On July 12, 2000, Peter van der Arend opened the doors of Proeflokaal Arendsnest on the Herengracht. His idea was as clear as it was stubborn: a café serving exclusively Dutch beers and drinks. More than 25 years later, that concept still stands, and the selection has only grown. With 52 beers on tap, more than 100 bottled and canned beers, and twenty-plus genevers, this is now one of the most comprehensive Dutch beer pubs in the city.
Peter van der Arend describes himself as a beerologist, and that's no empty title. He built not only Eagle's Nest but also the Morebeer concern, which operates four beer bars in the Jordaan and surrounding areas. The regular draft beers show how broad the Dutch beer scene now is: Gulpener is on tap alongside Two Chefs Brewing, De Kromme Haring and Walhalla. Each of them breweries with their own character. They also serve their own house beers, brewed at Poesiat & Kater, the group's own brewery.
The café sits in an authentic canal house. Inside it is intimate, with a bar that is not overly large. That's exactly the atmosphere Van der Arend set out to create: a tasting room, not a pub. There is also a separate tasting room for groups of up to 32 people, handy for a guided beer tasting. And then there's the canal-side terrace. On a sunny afternoon on the Herengracht with a glass of Dutch beer in hand, that just works.
The wine list here is as serious as the cuisine at a restaurant. Only here it's all about tap and bottle, and everything is of Dutch origin.
The Morebeer Tour is for those who want more: a pub crawl past four downtown beer bars. Eagle's Nest is the starting point, which is fitting. The wine list here is as serious as the cuisine at a restaurant. Only here it's all about tap and bottle, and everything is of Dutch origin. Beer lovers from around the world know how to find the pub, but it is and always will be a place for people who want to know what the Netherlands brews.