Distillery tours
Distillery Tours in Netherlands
Plan a distillery tour in Netherlands: 7 distilleries to visit, with tastings and experiences you can book directly. Expect Craft Spirits, Gin, Single Malt and more. Highlights include Zuidam Distillers (Millstone), Distillery Rutte, Spirited Union Distillery.
7distilleries
Zuidam Distillers (Millstone)
Family distillery behind Millstone single malt
Spirited Union Distillery
Botanical rum and distil-your-own workshops in Amsterdam
About distillery tours in Netherlands
The Netherlands has one of the oldest and most influential distilling heritages in Europe, and it begins with jenever, the juniper-led malt-wine spirit that is the ancestor of modern gin. Nowhere embodies this more than Schiedam, just outside Rotterdam, once home to hundreds of distilleries and still ringed by the tallest traditional windmills in the world, which historically ground the grain. Today the Dutch scene blends that deep history with a confident modern craft movement: alongside classic jenever you'll find acclaimed single malt whisky, gin and botanical spirits. The directory captures this range, from Zuidam Distillers in Baarle-Nassau, whose Millstone whisky helped pioneer Dutch single malt, and Us Heit Distillery in Friesland, another whisky trailblazer, to Distillery Rutte, Spirited Union, Sculte Stokerij and Distilleerderij 't Nieuwe Diep. Because the country is compact and superbly connected, it's one of the easiest distilling destinations to explore, with several worthwhile producers reachable by train and a national museum dedicated to the craft. It's a place where centuries of tradition and a new wave of distillers pour from the same glass.
Top regions to explore
Schiedam is the historic heart and the natural starting point. Less than ten minutes from Rotterdam, its old centre still holds working distilleries, the tallest windmills in the world and the National Jenever Museum, set in an 18th-century distillery where barley and rye are still malted on site. From this jenever capital the map opens up: head south to Baarle-Nassau, the curious town straddling the Belgian border, where Zuidam Distillers grows much of its own grain and grinds it in windmills for its Millstone whisky range. Travel north into Friesland to find Us Heit Distillery in Bolsward, an early mover in Dutch single malt. Elsewhere, producers such as Distillery Rutte, Spirited Union, Sculte Stokerij and Distilleerderij 't Nieuwe Diep add gin, botanical spirits and regional character. The Netherlands' small footprint means you can sample tradition and modern craft within a single, easy-going trip.
Planning a distillery trip
Begin in Schiedam, where the National Jenever Museum offers a guided look at the malting and distilling process at set times across the week, and where organised jenever-and-gin walking tours link historic bar tastings with the museum visit, an ideal grounding before you venture further. Many craft distilleries beyond Schiedam welcome visitors by arrangement, so check tour days and book ahead, particularly for the whisky producers in Friesland and Baarle-Nassau, where tastings are popular and capacity is limited. The Netherlands rewards a relaxed itinerary: pair a morning of history in Schiedam with an afternoon tasting elsewhere, and leave time to simply enjoy a jenever in its traditional setting, served brim-full in a tulip glass that you bow to take the first sip from. As always, plan tastings so you're not the one driving.
Getting around
This is one of the simplest distilling countries to navigate. The Dutch rail network is fast and frequent, and Schiedam has its own station moments from Rotterdam, so the historic core needs no car at all. For Baarle-Nassau and Us Heit in Friesland, a combination of train and a short taxi or local bus works, though a hire car gives you more flexibility for the more rural producers and lets you string several together in a day. Cycling, the most Dutch option of all, is genuinely practical for distilleries clustered within a town or its outskirts. Whichever way you travel, distances are short and connections reliable, which makes the Netherlands well suited to a long weekend taking in both jenever heritage and the new wave of craft spirits, just remember to leave the driving to someone else after a tasting.
Frequently asked
- What is jenever?
- Jenever (also spelled genever) is the traditional Dutch juniper-led spirit made with malt wine, and it's the historical ancestor of modern gin. It comes in oude (old) and jonge (young) styles that refer to the recipe rather than ageing, and is traditionally served very cold in a brimming tulip glass.
- Why is Schiedam so important to Dutch distilling?
- Schiedam was the centre of the jenever industry, with hundreds of distilleries and roasting houses at its 18th and 19th-century peak, exporting worldwide. It still has working distilleries, the world's tallest traditional windmills that ground the grain, and the National Jenever Museum.
- Does the Netherlands make whisky too?
- Yes. Dutch single malt has grown strongly since the early 2000s, led by Zuidam Distillers' Millstone range in Baarle-Nassau and Us Heit Distillery's whisky in Friesland. Both grow much of their own grain and are pioneers of the category.
- Can I visit distilleries by public transport?
- Often, yes. Schiedam has its own station near Rotterdam and is fully walkable, and the Dutch rail network reaches close to many producers. For rural distilleries in Friesland or Baarle-Nassau, combine train with a taxi or hire a car for the day.
- Where should I start as a first-time visitor?
- Schiedam is the best starting point. The National Jenever Museum and the local jenever-and-gin walking tours give you the history and a tasting in one go, before you head out to whisky and craft producers elsewhere in the country.
- How long do I need for a distillery trip here?
- A long weekend is ample. The Netherlands is compact and well connected, so you can combine Schiedam's jenever heritage with a whisky or craft-gin tasting elsewhere without much travel, making it one of the easier distilling destinations to explore.