Brouwerij Poesiat & Kater

The Netherlands

"Without beer my life would be much more boring."

Brouwerij Van Vollenhoven, once the largest brewery in the Netherlands.

We love a good story and this is definitely one of those! This all begins in 1733 when Brouwerij De Gekroonde Valk (The Crowned Falcon) was founded in Amsterdam. In 1791 the brewery had a name change and was named Van Vollenhoven, after the new owner. Around 1900 it had become the largest brewery of the Netherlands with export to all continents of the world!

After World War II the brewery closed down but one beer, the Van Vollenhoven Extra Stout, remained in production in small batches. With the opening of Brouwerij Poesiat & Kater, Van Vollenhoven Extra Stout is given its rightful place again.

Poesiat & Kater brew room

Amsterdam brewery Poesiat & Kater

The name of the Amsterdam brewery is a tribute to Bart Poesiat and Klaas Kater who both worked in Brouwerij De Gekroonde Valk at the end of the 19th century. Two employees with a strong feeling for social justice. They set up a social housing association that still exists and also a worker’s union which is nowadays still one of the major unions in the Netherlands.

The building that houses the brewery and brewpub dates from 1887 but is not the original brewery. It used to be an ammonia factory until 1927. Then it became an animal shelter for 80 years and finally squatters occupied the building and turned it into a social center. In 2014 it got evicted and it was turned into Brouwerij Poesiat & Kater.

Exterior Poesiat & Kater in winter wonderland

The shiny copper brew kettles at Poesiat & Kater

Brewpub Poesiat & Kater with tanks hanging right above the bar!

Two core ranges of Amsterdam beer

And now the confusing part… There are two lines of beers produced by these new kids on the block. For headbrewer Julián Álvarez Zárate, formerly of Brouwerij 't IJ, there's plenty to do!

In respect for the history of the former Dutch brewery they produce the Van Vollenhoven beers again. Following the traditional recipes, but with a modern twist, there is a.o. the original Extra Stout, but also Bokbier, Princesse Bier, East Indies Pale Ale and Münchener. The other line consists of the newer, experimental beers, often brewed in small batches. They are labeled with the name of the brewery, Poesiat & Kater beers.

Van Vollenhoven Extra Stout

East side of Amsterdam

Yes, there are more breweries in Amsterdam, but it’s definitely worthwhile to visit this less touristy east side of the city and enjoy a historic beer in a monumental building. Brouwerij Poesiat & Kater also serves food that matches quite well with their beers. That makes us consider this one of the better craft beer bars in Amsterdam.

Combine it with a visit to the nearby Tropenmuseum or to the Artis Royal Zoo that dates back to 1838 and enjoy a cultural, historic and gastronomic day trip.

Brouwerij 't IJ

Brouwerij 't IJ in Amsterdam, founded in the mid-80s, was one of the first to brew well-crafted beers in Belgian style. It is located next to an iconic windmill and one of the most popluar small breweries in Amsterdam.

Brouwerij Walhalla

Brouwerij Walhalla is a relatively young Amsterdam craft brewery that has gained a reputation as one of the best brewers of IPA’s in the Netherlands. They also brew some heavy Dutch beers and one-off's.

Uiltje Brewing Company

As difficult it may be to believe, just five years ago it was still hard to find Pale Ales, IPAs or Imperial Stouts in the Netherlands, so Robbert Uyleman decided to take matters into his own hands. In 2012 he started contract brewing and three years later Uiltje Brewing Company was born in Haarlem.