One of my favorite shops to buy drinks. They have all kinds of bottled beer from many many…read moredifferent countries that you can buy by the bottle and basically make your own six-pack if you want. So many different things to try. They also have a large wine and liquor section as well. Really a cool place to go, even if just to look around.

The selection of high-end whiskey, wines and spirits in here is phenomenal. Unfortunately the…read morecustomer service isn't. Unless you're wearing a suit or look like you have a million Euros in your pocket they don't want to speak to you. There is only one price for all bottles, so even if you're leaving the EU and are entitled to Duty Free purchases, you don't get any such discount here. Which often means you can purchase the same drink cheaper elsewhere.

I came in with a toddler on my arm and my suitcase in the other. I knew what I wanted so I was…read morequick and bought a fancy bottle of Cognac. There were two persons helping me with the payment, checking boarding pass etc. I left and walked 100 feet until I realized I had forgotten my suitcase. I went back and they had just recognized the suitcase standing there. We had a laugh about being a distraught dad and all. A few hours later, while at the gate, I recognized the lady from the store approaching me, she told me I had left my credit card there and they had tried calling me up on the audio system. She had tracked me all the way to my gate, and then helped me back to get to the lost and found department. She definitely saved my day, and I am forever thankful! THIS is the definition of going above and beyond in terms of customer service! I will definitely go back next time.

One of the best things I've done in the Netherlands, and definitely one of the best in The Hague…read more I came in on a quiet time during the week and Denise not only got me set up in the museum garden with a tasting, but she kept checking in on me and helped me make decisions on some gifts to give friends. You'll enjoy the tastings, the history, and the sweet and tranquil atmosphere of the garden. You might also get some attention from a very friendly cat seeking lots of petting. :-)

I'm sure Van Kleef gets compared to Van Cleef allthe time and for good reason.....Van Cleef offers…read moregems of the highest quality and Van Kleef offers brandys of the highest quality Mr & I cane over to sample their Janever & were very happy to see their huge menu with all kinds of flavors and aged in a variety of ways We chose a sample of five to share and ranged from young to old. The Mr preferred the one in the middle as it was the perfect ratio of smooth and biting all at the same time Loved the dark woods of the furniture and bar and the copper stills where they make the brandy were a wonderful addition to see out in the open like that Great place to discover new brandy!

There's not much to say about Bierwinkel, save that it's simply the best spot in Leiden to find…read morecraft beer. The shop's probably smaller than your bedroom, but it uses the available space efficiently to cram in as much as possible. In addition, their selection of cider, whiskey and other liquor is quite elaborate as well. Add in their friendly and knowledgeable staff and a rapidly changing assortment of limited edition beers and soon your liver will lament your frequent visits (though you might not be able to tell while your taste buds are cheering in ecstasy).

Like wine? You would be a total fool if you said no. So you must visit the Wijnkelder de Bergplaats…read more- a tiny, basement winkel in Haarlem that carries only fine wines from the Bourgogne region of France. They have a great selection, the prices are reasonable (between €15 and €25), and the shop owners are quite friendly and happy for being basement dwellers. ;) They know their wines extremely well, and they're the only shop in Holland that I've found with true, honest to goodness, deliciously produced French wines. No screwtops here!!! Last wine I purchased here was a 2009 Chorey-Les-Beaune from Domaine Edmond Cornu & Fils and it was goooooood. I asked for smooth and fruity for under €25 and that's exactly what this was. Perfect. PS - their website is a blank Wordpress page - tee hee - but I'm sure they'll get to it. PSS - their open hours are RANDOM, with only Saturdays guaranteed. Call for info - Kostik Tegel at 0618400647. PSSS - the shop is not exactly easy to find, look for the wine bottle mosaic floor at the entrance. PSSSS - don't fall down the stairs.

