Uiltje Brewing Company

The Netherlands

"In the barrel room of Uiltje brewery we have 24/7 Johnny Cash playing."

Brewing the best Dutch beers

As difficult it may be to believe, just a couple of 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. He was already familiar with production brewing as he had worked for some time at Jopen Bier, a local brewery in Haarlem.

In 2012 Robbert also started contract brewing and through these experiences began to have a good idea of what kind of brewery he would one day like to open for himself. Three years later Uiltje Brewing Company was born in Haarlem. Robbert was able to realize his dream of opening the craft brewery he had always had in mind. His mission: brewing the best Dutch beers!

Uiltje beer, big & bold

Initially, Uiltje brewery mainly produced barrel-matured Porters, Stouts, Barley Wines and Imperial Ales. These heavy, strong beers are given time to mature in whisky, bourbon, rum, wine, calvados and cognac barrels. Nowadays, the emphasis is more on heavily hopped beers such as Pale Ales, IPAs and NEIPAs.

The Uiltje Brewing Company team is not afraid to experiment. They love to be creative and put the craziest stuff that you can imagine in your beer. Not in small amounts or buckets, but more like wheelbarrows! And most importantly, all their creations are of a very good quality.

Uiltje Bar Haarlem

Right next to the brewery you used to be able to enjoy beers on draft also including special cask beers. Unfortunately this is no longer possible and Uiltje brewery tours are no longer given. However, in the Zijlstraat, in the medieval center, you will find Uiltje Bar Haarlem with always thirty beers on tap and an impressive collection of bottles to choose from. You can also order various snacks such as toasted sandwiches, pizzas and different types of cheese. Uiltje Bar is a small beer paradise on a surface of 120 square meters, where you can't really walk out without having treated yourself to an Uiltje tasting.

Visiting Haarlem Beer city

Before you indulge yourself with beers at Uiltje Bar, you might want to have a look around in Haarlem. It is located only 15 minutes from Amsterdam or Schiphol Airport, so we don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t.

Have a break from the tourist-trodden paths of Amsterdam and enjoy the historic buildings, the narrow streets and the canals. Haarlem is not only also home to Jopen Bier and some great museums, but has also plenty of nice little boutiques and a wide variety of culinary enjoyment.

Updated: 20-01-2025