Brouwerij Kompaan

The Netherlands

"Kompaan is the biggest small brewery of The Hague."

Dutch craft beer company Kompaan

The Dutch word ‘Kompaan’ comes from 'panis' the Latin word for bread. It was used to describe a person with whom you shared your food, or in other words, a good friend. The two friends Jasper and Jeroen liked to do some home brewing on a kitchen stove just like so many other good breweries have started off. In 2012 they started contract brewing under the name ‘Kompaan’.

Jasper was the first one to quit his regular job to follow his dream, and was followed not long after by Jeroen in 2014. After the opening of their microbrewery, the business grew so fast that by 2015 they already had to move to another place. The current location in an industrial harbor area offers possibilities to expand some more.

Bloedbroeder

Bloedbroeder, best Dutch beer

Every beer in their core range refers to a friend, with names that translate to ‘Comrade’, ‘Ally’ and ‘Blood Brother’. This last one is a heavy Russian Imperial Stout with a Port wine, an altogether different kind of blood, added to it. In 2017 this ‘big’ beer won gold medals at the Barcelona Beer Festival and the Dutch Beer Challenge. When it also received the award for Best Beer of the Netherlands, the demand for ‘BloodBrother” became huge.

You might think that this is a great thing, but it did have a downside. Jasper and Jeroen were seeing demand rise for a low margin beer that they knew was difficult to make. Even so they were very proud that one of their Kompaan beers had received this kind of recognition.

Plenty of choice at taproom Thuishaven of Kompaan Bier

Craft Beer Bar in The Hague

A successful crowdfunding campaign in 2015 made it possible to build a Craft Beer Bar right next to the new brewery. With twenty taps you can have your choice of ultra fresh Kompaan beers. Besides their own brews there is also a choice of beers from other Dutch as well as international breweries.

No worries if you get hungry because Kompaan also has burgers, pork-chops, rib-eye’s and vegetarian dishes, all grilled on the barbecue. Grab a bite and a beer and have a seat on the outdoor waterfront terrace. These brewing friends take beer tasting in The Hague to a whole new level.

Straight from the tank

Visiting The Hague

Considering it is the seat of the government, residence of King Willem-Alexander and one of the four major cities in The Netherlands, The Hague has a surprisingly small number of breweries. This doesn’t mean you should not consider visiting The Hague because it has a lot to offer.

Besides its share of museums, the Peace Palace and the Royal Palace you can also visit Madurodam, a miniature park in nearby Scheveningen that allows you to see the Netherlands in a day. That way you have plenty of time left to enjoy a tasty beer or two at Brouwerij Kompaan!

Exterior Brouwerij Kompaan in The Hague

Updated: 11-09-2024

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