The beer is everywhere!
Here's the proof.
What started as a hobby. Turned into this. No regrets.
About me
I have been working for Heineken for over 27 years, and collecting since around 2000 — long before I had anywhere proper to put it all.
That changed in 2012. A new home, a room that finally had space for a bar, and a double victory in the Heineken NL Table Football tournament that arrived with an official foosball table as the prize. The man cave took shape. The collection found its home.
Many of my most treasured pieces came from colleagues at Heineken Export — objects that would otherwise have been thrown away, now preserved and documented. A label, a bottle, a promotional tin. Each one a fragment of something larger.
This site is my attempt to bring it all together. The collection, the research, the stories behind the labels. And at the heart of it — a historical interactive map that traces Heineken's global presence year by year, from a single brewery in Amsterdam in 1864 to over 190 documented countries today.
D. van der Meer
How the archive works.
Every date on this site comes from a real source — an annual report, an old internal magazine, an export journal, or an archival record. When you see a year on a beer run or country presence, that's the earliest year I could find it documented somewhere. It doesn't mean that's when things actually started. Heineken was in many places long before anyone wrote it down. A 1959 date means I have a 1959 source. It doesn't mean nothing happened in 1958. Where a date comes from something solid — a signed contract, a brewery opening, a confirmed first shipment — the research status says Confirmed. Where I'm connecting dots between two verified facts, it says Historical Interpretation. Where I'm still looking, it says Under Research.
Only beers and breweries with a confirmed connection to Heineken — through ownership, licensing, joint venture or distribution — are included. No entries are added without a verified link.
The archive is a living document — new beers, breweries and connections are added or adjusted continuously. If you spot an error, have a source that contradicts an entry, or know of a beer or brewery that should be documented, the forum is open. Every contribution makes the archive stronger.
From Gerard Adriaan Heineken to the collector who documented his legacy
The People Gallery documents the key figures in Heineken's history — from the founder to the family members, the directors, the brewmasters, and yes, me too :).
Get in touch.
If you are looking for information about Heineken history, have a question about a specific beer or brewery, want to share a source that could improve the site, or simply want to talk about Heineken — feel free to reach out.
Dennis@famvandermeer.com
Sources & Archival References
Every entry in this archive is researched from primary sources. Below are the most essential references used throughout the project; the complete, searchable list of 51 sources lives on the full Research Archive page.
famvandermeer.com is an independent fan project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or connected to Heineken N.V., Heineken International B.V., or any of their subsidiaries, affiliates or licensees worldwide.
All historical data, beer descriptions, brewery information and archival content published on this site has been researched as good as possible from publicly available sources, primary archival documents and personal research. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy. Where information cannot be verified, it is flagged as uncertain or omitted entirely.
The Heineken name, Red Star logo and all associated trademarks are the exclusive property of Heineken N.V. Their use on this site is purely for historical reference and identification purposes within the context of this non-commercial heritage archive.
All images of physical collection items are the personal property of myself. Product images are used for identification and archival purposes only. If you believe any content on this site infringes your rights, please contact Dennis@famvandermeer.com and the matter will be addressed promptly.
This site uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Heineken N.V. and its subsidiaries have no involvement in or responsibility for any advertising displayed on famvandermeer.com.