TOPIC:

I'm unfortunate enough to be heading to Holland for a week with work in August. <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> Problem is, I don't have a clue what good Dutch or belgian beers to keep an eye out for (other than Duvel, Kwak or Oranjebooom).
I know there are hundreds, but any suggestions?

It's hard to go wrong with a Trappist: Westmalle, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Achel, Westvleteren and La Trappe. If you're in Amsterdam go and visit 't IJ[/url:2myhs6gc].

Heineken of course! <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

Look out for any from the Dutch trappist brewery "De Koningshoeven", the only non belgian trappist at the moment....

Lazily copied from wikipedia...
"The beers and the brewery are usually marketed under the name La Trappe. However, in some markets, such as the USA, the Koningshoeven name is used. It is the only producer of Trappist beer outside of Belgium, and produces four regular and two seasonal beers:

* La Trappe Blond (6.5% ABV)
* La Trappe Dubbel (7% ABV)
* La Trappe Tripel (8% ABV)
* La Trappe Quadrupel (10% ABV) (Seasonal)
* La Trappe Witte Trappist (5.5% ABV)
* La Trappe Bockbier (7% ABV) (Seasonal)

The Blond and the Enkel are the monks' table beer, but on certain holidays they may drink any of the varieties.

Apart from the La Trappe brand, the brewery produces Tilburg's Dutch Brown Ale mainly for export.

The water for the beer is drawn from five 200-metre deep wells on the abbey grounds, and all beers except the Blond are bottle conditioned. The spent grain remaining after the wort is filtered from the mash is used to feed the abbey's own herd of cows"

Also Gulden Draak, Piraat and I suppose anything with a name you don't recognize! You may find a beauty to make us all jealous!

Where will you be in Holland?
They generally have a phenomenal amount of Belgian beers no matter where you are. Some of the dutch (I think!) ones worth looking for are
Wiekse Witte,
Kasteel,

and of course so many belgians you don't even know where to start - try get barbar, judas, orval, la chouffe or mcchouffe, hoegaarden das,

go wild my friend. and stay away from the red lights.

Can't go wrong with the belguim beers!

If you are more specific with where exactly you will be going, I may be able to felp. I have a pub guide from PINT (Dutch version of CAMRA). You would be surprised to learn that there are a large number of Dutch breweries, but often with limited distribution. There is a pub in Amsterdam ('t Arendsnest) that specialises in quality Dutch beer. No Oranjeboom there though <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->