IJ Brouwerijt't IJ - Brewery het IJ
De Gooyer Windmill History
Windmill micro brewery on Zeeburgerstraat in Amsterdam East
This is one of my favorite places in Amsterdam. Its so easy to spot from Centraal Station being in a windmill that directions are simple. It is a little far but worth the journey.
The beer is excellent and the service it great. They do tours frequntly and are always happy to answer questions.
The food is minimal, a delicious cheese plate if you are hungery, but we are there for the beer, which it cheap considering the quality you get and the going rate for Hienken in the rest of the city.
Great, great place. I even bought a t-shirt.
Reviewed on: 01-27-2009 17:54:06
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 Situated right underneath a windmill in old Amsterdam, a short bus ride from Centraal Station (no. 22 - ask for the windmill), Brouwerij 't IJ is a Dutch microbrewery with a picture-postcard location. 'Micro' is a good descriptor: its brewing capacity is a mere 2000 litres and it does not export - the brewery is unable even to supply local demand. However, despite its small size and output, it has a remarkably large and loyal following among beer afficionados all over the world. Why? Because of its beers, that's why.
Brouwerij 't IJ produces a handful of beers the year round, along with various seasonal ales. Their standard beer is a pilsner and is called Plzen. They also produce various strong ales more or less in the abbey style: the easily classified ones are called Natte (a dubbel) and Zatte (a tripel). They also produce special beers called Columbus and Struis, and a beer brewed expressly for a specialist Amsterdam beer shop (De Bierkoning) called Vlo. Seasonal beers include Tur Bock, which is available on draught at the brewey tap during November.
Brewery tours are only run on Fridays. It is a small, friendly and busy place, with tables and long benches to sit on, yellowing walls and minimal decor, consisting of a few antique notices and posters (including one of an ostrich - the brewery logo) - oh, and there is an ancient but staggeringly impressive bottle collection covering most of the walls. As well as the beers, they provide bar snacks: eggs, cheese and salami. The cheese and salami (served with pepper) are well worth a few Euro, as they complement the stronger beers beautifully. However, the brewery tap is worth the visit just for the opportunity to sample a few different draught beers, which are otherwise very hard to come by.
| Tasting Room / Pub |
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Skeapsrond |
The large tasting room is open every day from 15.00 to 20.00.
All beers are served at the long bar. They all come from the tap, with the exception of Struis, which is sold per bottle. Customers are only served at the bar.
In addition to beer, the tasting room has served the same small range of drinks - wine, sparkling mineral water, lemonade, apple and orange juice - for over twenty years.
Also served are delicious snacks, including peanuts, boiled eggs, Trappist cheese, salami, smoked raw beef sausage (osseworst) from the renowned De Wit butchers, and meatballs in a gravy made with their Natte beer. |
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And last but not least, they also sell a very special cheese: Skeapsrond, a sheep’s cheese from the Dikhoeve farm in Ransdorp, a village just outside Amsterdam. The sheep that produce the milk for this organic cheese, are fed on the malt dregs left over from the brewing process.
It’s a perfect circle: Alex the farmer collects the dregs for his sheep from the brewery every week and leaves us a box of ‘Skeapsrond’. This is one cheese you’ve just got to try (preferably with a nice glass of Struis). |
Beer Bottles
The walls of the tasting room are covered by what is one of the largest collections of beer bottles in Europe.
This collection belongs to Gijs de Graaff , who has displayed most of his bottles in the tasting room for years. |
As the windmill is rather tiny and can’t accommodate all of its potential customers during its short hours (usually 3 to 8 pm). So if a table is a must, be sure to arrive prior to the doors opening for the day. Sitting on the terrace is delightful during the warm weather, but those tables fill up quickly as well, so arrive early.
Brouwerij ’t IJ lies to the east of Amsterdam’s city centre, behind Artis and between Oostenburgergracht and Mauritskade.
