So now it’s time to disclose the secrets of one of those lost Dutch beers. I’ll start with a simple one: an early Dutch homebrew. After all, it aren’t always professional brewers that make beer. Every day many amateurs make their own. And this is of all ages: before the Second World War there was plenty of homemade beer in Holland too. Where? At the farm!
In the 19th century, one of the most important changes in brewing took place, in Holland just like in the rest of the world: the advent of lager. It meant completely new ways of producing beer, but also new ways of running breweries.
Tucked in between Britain, Belgium and Germany, it is not surprising that The Netherlands, more colloquially known as Holland, is a beer drinking nation. And a nation that boasts a rich brewing history: in the Middle Ages it was a beer production powerhouse. In fact, it was the Dutch who taught Britain and Belgium how to make beer with hops. Even the very word ‘beer’ in English was taken from the Dutch language. There is however one peculiar thing about the Netherlands: all of its historic beers are lost.
Lost Beers, my weblog about historical beers, is now a fact. In fact, I have been doing this for a while now, just in a different language. The Dutch version started over two years ago. Now it’s time to expand the possible audience with a website in English. The subject matter is the same: the old beer varieties of the Netherlands (Holland) and other countries.