Brouwerij De Molen
Overtocht 43, 2411 BS Bodegraven. Tel. 0172 - 610 848 http://www.brouwerijdemolen.nl/
Opening hours: Tue 12: - 17:00, Wed - Thur 12:00 - 22:00, Fri 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00, Monday closed.
Number of draught beers: 6
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers: Stoombier Witbier Blond Kruier Honingbier Tripel
Food: Snacks €2-6. Beer €2-3.
De Molen is a brewery very much in the tradition of Het Ij - under a windmill and charmingly basic. Though finding the bar is a challenge, as it's located at the rear and accessed through a maze of passageways. Not to worry. You'll hav an opportumnity to sneak a look and the brewing equipment on your way through. A stove and a pile of logs in one corner add a rustic touch. The only other decoration are various paintings of windmills (for sale, if you're interested). In addition to standard board games, they also have traditional Dutch wooden games. My kids recognised them and were soon suffuciently enthrawled for me to have a long, uniterrupted chat with the brewer. But I'm not here for the décor. De Molen has quickly gained a reputation as one of Holland's best micros. Well deserved, I can assure you. They brew a wide range of styles, from Stout to Saison, Bitter to Bock. Pretty good they are, too. There are usually 6 beers on draught. What they arevaries with the season. The gents are the only ones I've seen to include a bath. I'll note that, in case I'm ever in need of a soak and a drink simultaneously. The brewery is adjacent to the bar and is visible through a window in the door. You can marvel at the only cask washer in Low Countries. There's also a small shop, selling around a dozen of their beers. (Photographs courtesy of Sarah & Mark Terry.)
Rating: *****	Public transport: Bodegraven train station then a 10 minute walk.

Locus Publicus
Brabantse Turfmarkt 67, 2611 CM Delft. Tel. 015 - 213 4632 EMail: Info@LocusPublicus.nl http://www.locus-publicus.nl/
Opening hours: Mon - Thur 11:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 11:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00
Number of draught beers: 9
Number of bottled beers: +-150
Regular draught beers: Jupiler Pils Hoegaarden Witbier Palm Guinness Stout
Food: Snacks. Duvel €3.40, Pils €1.80-3.50.
The centre of Delft is interwoven with canals. I know that because there's a map of 17th century Delft pinned to the door of the brutal black cupboard 3 metres behind my head. Part of one has been filled in to allow room for a street market. Rather unexpectedly, hidden behind the market stalls, is Locus Publicus. The beer list isn't just large, it also has some unusual items - 30 lambieks and even 20 Dutch beers. And Westvleteren - all three. At least when I was there. No-one can guarantee this stuff. You just have to be lucky. I hate to be too blindingly obvious, but do you seriously think that I'm going to drink anything else, if Westvleteren 12 is Available? (Not unless I got access to a time machine. Then I could travel back to Old London Town and sup Barclay Perkin's Double Brown Stout or Truman's Entire. We must have dreams. Mine all involve porters.)
Rating: *****	Public transport: Walk from Delft station.

't Proeflokaal
Gasthuislaan 36-38, 2611 RB Delft. Tel: 015 - 212 4922 http://www.proeflokaal-delft.nl
Opening hours: Sun - Thur 12:00 - 01:00, Fri-Sat 12:00 - 02:00
Number of draught beers: 14
Number of bottled beers: 300
Regular draught beers: Beamish Stout Warsteiner pils Frankenheim alt
Food: Snacks.(PIES)
One of very few regular outlets for British cask-conditioned beers in the Netherlands. And also one of few outlets for good old-fashioned, British pies. I know they aren't healthy, but I get to Delft so rarely that the risk to my health is minimal. There's plenty of interesting stuff to drink. Alt is sadly rare here nowadays. Judging from the fancy ceramic branded tap, I guess the Frankenheim is intended to be on draught permanently. It's always pleasing to see Beamish Stout (even if they insist on calling it "Beamish Black" - silly and inaccurate, as theirs is the least opaque of the Irish stouts). Despite being in a bland, modern building, the intrerior is about as brown as the country's famous brown cafes can get. I much prefer the Dutch approach to pub design. Really crap pubs are surprisingly rare. It's like being back in Brno1985, just with much crappier draught lager. I won't go on, in case I bore you. But it is a sort of paradise, living in a city where a decent boozer is rarely more than 200 metres away.
Rating: ****	Public transport: Walk from Delft station.

