerij’t Ij. The brewery has a wide selection of seasonal and organic ales that can conquer even the most selective of taste buds.

Heading to the Netherlands in the summer months? The Brouwerij’t Ij has a large outdoor terrace where visitors can unwind while enjoying a brew and looking out at the classic Amsterdam canals. Bottoms up!