Heineken Tarwebok

By the early 20th century, the industrial revolution had turned the beer world clear and cold. The ancient art of top-fermentation—the original way of the Haystack—was nearly extinct. Then came Tarwebok. It was a bold, seasonal return to the 'Old Ways.' Using heavy malted wheat and traditional top-yeasts, it brought back the complex, spicy, and warming notes of clove and dark bread that the world had almost forgotten. For nearly 100 years, the arrival of Tarwebok was the most anticipated ritual in the Dutch calendar, marking the start of the 'Bokbier' season. It was the Guardian of the Flame, ensuring that the specialized brewing art Gerard inherited in 1864 never truly died.

The modern successor to the top-fermentation heritage of the 1864 Haystack brewery, carrying the torch first lit by the Princessebier.