Brouwerij Hommeles

Brouwerij Hommeles is a Dutch craft brewery based in Houten, in the province of Utrecht. It grew out of the Houtens Brouwcollectief, a local brewing collective founded by Jos Eberson, Jan Ausems and Kees Volkers. The collective aimed to put Utrecht's specialty beer culture on the map through brewing demonstrations, a local beer festival featuring only brewers from the province, and by sharing the history of beer in the region. The Utrecht Beer Brewers Festival (UBF), held at Molen de Ster in Utrecht, quickly became popular and moved to the larger event venue De Fabrique on the edge of Utrecht. As demand for the beer brewed by the three men grew, a substantial range of beers was developed, served in cafés and restaurants in the region and sold in specialty stores. The foundation became a private limited company (BV), turning brewing into serious business. Hommeles continues to brew with an eye for the local story, using regional ingredients such as Utrecht bog myrtle (gagel), cherries from the Kromme Rijnstreek, apples and pears from fruit company V.D. Grift and Landwinkel de Lindeboom, Houten honey from Imkerij TwoBee, and coffee from Nordkapp Coffee Roasters in Utrecht. The brewery also produces house beers for establishments including Restaurant Vroeg, Stadsjochies and Grand Hotel Karel V. Beyond beer, Hommeles collaborates with local producers to create other products: the Bokkepruik beer was used in a liqueur by De Pronckheer and in a bokbier cheese by De Kaasfabriek, and together with Buitengewone Varkens and Ferry Lempers, Hommeles developed dry sausages for the snack board. The brewery's beers include Goede Raat (7.5% honey beer), Gluiperd (8% tripel), Dorstvlegel (6% saison), Hopdonder (6% farmhouse IPA), Bokkepruik (8% autumn bock), Kuitenbijter (6% English pale ale), Asparagus (6.5% Bière Brut brewed in collaboration with Huttenkloas Brouwerij), and Mosaic Wezen (5.5% wheat IPA). In 2016, Hommeles won first place in the smoked beer category at the Dutch Beer Challenge with its Ondeugd. The brewery maintains an active presence at festivals and tastings, and in 2026 introduced a new house style with a new logo and labels. It also collaborated on a jubilee beer, Lekwachters, to mark five years of the UNESCO World Heritage status of the Hollandse Waterlinies, together with Speciaalbierbrouwerij Duits & Lauret.

Brouwerij Hommeles originated from the Houtens Brouwcollectief, a brewing collective founded by Jos Eberson, Jan Ausems and Kees Volkers. The collective's mission was to promote Utrecht's specialty beer culture through brewing demonstrations, a local beer festival featuring only brewers from the province, and by sharing the history of beer in the region. The Utrecht Beer Brewers Festival (UBF), held at Molen de Ster in Utrecht, quickly grew into a popular event that outgrew its location and moved to the event venue De Fabrique on the outskirts of Utrecht. Meanwhile, demand for the beer brewed by the three men increased, leading to a substantial range of beers served in regional cafés and restaurants and sold in specialty stores. The collective transitioned from a foundation to a private limited company (BV), marking the professionalization of the brewing operation. Hommeles has continued to brew with a focus on local ingredients and stories. It uses regional ingredients such as Utrecht bog myrtle (gagel), cherries from the Kromme Rijnstreek, apples and pears from fruit company V.D. Grift and Landwinkel de Lindeboom, Houten honey from Imkerij TwoBee, and coffee from Nordkapp Coffee Roasters in Utrecht. The brewery also produces house beers for restaurants and hotels including Restaurant Vroeg, Stadsjochies and Grand Hotel Karel V. Beyond beer, Hommeles collaborates with local producers to create derivative products: the Bokkepruik beer was used in a liqueur by De Pronckheer and in a bokbier cheese by De Kaasfabriek, and together with Buitengewone Varkens and Ferry Lempers, Hommeles developed dry sausages for the snack board. In 2016, Hommeles won first place in the smoked beer category at the Dutch Beer Challenge with its Ondeugd. The brewery's core range includes Goede Raat (7.5% honey beer), Gluiperd (8% tripel), Dorstvlegel (6% saison), Hopdonder (6% farmhouse IPA), Bokkepruik (8% autumn bock), Kuitenbijter (6% English pale ale), Asparagus (6.5% Bière Brut brewed with Huttenkloas Brouwerij), and Mosaic Wezen (5.5% wheat IPA). In 2026, the brewery introduced a new house style with a new logo and labels, and collaborated with Speciaalbierbrouwerij Duits & Lauret on the jubilee beer Lekwachters to mark five years of UNESCO World Heritage status for the Hollandse Waterlinies. Hommeles remains active at festivals and tastings, such as the Zwols Bierproevement and the Lentebock Festival Utrecht.

• Won first place in the smoked beer category at the Dutch Beer Challenge with Ondeugd.

• Announced participation in Lentebock Festival Utrecht 2026 and teased a new seasonal beer.

• Introduced a new house style with a new logo and labels; launched the jubilee beer Lekwachters with Duits & Lauret; announced attendance at Zwols Bierproevement.

Local craft brewery emphasizing regional ingredients and Utrecht beer culture.

• Goede Raat

  Honey beer, 7.5% ABV.

• Gluiperd

  Tripel, 8% ABV.

• Dorstvlegel

  Saison, 6% ABV.

• Hopdonder

  Farmhouse IPA, 6% ABV.

• Bokkepruik

  Autumn bock, 8% ABV.

• Kuitenbijter

  English pale ale, 6% ABV.

• Asparagus

  Bière Brut, 6.5% ABV, brewed in collaboration with Huttenkloas Brouwerij.

• Mosaic Wezen

  Wheat IPA, 5.5% ABV.

• Ondeugd

  Smoked beer, winner of the Dutch Beer Challenge 2016 in its category.

• Lekwachters

  Jubilee beer developed with Speciaalbierbrouwerij Duits & Lauret for five years of UNESCO World Heritage status of the Hollandse Waterlinies.

• Opbloeier

  New beer, available on tap at the Zwols Bierproevement.

• Fruitliefde

  Fruit beer, listed on the webshop.

1. 1Brouwerij Hommeles official websitebrouwerijhommeles.nl
2. 2Over ons - Brouwerij Hommelesbrouwerijhommeles.nl
3. 3Brouwerij Hommeles - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Brouwerij Hommeles - Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org