New Gollem

Sitting on a number 1 tram trundling along the Overtoom, I noticed something. Proef was no more. In its place was another Gollem. The third one in town. I added visiting it to my mental to-do list.

Saturday afternoon I was at a loose end. The kids didn't want to make any more adverts. Or do anything, other than play a game involving lots of machine guns and splattering blood. Mardy gits.

"Do you fancy checking out the new Gollem?" I asked Mike. "When?" he replied. "In 23 minutes." It pays to be precise with Mike. "OK." Persuading him to go down the pub isn't difficult.

Mike was already there, drooling at the beer list, when I arrived. Soon he was deep in a conversation with the staff about serving temperatures. He had a beer already, bastard. I had to wait until he'd finished to place my order. A pretty obvious one, if you look at their list. Go on, look at their list. It's there to the left.

Until recently, it had been a while since I'd drunk Westvleteren. Then two weeks ago I picked up a bottle in Bierkoning. Just €12.50 for a 12. I only got the one. It was a gusher. About €2.50-worth ended up down the sink.

Spring started this week. We sat outside. "Shift your arse. I don't want you in the background." I had to do the geeky photography bit. If only as revenge for Mike's constant fiddling with his iPhone. After just 20 minutes or so I'd snapped a snappy enough snap and sat back down. And tried my beer.

Here's one of my patented non-reviews. Quite hoppy. That's what I thought. Though, based on an analyses published years ago in the PINT magazine, I know that Westvleteren 12 has more IBUs than any other Trappist (including Orval). Served at cellar temperature, after warming, it tasted sweeter. That enough to establish me as the new Michael Jackson?

Mike's beer choice was less fortunate. A Witkap Pater Dubbel that tasted watered down. "I had a crap one from the shop last week." Mike remarked. "Why the flip did you choose it here then?" I thought. "Yes, it does taste weird" is what I said.

We went inside after the first one. It gave Mike chance to complain about the music. Bebop jazz. He's such a philistine.

I wonder. Westvleteren 12 costs €12. If they still brewed the 4, would that cost €4 here?

We had a couple more beers and went home. As I can't be arsed to describe the pub or more of our visit, here are some pictures.

Gollem's Proeflokaal
Overtoom 160-162,
Amsterdam
E-mail: info@cafegollem.nl
Tel: 020-6129444
http://cafegollem.nl/

Opening times:
weekdays 16.00-01.00
Weekend: 14.00-03.00