Amsterdam tap water is fine but it does have a slight chemical taste, so mineral and soda waters are popular. Dairy drinks include chocolate milk, Fristi (a yogurt drink), karnemelk (buttermilk) and of course milk itself, which is good and relatively cheap. A wide selection of fruit juices and soft drinks are available too.
For a city with such a rich tradition in the tea and coffee trade, tea is a bit of a disappointment. It's usually served as a cup of hot water with a tea bag, though many places do offer a wide choice of bags. If you want milk, ask 'met melk, graag' (with milk, please); many locals add a slice of lemon instead.
Lager beer is the staple, served cool and topped by a two-finger-thick head of froth - supposedly to trap the flavour. Requests of 'no head please' will meet with a steely response. Een bier, een pils or een vaas will get you a normal glass; een kleintje pils is a small glass and een fluitje is a small, thin, Cologne-style glass.
Many places also serve half-litre mugs (een grote pils) to please tourists, but somehow draught lager doesn't taste the same in a mug and soon goes flat if you don't hurry up! |
