Heineken Family Stake Sale Never Considered

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A sale of the Heineken family's stake in Dutch brewer Heineken NV has never been on the cards, family heiress Charlene Carvalho-Heineken said in an interview with Dutch trade magazine Bierblad. "I can honestly say that the thought never entered my head. As a family we are part of the past, present and future of the brewery," Carvalho-Heineken was quoted by the magazine as saying. "Heineken has from the outset been a true Dutch firm and it will remain so. I cannot imagine a takeover by a larger foreign brewer."
Heineken, the world's fourth largest brewer in terms of sales, is controlled by the Heineken family which has a 50.05 percent stake.
Carvalho-Heineken is the great-granddaughter of the company's founder.

Soundgarden

I've mentioned it before: Soundgarden on the Marnixstraat. They are truly my favorite bar in town and they deserve a little more attention then I've given them so far. Beer is one of the things I like about Soundgarden. They've got about 30 different kinds for a pretty low price. € 1,80 for a Budels for instance. Other beers on tap are Batavier and Witte Parel. Some of the beers they got in bottles are Bio Budels, Boddingtons, Brugse Tripel, Gulden Draak, Karmeliet Tripel, Witkap Stimulo and Vuurtoren. They've also got plenty of stuff to do. A pooltable, dartboard, fussball table and 2 pinball machines, lots of stuff to look at on the walls and allways something to read.
People here are very easy to talk to. They basically just walk up to you and start talking to you. Cafe Soundgarden in Amsterdam is a meetingpoint for people who are into various styles of 'alternative' music, from grunge to surfpunk and on top of it all, on sunny days you can relax on their beautiful terrace (facing the west, so always sun) along the canal. So you can even come by boat!

't Bruggetje

Next to this little bridge, on the Admiralengracht, is a little neighbourhood bar called: 't Bruggetje (the little bridge). I went in there last night and I do have to say there's only 2 words for it: dark en dingy. I sat on the bar talking to the owner and got fed beers from 2 drunk guys who were sitting next to me. There's 2 gambling machines and a little terrace outside and however dark and dingy it was, it was still very nice.
Unfortunately the city council has decided that the whole block of buildings has to disappear because there's going to be a big square, but when that's going to happen noone knows. Until then you can still drink Heineken there for € 1,80.

Homer Simpson Beer Song

Belgica

Yeay, a new Belgian beer pub in Amsterdam. It's called Belgica (not to be confused with Belgique) and is just a 1 minute walk away from Leidseplein. It's very big, has typical Belgian food on the menu, it has free newspapers to read on big reading teables and it's got 9 different beers on tap, 16 beers in normal botlles and 12 beers in big bottles. The place is in a prime location, the beers aren't from small breweries and the prices aren't as low as they should be so I assume they are targeting tourists. The price of half a pint is € 2,75
The breweries they've got beer from are: jupiler, stella artois, hoegaarden, leffe, la chouffe, de koninck, hertog jan, achelse kluis, bellevue, chimay, duvel, orval, palm, rodenbach, vedett, westmalle and liefmans.
All in all I like it and eventhough the price is of the beer is too high, the rest of the prices are quite normal (leg of rabbit with treacle and black plums for € 12,50 ain't a lot and is the most expensive thing on the menu).
On top of it all, the toilets must be the most beautiful and the cleanest in the whole of Europe.

€ 1,00 beer

I found a place where a can of lager is only one euro. It's a secret place and I'm not allowed to say where it is... But.... maybe you can find out....
Ask me questions and I might give you clues.

Amsterdam Beer Map

First version of the Amsterdam Pub Map... Every day I'll add some more...

Marktzicht, Topido, Brinkentuin and Ronaldinho

Down the road from Bax are a few other places to visit. Marktzicht, Topido, Brinkentuin and Ronaldinho. All these bars have is Heineken. but the prices in each bar and the atmosphere are very different. At Marktzicht you pay € 1,80 for a beer they are a real local and are open very late, at Topido (which closes at 7PM) the beer is € 1,75 and at Brinkentuin and Ronaldinho € 2,00... They are all dark brown Amsterdam cafe's but Brinkentuin and Ronaldinho are Surinamese owned. At Brinkentuin you can also eat Surinamese for very cheap. I didn't go in Ronaldinho's but I'll go in there another time.

