Tarah

I know it was raised from 16 to 18 in 2014, but a few places I read things saying that although you must be 18 to purchase or order alcohol, it's not illegal to consume it... not sure if this is true? I'm asking because I'm visiting for a week this summer with my mom, and I won't be 18 until the day after we get home. I've passed for over 18 before, but I'm not sure how strictly they enforce the rule or check ID. It's totally fine with me if I can't drink (but I would like to). If we were to go out to dinner or to a bar or café, would I typically be carded? Or if my mom ordered a drink for me, would I be allowed to drink it? I posted this on another travel forum as well, and got two conflicting answers, so I'm hoping someone here knows! Thanks!

PalenQ

Legal drinking ages IME in Europe are often not enforced - at least not like here where a business could lose its booze license for serving minors. My French son was buying booze at 14 in the local supermarket even though the age limit then was 16 - I think with you Mum no on would ask. Be interesting to see menachem and hetmisnij - Fodor's two Dutch residents' takes on this.

You could even slip into a coffeeshop IME at that age and legally consume cannabis if you want - never seen any checks there for young looking folks.

hetismij2

You must be 18 to purchase alcohol, and can be prosecuted if you then give that alcohol to someone under 18.
You will be ask for proof of age if you are under about 30, or even older if you are young looking.
In a cafe or restaurant it doesn't matter who pays for the drink you are underage and they are not allowed to sell it for you to drink.
That said you may get away with a glass of wine with your meal, but don't bet on it. The owner of the premises faces a massive fine if they are caught with you drinking underage.

Tarah

These conflicting answers are killing me haha! I've had two people say it wouldn't be an issue (one who lives in Amsterdam), and two others say it wouldn't be allowed. I know even here in the U.S. where the age is 21 and it's strictly enforced, I've taken sips of my parents' drinks when we've been out to dinner and no one has ever said anything. But I realize that is also different than having my own drink.

Cowboy1968

There is actually no conflict.

As hetismij wrote, it is illegal to sell alcohol to someone under 18 as well as to sell alcohol to someone 18 or older if that person purchases it for a minor.
http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR000245...15#3_Artikel20

Obviously you will find (probably a lot of) establishments which enforce the law, and you may find the odd cafe or restaurant which does not care.

But if travels with mom should take you to the border of the Netherlands you can order and drink your beer or wine legally in neighboring Belgium and Germany

traveller1959

The laws have changed by 1 Jan 2014.

You may read the official regulations here:

http://www.government.nl/issues/alco...sion-in-public

janisj

Tarah: >>These conflicting answers are killing me haha! <<

hetismij2 lives there, PQ doesn't . . .

PalenQ

hetismij2 lives there, PQ doesn't . . .>

PQ has much more of a knowledge of what goes on in Amsterdam than hetismij I think - I have seen young folks at many bars and were never asked for IDs - like it or not janis that is the situation last I knew not only in Amsterdam but anyplace in Europe - may be different in the small town hetismij lives it but not Amsterdam unless the crackdown was within the last year.

I give as much info based on actual experience that I can - you know zilch about whether I am right or wrong - zilch yes you comment as though you do.

Tulips

Was this in the last year and a half PQ? Since the law was only changed then, before January 2014 drinking age was 16.

Since the drinking age was raised to 18, most clubs no longer allow under 18s in. But if you're in a cafe with you mum, or drink a glass of wine in a restaurant, it's quite possible that nobody will ask. If you want to go out clubbing in Amsterdam, it's a different matter.

Coffeeshops are 18+. And they do check - the coffeeshop can loose their license if they let in under 18s. Even if they do not use cannabis; they are not allowed in.

PalenQ

Last Queen's Day I was at kids much younger than 16 were openly drinking beer and smoking pot all over - I even saw cops walking by a lot - Looks like Amsterdam is cracking down but not as strict as U.S. where a cop would never pass by kids under 16 openly drinking.

menachem

No PalenQ! I have a son who is 17 now: nowhere for him to get in. Not in Amsterdam either.

Stop giving advice on things you know nothing about. The Crackdown IS within the last year.

Tulips: when we are in a restaurant with our son he's asked for his ID if we order 3 beers.

menachem

@PalenQ: yeah sure. Those kids are left alone if they're white middle class and stopped if they're moroccan looking or otherwise looking "ethnic"

PalenQ

Stop giving advice on things you know nothing about. The Crackdown IS within the last year.>

Well how would I have known that? I give the best most current info and always say unless things have changed and in the last year they have - one could never comment on anything anywhere if it had to be up to the minute situationally. I try my best and generally am accurate - I will note of course what you say - thanks for the nice correction.

menachem

hetismij told you and it's common knowledge in NL that there's a crackdown. we're bombarded with public service messages about it, for god's sake. amsterdam or small town is the same, so why the one-upmanship about knowing Amsterdam so well? You don't.

Tarah

I did not mean for this question to start a disagreement. I'm from the U.S. and was not aware of the exact law or how it was enforced. I found a lot of conflicting info on different sites. Clearly things have changed recently, and many people weren't aware of it except for those experiencing the crackdown right now. Thank you all for making me aware of the laws!

PalenQ

sad news from menachem about being able to sneak a glass of wine or beer with your meal with folks - she says it is strictly enforced with bombarding ads, etc - so don't even risk it. It apparently won't work - it would not here in no restaurant and according to menachem it won't work there either. A pity IMO.

