Brouwerij Eleven

The Netherlands

"Passion and perfection are the signature features of Brouwerij Eleven."

Utrecht, a major Dutch beer city

Although Utrecht is the smallest of the four main cities in The Netherlands, it has a rich beer culture. It is home to a number of great Dutch craft breweries like Brouwerij VandeStreek, Brouwerij De Kromme Haring, Brouwerij Maximus and Brouwerij Oudaen. Brouwerij Eleven is one of the newest kids on the block.

Located in a small industrial area in the southwestern part of Utrecht, it is still within a 10-15 minutes bike ride from the city center. You can (still) park your car for free in this neighborhood but there also are several bus and tram stops conveniently located near the brewery. The area is known for its large concentration of furniture stores, so after a stressful day of couch hunting why not pay a quick visit to Brouwerij Eleven and score some tasty beers? A tasting room is not present as for now, but purchasing a box full of beers and enjoy them in the comfort of your home sure sounds good to us.

Pursuing a career in craft brewing

Founders of Eleven brewery are Kevin Hageman and Loes van Impelen. Hence the name of the brewery, the number 11 (one plus one) indicates two units that can accomplish so much more together than alone. Kevin was not exactly new to the beerscene as he worked as a brewer at Dutch craft brewery Brouwerij De Molen and also at Oedipus Brewing. Loes had a background in hospitality management, so the two complemented each other well.

Initially they started contract brewing in 2017 but not long after they decided to take the leap and open a small craft brewery of their own. A former industrial building that was built in the 1950’s is now home to this Utrecht brewery and a number of other creative companies. In time this industrial area will be transformed into an area with the emphasis on housing. It is one of the largest and most ambitious Utrecht construction projects of the coming years. The idea is to create an area with housing for people from all layers of society, sustainable, car-free and green.

Brouwerij Eleven beers

Like most craft breweries, Brouwerij Eleven also has a core range of beers that are available all year round. They also regularly brew beers together with other Dutch craft breweries. Previous collabs have been with a.o. Rock City Brewing, Brouwerij Kaapse Brouwers and Rott Brouwers. Another fun series of beers is their Smash series in every country they visit, they take one type of malt and one type of hops and brew a beer with them. Smash stands for "single malt, single hop". The idea is to learn a lot about the character of one specific hop and/or malt.

Some one-off beers are brewed as well. These specials are released only once and may not be to everyone's taste. From Brett beers to a barrel aged thick stout: beers with which Eleven brewery shows what they are capable of brewing and also beer styles they like themselves.

Future brewery plans

The most recent crowdfunding campaign of Brouwerij Eleven helped them to make it possible to produce more liters and work more efficiently. Another great advantage is they now have their own canning line and they will also be able to produce more barrel aged beers. Kevin and Loes have created a place that not only has a good atmosphere but also unites people in their love for craft beer brewing.