Everything You Need to Know About Amsterdam’s Cocktail Scene

Amsterdam’s Cocktail Scene

The dark, austere lobby of the Pulitzer in Amsterdam’s Nine Streets district is, at first, as cold as a canal cruise on a rainy fall afternoon. The hotel, a Peter Pulitzer project that began in 1960, is a cluster of 25 aristocratic and well-to-do merchants’ homes from the 17th and 18th centuries, modernized and combined in a maze of hallways, stairs, and raw natural textures accented by polished, rich design elements. It’s the pops of gem tones and friendly front desk staff that enliven the ingress, and just past the wall of teal curtains concealing a gilded elevator bank, a white marble bar awaits in a glass-walled enclosure beside the courtyard. Pulitzer’s Garden Bar is my initiation into Amsterdam’s post-COVID-19 cocktail scene, where gin and vodka reign supreme, as has long been the case thanks to the Dutch’s fondness for distilling clear booze.

Pulitzer Bar Experience

I begin my afternoon with a martini — wet, stirred, twist — sipping as I soak up my surroundings. The gin, Nolet’s, is produced less than an hour away in Schiedam, home to the National Jenever Museum and an illustrious history of distillation dating back (at least) to the late 1600s. By the 19th century, Schiedam had entered its Golden Age with almost 400 working distilleries, only a few of which would survive ensuing wars and economic factors that would lead countless mills and distilleries to shutter by the early 1900s. Today, the Nolets are among the rare multi-generational families who have ushered their craft (along with their original windmill from 1691) into the present.

The Legacy of Gin in Schiedam

Gin’s popularity in Holland and around the world comes as no surprise given the category’s predecessor, genever (also spelled jenever, like the museum), which was the spirit that defined Schiedam’s contribution to the Netherlands and the rest of the world back in the city’s distilling heyday. Genever, which can be described as a “maltier gin” at its simplest, is the product of distilling malt wine flavored with juniper berries and other botanicals. Over time, the element of malt fell out of fashion as distillers in England and elsewhere began favoring neutral-grain spirit, a less costly option, for botanical infusion. However, even by then, Schiedam had already made its mark on global drinking, and its name would long serve as genever’s synonym, even as the malt-forward style became virtually obsolete.

Vodka Trends and Cocktail Culture

Therefore, while the English tend to get all the credit for gin’s popularity (and existence), it’s the Dutch we can thank for the spirit’s blueprint. We can directly trace Amsterdam’s cocktail scene to the survival and endurance of distilling families like the Nolets, whose 11th generation currently leads the business. I spoke with current master distiller Bob Nolet on how Schiedam’s distillers have influenced those at the forefront of the country’s bar industry (notably Amsterdam’s top bartenders) in terms of cocktail culture throughout history—and how that’s trickled down to bars around the world.

“The bartending community here and abroad has always been a source of constant inspiration for our brand,” he tells me, noting that his father, Carolus Nolet Sr., sought insights from bar staff across the country when developing the family’s now widely known vodka brand, Ketel One, which debuted in 1983. “Through those conversations, bartenders helped shape everything from the taste profile of Ketel One to the bottle length for optimal pouring—we wouldn’t be the brand we are today without their invaluable input.” Nolet’s Gin served as a pivotal launchpad for Ketel One, a vodka that gained traction before New York City bartender Toby Cecchini perfected the cosmopolitan in 1988—its popularity possibly cemented by Sex and the City’s premiere 10 years later. Thus, like genever, vodka’s popularity worldwide has ebbed and flowed.

Must-Visit Bars for Cocktails in Amsterdam

Moreover, time continues to show us that certain spirits—vodka much more so than genever—are eternal. Perhaps the return of SATC this year had something to do with the resurgence of the tastes of its nascent decade and its most notorious drinks, which could explain why we suddenly see espresso martinis reappearing in bars. However, Nolet believes the COVID-19 drinking era may have influenced society’s rediscovery of vodka after its post-Cosmo decline in the early 2000s.

“I think that cocktail culture is cyclical,” Nolet tells me. “Over a decade ago, when the craft cocktail resurgence emerged, cocktail culture favored complexity and avant-garde mixology. We saw bartenders selecting dark spirits and experimenting with esoteric ingredients. Currently, that trend has come full circle; we’re witnessing the home bartender becoming more savvy and embracing cocktails in a playful, irreverent manner.” He attributes the industry’s newfound appreciation for simplicity to the self-taught pandemic home bartender, sparking nostalgia for the “cheesy” drinks of the early aughts that had previously been dismissed. In a way, we could draw parallels to vodka as a simplification of gin, just as gin was to genever, illustrating collective responses to world crises.

If we look at vodka symbolically, its simplicity is its true allure, which the Nolet family has harnessed in tailoring Ketel One to bartenders’ needs for versatility. Vodka, Nolet adds, is a great canvas for the modern classics we celebrate today—from the cosmopolitan to a good Bloody Mary and more. Thus, its presence remains strong throughout bars and restaurants in Amsterdam and beyond.

For those who travel with a destination’s bar scene in mind, the historical impact on today’s drink menus may not matter. However, if you’re in Amsterdam to enjoy cocktails, it’s impossible to separate Schiedam from the drinking habits of the world. If you have time to visit Schiedam and its remaining historic distilleries (including Nolet’s), you’ll have your work cut out for you. Nevertheless, Amsterdam’s long list of legendary cocktail bars will certainly keep you busy. Don’t miss the blue Hawaiian at Flying Dutchman, the espresso or pornstar martini at Hotel TwentySeven, or the cherry highball (Ketel One, thyme cordial, and cherry soda) at Pulitzer Garden. Inside the hotel, you’ll find Pulitzer Bar, one of the city’s most glamorous watering holes, alongside sister spot Restaurant Jansz. Visit Lotti’s at The Hoxton, Amsterdam, sip on the vodka martini at Rosalia’s Menagerie, and make sure to include the following Amsterdam bars on your list: Door 74, Super Lyan, and OCCO Bar at The Dylan hotel.