Beer tasting: 3 craft beers and tour of the Uddelaer Brewery

A brewery tour in a fairytale coach house. Here, Uddelaer Brewery sits inside the coach house of Staverden Castle, and it turns a simple beer stop into a proper visit. I like that you get behind-the-scenes time with the brewmaster and a structured three-beer tasting that helps you actually compare styles.

If you go in expecting a loud, hype-heavy performance, plan for a more old-school, talk-through experience. One possible drawback is that the tasting and tour pacing can feel more like explanation than hands-on, so if you want nonstop interaction, you may need to ask questions as you go.

Key highlights you will care about

• Coach house setting at Staverden Castle: you feel the place before you even taste the beer
• Meet the brewmaster: conversation happens in the same space where the brewing work gets discussed
• Beer tasting with three craft beers: you get enough to compare, not just sample
• Eight specialty beers on tap: the brewpub gives you options beyond the tasting pour
• Cheese and sausage starter included: a real food pairing, not just a snack
• Staverden Estate with white peacocks: the location is part of the experience, not a backdrop

Staverden Castle coach house: why the setting matters

This tour’s big advantage is that it does not feel like a generic brewery stop. De Ambachtelijke Bierbrouwerij De Uddelaer and the Uddelaer Brewpub sit in the coach house of Staverden Castle, at Landgoed Staverden in the Veluwe region. Even before any beer hits the table, you get that sense of being somewhere historic and intentional.

Staverden is widely known as the smallest city in the Netherlands, surrounded by nature reserves in the Veluwe. That matters because the place is meant for slow time. You are not just passing through to collect a souvenir. You are arriving in a landscape where castle gardens, walking routes, and cycling routes are part of the day.

And yes, there are white peacocks. They are not the main reason you book a beer tour, but they are exactly the kind of unexpected detail that makes the visit feel memorable. If you are traveling through Gelderland, this is the kind of stop that turns a route into an experience.

Arriving at Landgoed Staverden (and what you’ll actually see)

You start at Staverdenseweg 283 A, 3852 NV Ermelo. The activity ends back at the same meeting point, so you can treat it like a contained, low-stress block of time.

The tour runs about 2 hours and is offered Tuesday through Sunday, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. There is also a wide overall date range listed for when the experience operates, but the daily window is what matters for planning your day.

Because it is a private tour/activity for your group, you do not have to share the brewmaster conversation with a random crowd. That is a real quality-of-life upgrade if you care about hearing the explanation instead of competing with others’ questions.

You will likely spend your time inside and around the brewery spaces in the coach house. The experience description also points to the atmospheric feel between brewing kettles and on the terrace overlooking the castle. Translation: this is not a fluorescent tasting room. You get an old-world brewery atmosphere that makes the tasting feel more like a visit and less like a transaction.

The guided brewery tour and your brewmaster conversation

The core of the experience is the guided tour of Uddelaer Brewery, with a meeting with the brewmaster. That behind-the-scenes angle is one of the most praised parts of this kind of stop, because it gives you context you cannot get from simply ordering a beer.

During the tour, you should expect to learn how craft beer tasting works in practice and what makes different beers different. The format is built around explanation plus sampling, which is perfect if you are the type of traveler who likes to leave with a few useful mental labels, like how sweetness, bitterness, and aroma come through.

The tone matters. One review criticism pointed out that some brewery talk can be very convinced, with staff continuing to talk over the explanation at times. That does not mean the tour is bad, but it does mean you should go prepared to steer your own experience a bit. If something is unclear, ask the brewmaster to slow down. If you want details about ingredients or brewing decisions, ask directly.

The upside is the ambiance. You are in a location where the brewing kettles and the castle views are part of the same story. If you care about atmosphere, you will notice how the setting supports the tour, instead of competing with it.

Beer tasting: three craft beers, plus eight specialties on tap

You will do a beer tasting with three craft beers. That is a smart number for most people. It gives you enough variety to compare, but you are not stuck drinking six or eight beers just to fill time.

The brewpub is also described as having always eight different specialty beers on tap. So even though the tasting is three beers, the rest of the tap list is there for you if you want to go further. This is useful if you have a favorite style after your first pours and you want to keep exploring without needing another tour.

Here is how I would approach the tasting so you get more out of it. Start neutral, then get curious. Take note of the first impression, then re-smell after a sip or two. Ask yourself what changes as the beer warms slightly in the glass. Many people treat a tasting like a quick sip parade. This tour works better when you treat it like comparison.

