Wynand Fockink Proeflokaal and Spirits

"Wynand Fockink opened its doors on a narrow alleyway back in 1679, making it one of Amsterdam’s oldest bars and a firm favourite with many of the locals. It was Wynand Fockink himself who created an empire of jenever (dutch gin) and liqueur distilling on this very site, which by 1954 had grown to become one of the largest in the Netherlands. Always acting as a combination of a tasting room, shop and distillery, by retaining its character and traditional methods, this little piece of history still embodies its 17th century style. The timeworn yet well preserved tasting room is wonderful to visit, with numerous varieties of jenever, fruit brandy and liqueur bottles in a range of wonderous colours lining the dusty sagging shelfs behind the bar. As there are around 70 different varieties, I’d recommend explaining to the bartender what type of flavours you prefer and they will suggest a few options for you to sample. Once you have decided, then tradition dictates that you bend over and take your first sip off the bar without using your hands and to make this possible, they fill the quaint tulip glass so it’s almost overflowing. Then once you have slurped down your first sip you can then pick up the glass to drink the rest! I opted for the Boterbabbelarr liqueur which was very similar to Bailey’s but with a caramel base and it was absolutely delicious! Depending on your taste they do everything from oude (old) and jonge (young) jenevers, liquorice to royal orange flavoured liqueurs and even berry infused brandies. If you loved what you tried, you can wander through to the shop in the room next door and pick up a few bottles to take home with you! Tip: If you have time, it’s also possible to book a one-hour tasting session and a tour of the three-hundred-year-old distillery. "

"Get there early and be prepared to wait in line - as one of the most famous tasting rooms in Amsterdam, the tasting room only fits seven people at a time. "