"dutch" news and stories

We all know that drinking and driving don't mix. However, in certain circumstances, drinking and tourism make for pretty great bedfellows.

The next time you're in Amsterdam, make sure that you check out the old Heineken brewery – known grandiosely as "The Heineken Experience". The theme park/brewery tour/marketing junket is the pleasant antidote to the hustle and bustle of the famous Dutch city.

During the hour-long tour, you'll learn the history of the Dutch beer company over the last century as told through the very memorabilia that has propelled the business from a small-time family operation to one of Northern Europe's best known (and loved!) beer makers. Like any good theme park, there's something for everyone at The Heineken Experience – video games, computer simulations, and my personal favorite – the beer hall, which pours fresh from the tap brew.

As a note of personal endorsement, I've always believed that beer in green bottles just tastes better – or as they would say in the Netherlands – het bier in groene flessen proeft beter!

I've never liked black licorice. I don't mind the taste of fennel or anise, and I'll even drink Sambuca every now and then, but I've always found black licorice repulsive. That is, until I tried this Dutch "dubbel zout" or double salt licorice. A Dutch co-worker was a fan, and she ate it with such zeal that I had to give it a try. To my surprise, it had all of the anise flavor I enjoy but none of the qualities I dislike in regular black licorice. That said, almost everyone else I know hates the stuff. Every time I buy it, the lady at the candy store inevitably says something like, "You're actually gonna eat that?" The folks over at Bad-Candy.com aren't fans, either. But I am. Just imagine the taste of licorice but instead of cloyingly sweet, it's really, really salty. My Dutch friend says it'll sooth a cough too.

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]

The day after Valentine's Day is a bit of a relief. No longer must people wait in anticipation to find out what their Valentine has in store for them or whether they forgot about the holiday completely. There is only one area that will still be feeling the strain of the occasion other than the strain of a waistband after indulging in too much chocolate: your wallet. Or perhaps the wallet of your significant other. According to a study done by Discover Card, men spent an average of $128 on Valentine's Day, while women only spent around $74.

Perhaps it's a cultural expectation that women are to be the primary recipients of Valentine's Day gifts. Does this extend to even the women who ordinarily support "going dutch", or trying to split things as evenly as possible? Informal straw polling prior to Valentine's Day showed that many women do expect to be taken out and not have to share in the cost of the evening, at least this once. So, who paid for your dinner last night?

You haven't lived until you've let your arteries harden a bit by doing a Dutch food slideshow on flickr. Some highlights:

• uitsmijter (fried eggs on ham, cheese toast) and a kroket sandwich
• ham, tomato and cheese pankoek (pancake)
• Bread with cheese 
• Boerenkool (potatoes, kale and sausage, mushed) 

As much of America's heritage is Dutch, the photos look very much like a particularly pork- and deep-fried-focused trip into America's heartlead. All I know is, breakfast tomorrow is uitsmijter. I'll be sure to deliver a full report.