Laundry tumbles with beer

If you'd rather be having a beer with friends than washing your clothes, a U.S. laundromat has come with the solution. With six beers on tap, plus a range of bottled brews in the fridge, wireless Internet connection, couches and video games, Laundry 101 is as much a bar as a laundry.

"The people who use the bar usually just have a beer or two while they do their laundry," said Zach Brandon, 34, part-owner of Laundry 101 and city council member in Madison.

Brandon came to Madison from Ohio in 1998 to open a hybrid mix of Internet cafe and laundromat, but all that's left of that plan is a $7,000 espresso machine under the bar.

"There are eight coffee shops, not counting two Starbucks, within a few blocks of here," he said, kicking the espresso machine.

"So that idea went out the window pretty fast." Instead, Laundry 101 serves an array of beers including local brews such as Capital Brewery's seasonal Maibock ale -- made in Middleton just outside Madison -- catering largely for students from the nearby University of Wisconsin-Madison.

It's a Saturday night, but unlike other downtown bars serving the 41,000 strong student body here, Laundry 101 is relatively empty with just a few students using the washing machines and driers, surfing the web or having a beer.

"Saturday is actually one of our quietest nights, it's far busier during the week," Brandon said.

While the bar only brings in a small portion of Laundry 101's business, bar tender Allie Gilman, 21, said there are many regular customers, plus the occasional tourist. "It's generally a fun, easygoing crowd we get in here, people who want to kick back with friends while they wash their clothes," said Gilman.

Yet another update

And yet another update. Cheapest Beer in Amsterdam so far? Kriterion! Click on the pic to see the list.

Ouch!

A Northern Iranian man got 180 whiplashes during a holiday. He got these because he drank 2 beers. 35 year old Mamand Mamandy is doing okay, but is still in very much pain. Mamandy, a Kurdish male was visiting his mum in Baneh. The police arrested him there. The family was having a barbeque when the police drove by and saw Mamand having a sip of his beer. In total he'd had 2 beers. Straight away he got arrested and at the policestation they sentenced him to 180 whiplashes. He got them on his back. Mamand seeked asylum in Norway in 1999. He lives in a town called Drammen and has the Norwegian nationality.... This is too sad for words.....

Kegulator

Hey!! This is handy! On http://www.kegulator.com/ you can now see how many kegs of beer you need when your having a party. Only one problem... It doesn't tell you how much the kegs hold. 1 liter? Or 10? Or 20?

Bars in De Baarsjes

Katja Brokke has written a piece (in Dutch only unfortunately) about beer and bars in De Baarsjes, an area in Amsterdam which used to have lots of crime but which is definately going the right way now... She's going to visit all the bars in this area and write a small review about them... Read it on http://www.amsterdamcentraal.nl/
In the mean time I've found another little cafe in De Baarsjes, near Mercatorplein, where you can eat as well, with a terrace outside (facing west, so sun all day), it's called Cafe Cook. I haven't been in yet but it looks very nice. Jupiler: € 1,90.

Small Beer Break

After last week I'm having a small beer break this week. Last week Tuesday I got pissed, drank too much whisky, scotch and beer in a very short period of time while playing poker. Wednesday I went out to Kale where they have on tap:
Amstel € 2,00
Wieckse Witte
Palm and
La Chouffe
And in bottles:
Duvel
Westmalle Tripel
Westmalle Dubbel
Corona
Natte and Zatte... Mmmmm.
Thursday I went back there and then to Montmartre after with Heineken, Heineken Ice on tap, Heineken Longneck, Wieckse Witte and Amstel Mald in a bottle to watch the semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. Friday.... Kale again, then Bitterzoet (see below), Saarein and Soundgarden. And.....
Saturday I went to the Meibock Festival and then to a friend after to see the Eurovision Song Contest Finals... Pffffffffff, Quite a week....

