In the midst of the First World War, smaller Dutch breweries struggled with raw material shortages and rising production costs. One of the first casualties was the Amsterdam brewery ’t Haantje.
In December 1917, Heineken’s Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij entered negotiations with the liquidators of the brewery. The objective was not long-term continuation of brewing operations, but the acquisition of:
- beer stocks
- raw materials
- depots
- clientèle
The takeover was conducted in cooperation with Van Vollenhoven & Co.
This marked the beginning of a broader consolidation phase. During and immediately after the war, H.B.M. acquired multiple struggling breweries, primarily to secure market share and distribution networks rather than to expand production capacity.
The war years thus transformed H.B.M. from a competitive brewery into a consolidating market leader.