Also, keep your food in mind. The tasting includes a starter, so your palate will not be totally raw. That can actually help you notice hop bitterness and bread or grain notes, because cheese and sausage tend to make flavors read more clearly.

Cheese and sausage starter: what you’ll nibble before and during

The included starter is a cheese and sausage board. It is served as a selection of dry sausage and cheese on a bed of lettuce, then supplemented with carrots, olives, tomatoes, peppers, dates, mustard, and mini-crackers.

That is a lot more than the typical bar snack. You will get salty, fatty, and tangy flavors from the cheese, sausage, olives, mustard, and dates. The mini-crackers give you a neutral base between sips. This is the kind of spread that can either improve the tasting or make it harder to remember each beer if you eat too much too fast.

My practical tip: alternate. Take a small bite, then a sip. If you keep jumping straight to the next bite, the tasting turns into a full meal instead of a beer comparison session. You want the food to support the beer, not steal the show.

If you are a vegetarian, this is the one area to double-check because the board is clearly built around sausage and cheese. The provided data does not mention an alternative.

Staverden Estate time: peacocks, gardens, and the Veluwe backdrop

Even though the tour focus is the brewery, the location is so strong that it keeps pulling you in. Staverden Castle and its grounds sit in the Veluwe area, surrounded by nature reserves. The estate has castle garden space and walking and cycling routes, which is why this visit can work as more than just a beer event.

And those white peacocks deserve a mention. They are not included as a formal activity, but they are part of the visual experience of being on the estate. If you are taking photos, you will have plenty of chances before or after the beer tasting.

If the weather is decent, look for a moment to step toward the terrace areas associated with the brewpub experience. The tour description specifically points to the terrace overlooking the castle. Even a few minutes outside helps you reset your senses after tasting beer.

Price and value: what $25.40 buys you in real terms

The price listed is $25.40 per person for about 2 hours. On paper, that is not expensive for a private, guided brewery visit that includes a brewmaster meeting and a beer tasting.

What makes the value feel real is the bundle:

• Guided brewery tour in an atmospheric historic setting
• Beer tasting with three craft beers
• Meeting with the brewmaster
• Included starter cheese and sausage board

If you were paying separately for a guided tour, tastings, and food, you would likely feel the cost more. Here, the price is covering access plus tasting plus a guided context that helps you understand what you are drinking.

One practical caution from the field: the venue sells additional boards and beer-related extras for higher prices than the tour package. So if you like the place, set a small budget in your head for what you might order after the tour ends.

Practical logistics: timing, language, and group size

This tour is offered in English. It uses a mobile ticket, and it runs Tuesday through Sunday in the 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM window.

Because there is a minimum group size of at least 4 people (and a maximum of 15), your date choice matters. The tour is private for your group, but it still needs that minimum to operate. If you are traveling solo, you may want to confirm your exact time slot before you commit to a tight schedule elsewhere in the Veluwe.

It is also described as near public transportation, which is helpful if you are not driving.

Who should book this Uddelaer beer tasting tour

Book it if you want a brewery experience that feels tied to a real place, not just a tasting room. This tour fits especially well if you like:

• Historic settings and getting outside your hotel bubble
• Craft beer tasting with enough structure to learn something
• A brewmaster conversation, where you can ask a few direct questions
• A food pairing that is more substantial than a snack

It is also a good fit if you are planning a Veluwe day and want a stop that breaks up the outdoors time with something indoor and guided.

Who might want to think twice

If you are very sensitive to tour delivery, consider your expectations. The tour includes a lot of talking and guided explanation. If you prefer very hands-on brewing activities, you might find this style less satisfying.

Also, beer is personal. Even within the same brewery, different batches and different preferences can shape how you feel about the tasting. The included three craft beers will likely be fun for most people, but if you are extremely picky about flavor, it is smart to treat the tasting as an education first, and a perfect match second.

Finally, if you are planning your visit right around opening times, double-check your schedule. One account mentioned confusion about opening status when a tour was booked, which can happen when plans get tight.

Should you book this Uddelaer Brewery tour?

I think you should book it if you are visiting the Veluwe and you want a beer tasting that is connected to a historic estate. The Staverden coach house setting, the brewmaster meeting, and the included food pairing make the experience feel like more than just a couple of sips.

I would skip it only if your top priority is a highly hands-on brewing workshop, or if you are the type who gets frustrated when a tour feels more guided talk than interactive play. If that sounds like you, you can still have fun at the brewpub, but this specific tour format may not deliver what you expect.

If you do book, give yourself a bit of time to enjoy the estate mood before or after the tasting. The white peacocks and castle views are part of what makes Uddelaer worth the stop.