Maximus Brewery
Pratumplaats 2A, Utrecht (De Meern)
(030) 737 00 77
When you think of Leidsche Rijn, you immediately think of new construction, of terraced houses. That is correct. Less well-known is the gigantic city park in the middle of the district, where there is plenty to do. The new city dwellers enjoy meeting up there by the campfire or at the bar of Maximus, for a locally brewed beer and, of course, a fine non-alcoholic beer.
Director Ewald Visser started pouring beers at Bert's Bierhuis when he was fifteen. After a few years as manager at Kafé België, the oldest specialty beer café in the Netherlands, the idea for his own brewery emerged. The Bouwloods Foundation offered him and co-founders Arend-Jan van Dieën and Marcel Snater a home to start a craft training company in a brand-new building on the edge of a park that was yet to take shape. For two and a half years, the men were busy with finances, permits, and finding equipment. They managed to acquire a fantastic copper steam brewing system from a German brewery. It took a year of blood, sweat, and tears to restore it and put all the pieces back together. With the help of family and friends, they opened the tasting room in 2011. A final financial setback meant that the bar at the opening was constructed from wooden pallets. This suited the informal atmosphere well. The same applied to the spacious terrace, where local residents and park visitors have since become regulars. Maximus organizes fun festivals, a pub quiz, and communal meals at long tables there.
Steam brewing is unique to the Netherlands. It is therefore extra fun to visit Maximus during the day, so you can see the brewers at work with those magnificent kettles. The result is a fine line of beers. Ewald describes the eight beers in their permanent range as 'non-standard, a touch exciting'. The Pandora is their flagship for a reason. Even with low alcohol, there is something to discover: Aurora 030 Blond is a high-fermentation blond beer with only 0.30% alcohol, a nod to Utrecht because of the area code. The Simcoe and Mosaic hops give the beer a fruity character with notes of melon and peach and a fine bitterness. In addition to their permanent beers, they also have specials and seasonal beers. Amazing beers and now a cider too. A tasting feast for beer geeks!
You can make a reservation for a tasting alone or with a group (1–16 people). Every second and last Sunday of the month, from 12:15 to 14:15, you can discover Maximus beers and receive an explanation of the brewery and the brewing process. Advance reservation is required. You can always order a tasting board with 4 glasses of draft beer at the bar. Maximus has 22 of its own beers on tap, so you can definitely come back again!
Bustling city park
The brewery is located in the Máximapark, which is almost as large as the entire city center of Utrecht. You can easily spend a whole day there. For example, rent a bicycle (or public transport bike) and ride a loop around Het Lint: the main route around the park is eight kilometers long, with an extra two-kilometer loop around the Castellum. This way, you will naturally pass the butterfly garden by world-renowned landscape architect Piet Oudolf and the Parkpergola, where Maximus grows hops with local volunteers for their Mockingbird park beer.
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