Drinking beer for charity!

Breda beer, Breda's export product, is for sale until the end of the year. InBev and supermarket Albert Heijn have communicated that Friday. In bBeda and surroundings 16 supermarkets participate to sale. Ten eurocents of every sold can will go to the restoration the large church. Breda beer was sold in the sixties in the Netherlands and still sold abroad. The restoration of the large church has recently entered the last phase. In 2011, the restoration should be finished.

Tax Free Beer in Flanders?

Why oh why don't I live in Belgium. The Flemish hotel restaurant cafe foundation wants to abolish tax on beer to draw destitute cafés in Belgium from the slop. A regulation which many belgians will agree with. The association wants belgians to be able to get a taxrefund on the beers which they've bought in a pub/cafe, because of this, beer drinking in cafés will become more popular then consuming liquid bread at home.

Bitterzoet

Bitterzoet, on the Spuistraat, what a strange but very nice place, upstairs there's a bar, downstairs a big space with a stage and another bar. Live music, DJ's, all different kinds of music and all different kinds of people too... I went there for the "stadsspelen" which are a kind of Olympics in all sorts of categories including quiz and music.
Tap:
Brand €2,10
Heineken Ice
Wieckse Witte
Bottle:
Duvel
Corona
Heineken Export

Brewery List 10th Meibock Festival

De Prael
't Vølen
Bavaria
Brand
Brouwerij 't IJ
De Eem
De Hemel
De Lepelaer
De Snaterende Arend
Drie Horne
Elegant
Gulpener
Hertog Jan
Jopen
Klein Duimpje
Maasland
Molen
Mommeriete
Oijen
Onder de Linden
Servattumus
Slaghmuylder
La Binchoise
Fantome
Kerkom
Proefbrouwerij
De Dolle Brouwers
Hummel
Heller
Jever
Riedenburger
St Sylvestre
Fullers
Anchor

RSS Feed for Cheap Beer 020

You can now subscribe for free to the Cheap Beer 020 RSS as well. This way you'll allways stay updated when I've posted something new. To subscribe click HERE.

Joost invites

I've got plenty of Joost invites left...
Anyone want one?
Leave a comment and I'll invite you.
"Joost is a new way of watching TV on the internet. With Joost, you get all the things you love about TV, including a high-quality full-screen picture, hundreds of full-length shows and easy channel-flipping." It might take one or 2 days before you get the invite cuz I'm not online 24/7.

Pubs_v1.0.kmz

I've decided I'm making the 1st KMZ file for Google Earth available.
Definately not finished yet, so it's only version 1.0.
If you want to see what I'm talking about, then get Google earth and download the kmz file: pubs_v1.0.kmz from: http://rapidshare.com/files/30072188/Pubs_v1.0.kmz.html

Cafe de Zon

On the Lindengracht in the Jordaan area in Amsterdam, on one of the first corners on the left is Cafe de Zon. A small cafe with lovely people behind the bar. Typically Amsterdam. This is a place Ill come back to more often. A bonus is that a vaasje of Heineken is only € 1,80. As far as I know this is the only beer they have.

3 new bars

Went to 3 new bars yesterday.
The Shape cafe is quite a nice place in Amsterdam West with a beautiful terrace where you can eat and go to fitness as well. Beer is only € 1,95...
Then to Edel. A new bar on the Postjesweg in an old school. This place also has a terrace (pointing to the east so there's no sun all day long), it's very modern inside has very trippy walls and they've got Grolsch for € 2,20..Very pricy for a local bar. On top of it all the staff was only interested in themselves. The only good thing was the food menu. It looked good (but have heard it's quite crap).
Didn't want to stay in Edel too long cause there's definately NO atmosphere so I went to Cafe Weefers which was accross the road. Now this was a nice quite local real Amsterdam brown cafe with a nice lady behind the bar. Stayed here for a while. Spoke to the barlady for a bit and drank a Heineken for € 2,00.

New Update

Click the Pic for a new update on beerprices in Amsterdam

Brazilian Bavaria