04 Oct Fun Food Fact: why Amsterdammers drank beer instead of water?

In the Amsterdam of old, clean drinking water was scarce. The canals served not only as a navigation route, but also as an open sewer – making the water unfit for drinking. The solution? Beer. But not the kind we know today. It was often a weak infusion with a low alcohol content, which was safe to drink because it was heated during the brewing process. For many Amsterdammers, therefore, beer was a basic necessity of life.

Yet Amsterdam beer was not exactly known for its quality. The polluted canal water made brewing difficult here. Cities with cleaner water, such as Haarlem and Delft, produced better beer – which was then brought back to Amsterdam. So beer was not only a thirst-quencher, but also a commodity and a survival strategy.

Want to learn more about the history of cold beer? Then book our historic beer walk. The perfect opportunity to taste special beers with your group and learn more about traditional brewing processes, urban legends and fun facts.