All but the most abstemious readers will know that thirsty feeling, watching the office clock advance painfully slowly towards home time and some well earned liquid refreshment at a favourite watering hole. It turns out it’s not just you who can’t wait to see a pint poured. Floortje Donia was commissioned to design the interior of the new Bar Brouw in Amsterdam, and just six weeks later bartenders were scraping the head off half litres of craft beers in the European fashion.
There was a small budget to go with the quick turnaround time at the bar on Ten Katestraat, which probably helped rather than hindered. Donia didn’t have to wait for bespoke furniture to be made from scratch as much of the materials were salvaged – the bar and tables were formerly French wagons, for example, and old workshop stools were re-invented as bar stools. One of the eye-catching features is the neon “Meat” sign; as well as craft beers, smoked meats are a speciality here. Expect to see Homer Simpson drooling at the bar when you visit, but it might be wise to call ahead – the place is selling so much beer that the microbrewery can’t keep up!