Amsterdam Coffeeshop Info
Amsterdam coffeeshops are licenced to sell small quantities of cannabis to adults over 18.
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When You arrive...
As coffeeshops are not allowed to advertise, look for the small green coffeeshop sticker in the window
For travellers who find it confusing and are unsure what to do upon entering one for the first time...
Most coffeeshops will have a weed menu, often in the form of a book on the bar, from which you can make a selection. You will then be presented with the weed or hash to inspect, or a plastic bag with your marijuana or hash inside depending on the coffeeshop. You can then leave with it or smoke it on the premises. Customers are welcome to smoke their own weed in most coffeeshops too, though in this case you will be expected to purchase a drink or something as a courtesy.
Selections are typically divided into weed, hash, pre-rolled joints and sometimes spacecakes Prices vary by quantity and quality.
Ask the staff what they recommend and what effects each type has.
If you feel intimidated don't be, coffeeshop employees are usually friendly, knowledgeable and accustomed to very stoned tourists and those who don't know exactly how to go about the whole process.
It's perfectly fine to visit a coffeeshop and smoke weed, hash or a joint that you've already purchased somewhere else . It is considered rude not to at least buy a drink or snack if you do this. You'll want to anyway, as coffeeshops are known for having some of the best coffee and fresh juices in the city.
SOME coffeshops will insist that you buy the weed you smoke from them, even when you buy a drink.. and will keep hassling you to buy more if you hang around for any length of time .These are the ones to avoid and hopefully this site will help you to do just that.
First-time visitors to Amsterdam or its coffeeshops may be confused by the terms used for different establishments. A licensed seller of cannabis products is always referred to as a coffeeshop.
A koffiehuis (coffee house) sells coffee and light meals. A cafe? is a casual restaurant and/or bar. If you're still confused, look for a green and white sticker in the window, a license which designates the establishment a coffeeshop.
All this said, visitors should know that coffeeshops do not sell alcohol.Some did used to sell beer. But in 2007, the Dutch laws changed and dictated that a shop may either sell alcohol or cannabis products.
Cafe's and Bars
Until 2008 Amsterdam had what they called "smoker's bars" where weed smoking was totally acceptable alongside tobacco smoking, but since the no-smoking law started on July1st 2008, those are pretty much all gone.
This is Amsterdam however and it's a city where not everyone follows the rules.You can actually find a fair amount of bars, especially in the Red Light District, that still allow smoking and weed smoking. One or two of them have asked for an added donation to build a fund for if and when they get fined, but several others just allow it with no qualifications.
There is little distinction between a cafe and a bar in Amsterdam. Both sell alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, food and coffee. The kitchen in a bar or cafe usually closes at 21:00.
A very nice custom in Amsterdam, that you certainly don't find everywhere, is that you pay the same price wherever you sit, it doesn't cost more to sit outside on the terrace.
Coffee is served Hollands with evaporated milk, espresso, cappuccino, and verkeerd. Beer-lovers should try a witbier (white beer) like Hoegaarden or Dentergems, with or without a slice of lemon, which is with lots of hot milk (the Dutch version of a Caffe Latte
- The Dutch invented gin (it was introduced to England when William of Orange became king in 1689, and spread from there); it is called Jenever after the Dutch word for juniper.
There are two types: Jong (young) which is the closest in taste to gin, and normally drunk neat and very cold, and Oud (old). - The Dutch also invented Brandy (Brandewijn means 'burnt wine') which they call "Vieux"
There are three micro-breweries in Amsterdam Brouwerij 't IJ in a windmill just outside the centre (with a bar, and large terrace in the Summer), De Bekeerde Zuster (formerly Maximiliaan) in the heart of the red-light district (actually as part of a bar), and De Prael (no bar, but they do keep a list of bars that serve their beer
There is one remaining distillery in Amsterdam, A. van Wees De Ooievaar, that makes a truly astonishing range of traditional Old Dutch and Amsterdam spirits and liqueurs (around 200 of them), many of which you will never have heard of. Founded in 1782, and still family run, it is open Monday and Wednesday 9:30-12:00, Driehoekstraat 10 deep in the Jordaan. You can try their products at the De Admiraal, Herengracht 319
For a fuller description of Amsterdam bars, see the Amsterdam Pub Guide.
Amsterdam coffeeshop info