There are few places in the city where you can feel the past on the floor so directly. Proeflokaal A. van Wees on the Herengracht was literally built in a former alley between buildings. Those old clinkers are still just there, as a floor. It gives the space something you can't recreate with an interior designer.
The Van Wees family began in 1782 and is still around. Destilleerderij De Ooievaar, meanwhile, is the last artisanal city distillery still operating in the Amsterdam metropolitan area. You can tell by what ends up in the glasses: more than 17 genevers, distilled in the traditional way, some of which have been aged for up to 20 years. In addition to those jenevers, they serve over 60 old Dutch liqueurs, each with its own flavor and character. For those who don't immediately know what to order: there is a young-to-old jenever tasting where you compare the styles side by side. That's an instant little course in Dutch liquor history.
The tasting room is not a museum piece where you can just have a drink. The kitchen is open every day from eleven in the morning, and on Fridays and Saturdays you can get there until one in the morning. The menu features Dutch classics: cheese fondue, Zeeland mussels, and homemade hachee. No sophisticated nouvelle cuisine, just honest food that goes well with a glass of jenever. Those who want to drink more than eat can also choose beers from local breweries on tap, or a glass of wine.
The oldest genevers are aged for up to 20 years, and you can taste it. Sometimes the simplest explanation is also the best.
Whether you go for a serious tasting, a traditional dinner, or just a glass on a weekday afternoon, Proeflokaal A. van Wees does what a good tasting room is supposed to do. The oldest genevers are aged for up to 20 years, and you can taste that. Sometimes the simplest explanation is also the best.