Brouwerij Puik Bieren

The Netherlands

"There will always be a twist to our beers"

It was about time for a proper craft brewery to settle in Apeldoorn. Even more so after the only other local brewery, not entirely unexpectedly, went bankrupt due to poor management.

Military veteran turned brewer

Pursuing a professional career in the military service can be quite dangerous and demanding. Founder and owner of Puik Bieren, Richard Pool, served his country for many years and was sent on several tough (peace) missions to conflict areas like Bosnia and Herzegovina and also Afghanistan.

Whereas many veterans have to further their education in making the move to civilian life, Richard was prepared. In addition to this demanding job, he also managed to study photography and biochemistry. Knowledge of biochemistry is of course not only useful in biological warfare but also in the biochemical aspects of the brewing process: malting, brewing and fermentation. That offered him a more than good chance for a next step in life.

From homebrewing to commercial brewing

While working in the military, Richard also started home brewing in his shed, merely as a hobby. In first instance he brewed all kinds of beers for his unit with fitting names like Platoon and Battalion. After he had been brewing for a number of years, he started to brew professionally in 2015, under the name Puik Bieren.

During missions and military training programs abroad he also frequently organized, while off duty, tours to local breweries for his colleagues. But still there was always this dream of having his own brewery with a tasting room in the city centre of Apeldoorn. In March 2020 he made this dream come true, and Puik Bieren opened its doors to the public.

Nearly shut due to Covid-19

Puik Bieren had just been open for only eleven days and then already had to close its doors again. Due to the Dutch government’s approach to tackle the coronavirus, the Netherlands went into its first lockdown. More lockdowns followed and shops and bars remained closed. Moreover, it is difficult to drink beer with a face mask anyway.

It won’t come as a surprise, but Richard is a fighter, and giving up on his dream was not an option. He and his partner Astrid worked really hard to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic misery and its impact on their business. It was a harsh test for this young company to see whether they had mastered creative entrepreneurship.

Brewery and tasting room in Apeldoorn

Astrid now runs the tasting room, kitchen and terrace and Richard takes care of the brewery. The military memorabilia and giant mural in the tasting room are a clear reference to Richard's background. Beer and food can be a good match but as lovers of music, and rock music in particular, there was absolutely a need for a stage for live music.

With performances by a wide variety of bands, usually in the weekends, things are buzzing at Puik Bieren these days. By entering into a partnership with local music venue 'De Gigant’ a supply of musical talents is guaranteed. Apeldoorn certainly cannot complain with such passionate entrepreneurs who have managed to set up this craft brewery and tasting room despite various setbacks. It is a real asset to the city.

Updated: 11-09-2024