🍻 Cold Grolsch, warm chatter • 🚲 Bikes humming past • 📍 Amsterdam
I recently stopped by Brouwerij ’t IJ, the small-but-iconic brewery tucked beside a windmill in Amsterdam-Oost. My pint of Grolsch came to €9.50 and was poured into a glass nearly the length of my forearm! The brewery opened in 1985 inside a former municipal bathhouse and has since become a local legend, thanks to its craft beers stamped with that unmistakable ostrich logo. The name translates to Brewery on the IJ River, which feels perfectly fitting once you’re there. I loved how lively it was — packed, buzzing, and glowing with neon signs. And I always forget how similar Dutch is to Afrikaans (I’m from South Africa), so I ended up having a surprisingly easy, warm chat with the bartender. One more reason the spot instantly felt like a favorite.
The brewery occupies the old Funenkade bathhouse, which opened in 1911
Many of their core beers (like Zatte, Natte, IJwit) are organic, unfiltered, and brewed on site
The brewery is right beside the De Gooyer windmill, a local landmark
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