Many people don’t just associate the brewery with traditionally brewed organic beer, but also with ‘De Gooyer’, the highest wooden windmill in the Netherlands. It’s an easy landmark to spot when you are on your way to the brewery. |
Route description:
From Central Station:
• No. 22 bus
(stop: Zeeburgerstraat)
• No. 43 bus
(stop: Oostenburgergracht)
• No. 10 tram
(stop: Hoogte Kadijk)
• No. 14 tram
(stop: Pontanusstraat) |
Boat
There is a large mooring quay behind the brewery on Funenkade.
Car
The brewery is located in the city centre (centrum-3),where parking is expensive. It’s cheaper to park 100 metres further away in district Oost (across the bridge), or on the Zeeburgerpad.
Be careful not to drink too much of our delicious IJ beer, if you are driving afterwards! |
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Funenkade 7, 1018 AL Amsterdam
Tel. brouwerij: 020 • 6228325
Tel. proeflokaal: 020 • 3201786
Fax: 020 • 5286238
E-mail: info@brouwerijhetij.nl
Website: http://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/index_en.htm
History of the De Gooyer Windmill
Once a corn mill, the De Gooyer windmill, also known as the Funenmolen is now a charming brewery and popular gathering place.
The Netherlands is famous for its windmills that were once omnipresent in the flat landscape.
In Amsterdam, only six have survived the times, of which the De Gooyer mill is the closest near the historic center. Currently towering over the Nieuwevaart Canal, Molen De Gooyer was built in 1725. The structure, just one of Amsterdam’s many windmills that were built in the 18th century, replaced an older windmill of the same name.
The mill was moved to its current position in 1814 when barracks built in 1811 obstructed the wind. It was operational until the beginning of the 20th century, when the city of Amsterdam purchased the building and promptly restored it between 1929 and 1930.
A 1972 storm caused extensive damage to the windmill but historians saw to it that it was rebuilt, and by 1976, it was once again in operation.
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The Venice of the North
In the course of the 17th century the famous crescent shape of the Amsterdam city centre was designed and realised resulting in the unique ring of canals. A number of narrow streets and canals, fanning out from the centre of the crescent, traversed the network of concentric semicircular canals. On the outskirts of the city centre, the canals ended in squares, where the city gates were located. The squares were used as parking places, since vehicles were not always allowed into the city itself. The Venice of the North consists of approx. 90 islands, separated by some 100 kilometres of canals and linked by about 400 stone bridges.
Aerial view of the old city centre.
About 20,000 buildings make up the historical city centre (800 hectares). One third was built before 1850. About half of all building in the center are either declared national monuments, municipal monuments, or are labelled "original premises" because of their intrinsic cultural historical interest. This monumental whole is included in the list of protected Dutch cityscapes. Moreover, the city centre is eligible for a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. After all, Amsterdam is the proud owner of one of the most important intact historical city centres of the world.
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Mansions for Many over Palaces for the Few
Amsterdam is NOT a city of churches and palaces, but of monumental mansions. The only two houses in Amsterdam worthy of the name palace are the Royal Palace in the Dam Square and the Trippenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 29.
Even these two were not commissioned by royalty or aristocratic patrons.
Originally, the Royal Palace was designed to serve as Amsterdam's town hall and the Trippenhuis was built for wealthy citizens. |
Historical photograph showing the former town hall (1648-55), now the Royal Palace.
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The monumental character of the Amsterdam city centre is largely determined by numerous 17th and 18th century houses, once owned by wealthy merchants and prominent citizens. Moreover, the warehouses deserve mention.
Amsterdam warehouse architecture is unique in the world. Most of the state controlled monuments, however, are dwellings. The ring of canals (Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht; Dutch "gracht" means "canal") is the location of approx. 2,200 buildings, 1,550 of which are listed as historic buildings. Amsterdam's beauty is largely determined by the style of these buildings, better described as "citizens' architecture".
The choice of this style was a conscious one. The aim: to replace the Gothic style with its vertical accents and religious overtones by a profane Classicist style. The Royal Palace e.g. contains many supreme examples of symbolism derived from Classical Antiquity.