Next time you will find yourself stuck on the Meent manoeuvre your way out of the high street and…read moreonto this quiet lane. Follow the smell of lavender and take a seat on the bench. Soon other fruit flavors will enter your nostrils and before you know it you will have walked inside a great little winery. Sigurd the shopkeeper and owner of an enormous smile will only be too happy to show you the great collection of wines they have. He is a walking storyteller, knows the quirky details of every bottle, and spends his free time visiting the old and new wine houses. On my last visit I discovered they have a fantastic sake collection as well with some of the best tasting sakes around if you are into the stuff. It is a social thing they will say which is why on Fridays they sometimes crack open a bottle or two and share it with you and others in a casual tasting affair. But this is the cool thing, no matter how small or how big the budget, you will leave with something delicious and a tale to tell your friends. As seen on I Know This Great Little Place in Rotterdam (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.571215479583766.1073741878.103845866320732&type=3)

Hmmm oké, deze winkel wordt door studenten misschien niet heel druk bezocht. En aangezien ik een…read morestudent ben is het niet persé logisch dat ik van deze winkel genoeg weet om iets geloofwaardigs te schrijven, maar dat is wel zo. Studenten die snakken naar alcohol trekken sneller een sprintje naar de Albert Heijn dan naar de Gouden Ton. En tja, deze zuiplappen hebben de volgende morgen dan waarschijnlijk een fikse hoofdpijn (en ze zijn ook niet helemaal bankroet, elke nadeel heb z'n voordeel). Maar als ik een perfect remedie tegen katerhoofdpijn zou moeten aanbevelen, zou ik iedereen naar de Gouden Ton sturen. Het heerlijke aan de Gouden Ton (ton) vind ik natuurlijk de wijntjes, uiteraard, maar die krijg je door het goede advies van de eigenaar, die altijd in de ton te vinden is. Ik ben er wel eens binnen gelopen met de vraag: 'eeeh, ja, ik zoek iets voor m'n vader, die is jarig'. Geweldige klantenservice levert deze goede man, hij wist me een perfect wijntje mee te geven om m'n vader blij mee te maken. In elke prijsklasse heeft de ton eigenlijk wel wijn liggen, vanaf ongeveer vier en een halve euro. En denk niet dat die goedkope wijn puur bocht is, ik heb ze laatst geproefd, en het was goddelijk.

Stopping by this little beer shop, I was in search of a brew to drink across the street in the…read morelovely Sarphatipark. I also wanted to check out the selection to see what kinds of stouts were on offer. The helpful employee and I made beer-related small talk, and he had several helpful suggestions. When I let him know I'm lactose intolerant, he took the time to check if there was lactose in one of the stouts for me. Sadly, turns out there was so I wasn't able to sample a peanut butter imperial, but I left with a smoked porter and a gingerbread stout, after some pleasant conversation and perusing. Too bad the tap system is no longer functioning or I might have stayed for a cold one. A visit here is recommended!

Friendly, knowledgeable staff Well curated, rangy selection…read moreNice setup I made three stops at Bierbaum while staying across the street and wish I had more excuses to simply hang out there. Beers are segmented by flavor profile, along with "Fancy Shit," a highlighted section of bottles. Also available on site is a draft growler fill area for takeaway. Philip and Brent each walked me through a large variety of local options, as well as several other continental offerings. Prices range from ~€2.90 and up, so you can make your own six-pack without overspending. Growler fills were in the ~€8-10 range. Give them a try - they're sure to please!

This is a perfect little liquor store located on the western shopping street in Haarlem. I love…read morethis place not because I love liquor (really, I typically only visit to buy a gift or something for a party), but because of the atmosphere and service. They carry every jenever and whisky and whatever else a person could possibly need, and it's displayed in a way that's attractive and welcoming. The owners are so nice and helpful that I always feel that I've just visited their house after leaving. I've certainly never felt that way about a liquor store! So this is definitely worth a visit while you're in Haarlem, especially for some souvenir jenever!