Tour de craft beer – four rides to the best breweries in the Netherlands

The history of cycling and beer in the Netherlands is far-reaching. Think of the classic Amstel Gold Race and riders with a glass of Kwaremont beer on the podium after a stage race in Belgium. Kwaremont beer is named after a hill in the Flemish Ardennes after all. In this Collection, I present four rides to give you even more reasons to go on a cycling adventure.

For a small country, the Netherlands has a lot of breweries – 650 to be precise. You can find places where beer is brewed up and down the country from the tip of Zeeland to Groningen. There are even breweries on three of the inhabited Wadden Island! Four basic ingredients are processed to make beer: water, grain, hops, and yeast. Sometimes, herbs or fruit are used for extra flavour. In alcoholic beer, the yeast and sugar ferment into alcohol. But, what about alcohol-free beer? This is brewed in two different ways either by using a special yeast or filtering alcohol out of the beer.

In this Collection, I have created four rides to and from some of my favourite breweries. The rides vary in distance and difficulty. The first two routes mostly follow along well-surfaced bike paths. I’ve tried to design the routes to be as bicycle-friendly as possible with plenty of places to eat and drink as well. However, bear in mind that you will ride through central areas of Rotterdam and Amsterdam which can be busy. But, once you’re out of the city, you can enjoy comfortable roads at your own pace.

The third ride is very different from the first two routes. The fast asphalt is replaced by gravel trails and off-road tracks as you ride from the city of Deventer through the Hoge Veluwe National Park. The final stage is a unique ride. You won’t find a brewery here, but rather abbeys. There are only 12 abbeys in the world connected to a monastic community where beer is brewed. Two of these can be found in the Netherlands, near Tilburg and Breda.

As the rides start close to large cities, the start and finish points are easy to reach by train. If you come by car, you can also find (paid) parking. Wonderful bike rides in beautiful surroundings await you here. Nothing beats a cold beer after a long ride, but remember to drink in moderation!