Historical photograph of NZ Voorburgwal near Sint Nicolaasstraat.
Canals vs Modernization
In the second half of the 19th century this monumental whole was severely threatened. Canals were filled in, streets were widened and bridges lowered. Many irreplaceable buildings were demolished in the process of making the city centre more easily accessible to modern traffic. In the 1950s further plans were made to fill in canals and pull down historical buildings. Fortunately, these plans were only partially realised.
Had not the city come to its senses, the characteristic Nieuwmarkt and Jordaan areas would now have resembled the Weesperstraat, where a large-scale restructuring (1968) resulted in demolition of all original buidlings and the creation of a motorway thoroughfare. However, the successful restoration of the important Huis De Pinto proved a turning point. The municipal policy involving large-scale urban development was abandoned.
Historical photograph of NZ Voorburgwal near Pijpenmarkt.
We went back to basics
Large-scale projects affecting the historical city centre in order to accommodate the needs of modern traffic are no longer to be expected. The monumental mansions which underwent drastic alterations during the 19th and 20th centuries, when many of them were turned into offices, are now being restored to their original residential functions.
Since the Municipal Department for the Preservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites was founded in 1953, over 4,000 premises underwent restoration. The historic buildings are lovingly restored and saved from destruction. Twenty years ago, only 60,000 people actually lived in the city centre.
Over the past two decades this number has gone up to 80,000. Though there are many "endangered" monumental dwellings which urgently require restoration, the ring of canals is to become once more the stylish residential area it once was.
Photographs and some of this text © Amsterdam Heritage
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Docklands
 The Eastern Docklands are artificial peninsulas laid out between 1874 and 1927, as home base to the large passenger and cargo ships that left for the former Dutch East and West Indies.
In the last decade of the 20th century the Docklands have been converted to residential areas. Architectural beauty and urban allure were declared important, existing harbor basins were to be preserved and existing harbor buildings to be re-used. This has led to internationally widely acclaimed urban architecture, which draws much camera-toting visitors.
The Docklands have quickly become a popular area for locals as well however, mainly due to the booming nightlife with a good selection of bars, restaurants and clubs to sample.
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Jordaan (pronunced Yordan)
A former working class area which has become very sought after. Especially the expensive converted warehouses are popular, and the Jordaan is now inhabited by a colorful mixture of original 'Jordanezen', students, and well-to-do businessmen and creatives. There aren't any major sights to see here, it is the Jordaan area itself which is remarkable: easygoing and peaceful, with lots of bars, restaurants and interesting little shops. The Noordermarkt hosts a flea market, joined on Saturday mornings by alternative farmers selling their produce out of the back of their cars. Just a great area to stroll around for a couple of hours.
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De Pijp (the pipe)
This former 19th-century working-class area just south of city center has become the Quartier Latin of Amsterdam. Mainly due to the rising costs of city center accommodation, the Pijp area saw a huge influx of college students during the seventies. Lots of them never left, so today the area is populated by a mix of hip young professionals and students. The small quaint streets and squares are crawling with little shops and restaurants, and of course the Pijp hosts the famous Albert Cuyp day market. If you want to mingle with the locals this is the place to go.
Reguliersdwarsstraat
The Reguliersdwarsstraat is definitely the gay hub of Amsterdam, as far as nightlife is concerned. The street is an eclectic mix of up market gay bars, restaurants serving expensive French cuisine and assorted night clubs catering to a slightly older crowd of media buffs, businessmen and local celebrities. During hot summer nights and on festive occasions like Queensday this street really comes alive.
Rembrandtsplein 
This is the major 'entertainment' area for rowdy Amsterdammers and out-of-towners. Bars chock-a-block with people singing along to Dutch folk songs at the top of their voices, and a few large disco's with heavy security at the door. Because all bars and disco's close at about the same time, sometimes things tend to get out of hand a bit. The square is surrounded by major gay spots and just off the square is the Halvemaansteeg, a small street packed with gay bars. No problems here, so maybe Amsterdam really is a tolerant city.
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