Lemmy's Biercafé
Morsstraat 24, 2312 BM Leiden. Tel. 071 - 512 6402 Email: lemmys@biercafe.nl http://www.biercafe.nl/
Opening hours: Sun - Thur 17:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 17:00 - 02:00
Number of draught beers: 7
Number of bottled beers: +-50
Regular draught beers: Heineken Pils Maredsous 8
Food: Snacks.Duvel €3.10.
"What do you want?" "A bacon and egg sandwich." "A restraining order." "A pint of Mild." They didn't have any of these. But the orders did range from the unrealistic to the fantastic. I'm sitting on a separate table to the kids. It works better that way if I want to write. I would complain of the kids spoiling the day with their antics. In reality, they've given loads of material. What's more important - fun or good material? You know the answer. You want a description? Alright, brown café, corner location, some sort of music theme. They're playing - and have photos of - early 70's music stars. Is this life on Mars? Musically, yes. Brown wood, board floor. I'm bored. Chairman of the bored. There's a noticeable lack of Iggy here. "I told you we'd have fun." I always say that. Luckily, today it was true. The kids love the idea of somewhere that invites mess. You're expected to thorw your peanut shells onn the floor. It's a big hit. I'm as happy as a porcine animal in excrement. They shut up and are just are revelling in litter. Perfect. Whisky time for dad. The location on the station side of the town centre is handy. For the alcoholically-challenged, they also have more than 30 malt whiskies. You can't help but wonder if you'll find a long-haired biker sleeping face-down in a curry. (Lemmy story courtesy of Little Dave.)
Rating: ****	Public transport:

De Kroeg
Kort Rapenburg 4, 2311 GC Leiden. Tel. 071-5130152
Opening hours: Sun - Thur 14:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 12:00 - 02:00
Number of draught beers: 5
Number of bottled beers: 12
Regular draught beers: Heineken Pils Brand Pils Grolsch Pils La Chouffe Murphy's Red
Food: Snacks.
The kids are going crazy so I've taken refuge in the nearest decent-looking pub. How can they be so psychopatheic without psychedelics? No wonder everyone thinks my parenting skills are between Homer Simpson's and Stalin's. Lexie just tried eating his glass . . . Excuse me if this review seems hurried. We may be off to casualty soon. Brown cafe. Henry VIII pub sign. Views of windmill. Next to a canal. "Spit out the crunchy bits." That's my advice to Lexie. Though he's been annoying enough in the last 15 minutes for me to not be [before you start accusing me of sloppy grammar, I'll point out that I don't believe in square-peg-hammered-into-round-hole pseudo-Latin rules like split infinitives] that bothered. Why would a pub sell 3 different Pils [what is the plural of Pils? Pilss. With a silent "l"?]? Probably for the same reason that UK piubs sell 4 or 5 Bitters of pretty much the same strength. Why does the world so often choose to be dull rather than interesting? When I go out by myself I have to invent the craziness (sometimes). With the kids along, it's always there. "The good boys get a bag of chips." "I don't need chips, dad." [Andrew] "That's OK, you're behaving yourself anyway." "Can I get a court order to keep Alexei 5 metres away from me?" [Andrew] "Yes." "Can I drink your beer dad?" [Alexei] "Yes." I'm such a good dad. I was getting onto the Inspiral Carpets on the stereo. "Dad, there's room to dance out there." Andrew pointed to the main road outside. Good to know that my kids love me. "Kids. Did we come out to have a good time, a bad time or a mediocre time?" "A mediocre time" answered Lexie firmly. "What does mediocre mean?"
Rating: **	Public transport:

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