Boozy festivals this summer
The festival season has begun. That goes for music festivals, but also for culinary ones. Are you all filled up on food trucks? Then these drink festivals are just the thing for you.
Wine
24 June – PLOP wine festival – Rotterdam
Every edition of PLOP features a different sommelier who promotes his or her favorite wines. There is a table filled with different wines in three wine categories, and with a tasting card you can taste as much wine as you like at a reduced price. Bonus: admission is free.
Want to make the ultimate Vietnamese sandwich at home? Here’s how.
22 June through 24 June, 29 June through 1 July – Festival TREK – Enschede, Eindhoven
TREK is known as a food truck festival, but this year they have come up with something new: a semi-covered wine terrace. More than twenty types of wine will be available by the glass. Admission is free, so just stroll onto the festival grounds. Whether it’s in Enschede or Eindhoven, you’re bound to work up an appetite.
Beer
22 & 23 June – Alkmaar TAPT Festival – Alkmaar
For two days, Alkmaar’s Paardenmarkt will be all about specialty beer. The beers come from both the Netherlands and abroad, and of course matching dishes have also been considered. On Friday, the festival kicks off with a Friday afternoon drinks session, so be sure to head straight there after work.
23 June – Beer & Cider festival – Utrecht
If you love beer but one of your friends doesn’t: don’t worry. At the Beer & Cider festival, besides beer, you can also get cider—you may have guessed that already. In fact, five cider producers will be there, happy to tell you all about their drinks. A ticket costs €7.50 and includes a drink token and tasting glass.
29 June – Summer Beer festival – The Hague
After a few spring and autumn editions, it’s now time for the summer edition of The Hague Beer Market. You can taste more than 50 specialty beers, and 15 brewers will be there to tell you all about their own beers. Naturally, there will also be live music and food. Your €6 tasting glass also serves as your admission ticket.
Gin
23 June – Gin Festival – Rotterdam
We previously wrote an article about the Gin Festival in Rotterdam, but here’s another reminder: this year, Rotterdam is hosting the Gin Festival in the Cruise Terminal. Take in Rotterdam’s skyline with a gin and tonic in your hand. Enjoyable, if you ask us. Tickets are available on the Gin Festival website.
21–22 July – GIN-TASTIC – Scheveningen
Dutch genever is the predecessor of English gin, and we’re proud of that. Both gin and tonic have undergone a major evolution, meaning there are now so many possible combinations that they make us dizzy. Come to GIN-TASTIC at the Pier in Scheveningen to taste the best combinations and learn how to prepare them at home in the tastiest way. For more information about the GIN-TASTIC festival, visit the Pier’s website.
