brouwerijhetij [dot] nl The tiny Ij Brewery in the heart of Amsterdam is legendary as one of Holland’s best craft breweries. The brewer/owner is famously cranky and uncommercial, and no one ever thought these beers would make it to the U.S. But, due to a stroke of luck and a special connection, we’ve got them!
The brewery is located in a converted bathhouse, standing next to a windmill – like almost everything else in Holland. Ij (pronounced “eye”) takes its name from a lowly squatter’s flat on the Ij riverfront where the owner spent his formative years. The money to convert the bathhouse into a brewery came as proceeds from a hit song he wrote, “Je Loog Tegen Mij,” which took top Dutch rockers Drukwerk straight to #1 with a bullet. Coffers were swelled by his successful follow-up hit, “Hé Amsterdam.”
“Ij” sound like the Dutch word “ei,” which means egg. This play on words inspired the brewery’s emblem – an ostrich guarding its egg – and the names of the beers Struis (meaning “ostrich”) and Columbus. In Dutch parlance, “I’ve found the Egg of Columbus!” is the equivalent of “Eureka!” or, “I’ve invented something rather smart.” The fiercely independent brewers at Ij have indeed come up with something special. Theirs are unique Dutch craft beers with character, not just slavish Belgian knock-offs. Due to the owner’s musical success, the brewery doesn’t have to answer to investors, or pursue the export of its beers. Annual production is around 1200 barrels, and most of it is consumed in and around the city of Amsterdam. These are truly rare and precious beers, well worth the cost and effort it took to get them over here. (Audio cassettes of “Hé Amsterdam” sold separately.)
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