Gin in Amsterdam

Proflokaal are the traditional gin joints of Amsterdam

The dutch hard liquor of choice is gin—in fact, we get the English word "gin" from the Dutch word "jenever" which means "juniper," the berries of which are the prime ingredient in the alcohol. In fact, the Dutch are said to have invented gin in the mid 1600s—originally as a medicine.

Try the hard liquor the Dutch made famous in a gin-tasting house, or proflokaal—similar in appearance to brown cafes, but usually owned by the distillery itself.

It's customary to take the first sip no-hands style, slurping it from the brim-filled shot glass as you lean over the bar.

Here are some classic proflokaal in Amsterdam:

• Café de Dokter, filled with antiques and tasty fruit brandies (Rozenboomsteeg 4, near Spui Square; tel. +31-(0)20-624-2582; www.cafe-de-dokter.nl).
• Wynand Fockink (aka Wijnand Fockink), where they've they've been around since 1679 (so they've already heard all the English jokes about their name), and there's a series of liqueur bottles painted with portraits of all the city's mayors since 1591 (Pijlsteeg 31, tel. +31-(0)20-639-2695; www.wynand-fockink.nl).
• Brouwerij 't IJ, serving good gin (and good beers; it is a brewery) in a defunct windmill near the harbor (Funenkade 7; tel. +31-(0)20-320-1786; www.brouwerijhetij.nl).