PalenQ

so why the one-upmanship about knowing Amsterdam so well?>

I should say I know it probably better from a tourist's viewpoint than the average Dutch person or even Amsterdammer -let's see nearly 40 years now of spending a few weeks in the city - doing business with local businesses for years - learning how Dutch the Dutch really can be!

Have you been in a coffeeshop for instance - have you been in the Bulldop Palace - the Melkweg in the last century - Paradiso - taken the canal boat trips - waled incessantly around every square inch of town - well maybe you have but many have not - remember when you said there were 'no canals in the Jordaan' - remember that incredible lapse of whatever?

We all have gaps in our knowledge - this one because of a change in the laws and how they are enforced just within the last year.

I'll put my knowledge of tourist Amsterdam up to yours any day - not the day-to-day Amsterdam but from a tourist's angle - and this is who I talk. Do I say I know more in general about Amsterdam and Dutch society - no way - but about tourist Amsterdam I'd challenge you on that.

anyway your strident retorts could have been made the same points without being so confrontation.

Tot Ziens and Dank u very wel - and yes some Dutch do say very wel even though once I believe you again yelled at me they did not - I have heard that very very often.

PalenQ

and to elaborate on the tourist angle vs the local take - recently you completely dissed my suggestion that the Indonesian Rice Table was a complete waste of money and that no Dutch person would ever think about trying this exotic for Americans meal - let this be a good example of coming from a tourist's point of view vs that of a local -locals often disdain things that tourists find quaint or exotic - gthe Rice Table is a prime example - you dismiss it out of hand as something no Dutch person would dream of doing...

well I have taken over 1,000 Americans on my group tours - long defunct by the way) to Rice Table restaurants - and they ALL loved the experience - and that is where I am coming from - what tourists may find neat even though locals eschew as a rip-off.

Do you understand where I am coming from on all of this?

And things like FEBO which I often mention as something neat - these fast-food snack bars that are everywhere it seems in Amsterdam and any Dutch city - a huge favorite of Dutch it seems - you have dissed my mention and recommendation of something different for us at least to try - something novel and neat - automats like they used to have in Manhattan years ago and the fresh fries with all kinds of toppings - these type places I have only seen in Holland and for an American it is so neat - and you completely diss it as no doubt many locals do but by the long lines often with Dutch folks I think you could be out of mainstream on that?

Anyway what locals disdain foreign tourists may love and coming from the point of a foreing tourist who has led over a 1,000 Americans thru Amsterdam I think yes I have a better view of what a tourist in Amsterdam may like - like a Rice Table of fresh frites mit mayonniase may enjoy.

My brother and wife recently returned to Amsterdam after several years of not going - they had with me been in the tour guide thing there for years before - they had a lay over at Schiphol of several hours - allowing them to go into Amsterdam and what was their highlight - walking from Centraal Station to the Leidesplaien and back along the Dmarak - the highlight for them was hitting THREE different FEBOS - having some frites or things from the automat like Nasi Goreng or Bami Nasi or a dried-out Friknadel (hot dog) or lumpu burger - they loved it - they would never eat at that type place at home but in Amsterdam found it neat.

A local and a foreign tourist see a place in very different ways. What a local like you may diss an shclock - like the Rice Table or FEBO may seem unusual and actually neat to a foreigner.

BTW - you live in Rotterdam, right, not Amsterdam? If not please correct me on that.

Tot Ziens

Danku VERY wel.

menachem

I lived in Amsterdam for 10 years, and now I go there every week. For things like work, and socializing with friend and such.


>>>Have you been in a coffeeshop for instance - have you been in the Bulldop Palace - the Melkweg in the last century - Paradiso - taken the canal boat trips - waled incessantly around every square inch of town - well maybe you have but many have not - remember when you said there were 'no canals in the Jordaan' - remember that incredible lapse of whatever?


Oh man. Yes, all of that. I used to live in Jordaan, remember? I can't recall, but it was something about there not being any _houseboats_ on canals in Jordaan. But oh well.

Whatever, mate.

Cowboy1968

I think I'll have a bit of leftover advocaat for breakfast.. ;-)

But since the question whether OP can drink or not has been answered, why not use this thread to give a few suggestions for dinner/lunch in A'dam. After all, they will be staying there for a week..

My short list is purely anecdotal (and does not even include a rijsttafel restaurant - but only because I have never been at one)..

Kapitein Zeppos (the street level restaurant/bistro, not the upstairs music venue)
Bierfabriek (for the rotisserie chicken with fries - and mom can sample the microbrew)

any (?) pannekoeken/ pancake ship - not sure which one to recommend.. yes, a bit touristy but who cares.

And after you had your dose of grachten and canal houses and museums, you should do a day trip to Rotterdam. Trains run (almost) as frequent as elsewhere the subways.
A walk from the (new and impressive) central station to the riverfront will take you through several eras of conservation (old Dutch houses), post-war restauration, and modern expansion. The city is like a walkable museum of architecture and urban planning - with tilted cubes on stilts, revitalized warehouses to impressive gnomes.
Sorry to veer a bit OT but as Rotterdam is my favorite destination in the Netherlands, I try to advertise a little whenever I can..