Oranjeboom Lager
September 22, 2006 – 10:11 amI was at Trader Joe’s a couple of weeks ago, and after a quick perusal of their beer offerings, I stumbled across Oranjeboom, a Dutch lager. At least for now, Oranjeboom even has its own very crappy Wikipedia page. Anyway, I bought a six pack of it for a measly $4.99 plus tax. Good beer for less than a dollar per bottle. You gotta love that.
When Roger had the first bottle of it, he said it immediately reminded him of Heineken (which it should, with Heineken being another Dutch lager), except without the skunkiness. I couldn’t agree more. I have stayed away from Heineken more and more over the years, because I have had too many bad bottles of it. Even the one or two draft pints I’ve had didn’t excite me.
The Oranjeboom has everything you would expect in a better than average lager: it’s clean, crisp, and has just a hint of a bite to it. I had it last night with my dinner of pork chops, rice, and vegetables, and it went perfectly. That’s one thing about good lagers: they’re very inoffensive. And if you can add something redeeming on top of this inoffensive-ness, you’re in the clear.
Oranjeboom does just that. If you can find it at Trader Joe’s, I recommend you give it a shot.
15 Responses to “Oranjeboom Lager”
I’m guessing that “oranje” != “orange” and this isn’t the kind of strange orange flavored beer I would like.
By the way, I recently picked up some Sam Adams Octoberfest and found it to be a very decent beer. I typically don’t like generic Sam Adams, but the Octoberfest is something that I would buy again or order at a bar. In fact, I’ll probably look into some of the other Sam Adams Seasonals and special brews.
By Adam on Sep 26, 2006
That’s right. This doesn’t have any orange flavoring whatsoever. It’s a straight lager, very much in the Heineken style but without the skunk.
I can’t find much about this beer that would be offensive. It’s worth a try if you get the opportunity.
By jjk on Sep 26, 2006
“The Oranjeboom has everything you would expect in a better than average lager: it’s clean, crisp, and has just a hint of a bite to it.” Well stated. I, too, like it with food, esp. Mexican or Indian - it nicely complements hot salsa and curry. I get it in cans at the local Trader Joe’s for $4.39 a six. Those are 16 oz cans, mind you; such a deal. Cheers!
By Guy on Oct 1, 2006
Funny that Oranjeboom is actually enjoyed overseas. As in Holland it’s generally seen as one of the worst beers, a bar sporting a big Oranjeboom sign is usually a dump. Oranjeboom is regarded as only slightly better then the 40 eurocent canned beers at the discounter.
But then again the same also goes for Heineken, which is loathed in most parts of the country. Lavished and exclusive abroad, average joe’s beer of choice in Holland.
Personally I dont really care much for Oranjeboom or Heineken, but you should try and get a hold of Alfa, Bavaria or Dommelsch. Which are my favorite Dutch beers, they are much less watery then Amstel and Heineken. Alfa is very smooth. Dommelsch and Bavaria are from Brabant (a southern provence of Holland) and Alfa is from Limburg (the most southern provence of Holland). Whereas Heineken and Amstel are both from Amsterdam, which is in the north. The last widely exported dutch beer is Grolsch, which is from the east of the country. And also has very much its own character and taste. This is probably the strongest tasting Dutch beer.
But in the end it doesn’t really matter since our souterh neighbours, the Belgians, make the best beers in the world anyway…
By Amev on Oct 7, 2006
Oranjeboom definitely compares with Heineken in taste (and I agree, I’ve never had a skunky O’boom), and here in the U.S. about $10 less per case. A poor-man’s Heineken, with nothing lost in quality. Comparing the two side-by-side, both are very clean and crisp, Heiny being very slightly less dry.
By Smekhov on Jan 11, 2007
Maybe the Oranjeboom is a poor man’s Heineken in terms of price, but I find it to best the Heineken in terms of taste. I think the crispness and the bite on the finish outperform those of Heineken. The finish on the Heineken is a little soft and slightly too bitter relative to the Oranjeboom.
By jjk on Jan 11, 2007
Heh heh!
I love the stuff…. Heineken was my favorite larger before i stumbled across this beauty.
At only $17.50 HKD for a 6 pack (approximately £1.15 GBP), you just cant beat that. Goodbye liver!!!
Its great for an “Andy detox”; A six pack of Oranjeboom and 3 different types of hot curry
highly recommended…the larger i mean.
By andy Li on Mar 21, 2007
oranjeboom is nice, but in the same way as fosters - enough alcohol to be worthwhile but bland enough to drink quickly. Pales (literally) in comparison to other lagers such as Kronenburg, Stella or even…gag…Carling (I just vomited into my mouth a little).
By brown mike on Jun 21, 2007
yeh, I’m from Ireland. Here oranjeboom is 1.39euro a can which is pretty cheap for Ireland. The only cheaper option (unless you were in the best liquir stores on a good day with offers) would be the holland beers Bavaria crown (6 cans for 7 euro) or dutch gold, the same price. Still, dutch gold is 4.2% horrible stuff and bavaria crown, while acceptable, leaves a lot to be desired.
I read the guy from Holland saying Bavaria is among his favorite, which is funny cause in Ireland it’s for years been considered the poor man’s beer and the cheapest thing you can get in the off licence. I am sure he is talking about the green bavaria though (in Ireland we have crown- the pretty crappy 4.3% one- then premium, which is green, then also we have a dark canned 8.6% bavaria which is’nt a big seller).
Anyhow, the green bavaria is indeed a decent beer.
Probably in Holland the bavaria is better anyway, who knows.
I can tell you that Heineken and Carlsberg, Fosters, Budweiser etc are all crap here. They are brewed by the same place in UK and while in both UK and Ireland all these are considered ‘good’ beers, it’s all just selling on the name thesedays. I’d nearly just as soon drink bavaria crown.
Budweiser is usually good when you get a european 5% imported one. Also there is a 5% heineken import which is much nicer. I remember when I was in France the bar were serving us bottles of carlsberg that were 5.9%. Beer was great there about 5 years back when I visited. I still haven’t forgotten the taste of beers from that holiday. I think that’s when I became an alco come to think of it.
Anyway, to get back on subject, Oranjeboom is not bad at all. Having a few right this minute which is why I searched it to check it was ‘Oranjeboom’ and not ‘Dranjeboom’. I had always thought it was oranjebook (which it is!) but just tonight I was looking at the can and I decided the O actually looked a bit like a D. God I’m not even stoned.
Anyway, yeh. I know it can’t be quality import beer when it’s the price it is in rip-off Ireland after being imported from holland but it’s ok and importantly 5% (most beers in a typical Ireland off licence are only 4.2- 4.3% which I don’t like. Often taste gets better when something is 5% but most of all I don’t like to have to drink 8 cans of 4.2 crap and then go to bed feeling like I’m going to explode after never even getting in any way drunk.
If you are in Ireland, the best beers you can buy are currently Becks (a very nice 5% can… I’ve never seen a 4.3 one or had a bad can of it)… San Miguel 5.4%… very nice….. stella in a can, currently 5.2%… pretty good but not as good as it is in many foreign countries. Stella in a bottle here is an even 5.0% and it is utter muck. Another example of selling the name but the brew being from the same UK factory using whatever shitty water they’ve got. The water has a big part to play in making good brews and that’s one reason why many euro countries have much nicer national beer than UK and Ireland.
p.s. theres also this beer you get here (I forget which country it’s from) called ‘hackenberg’. It’s the same price as oranjeboom (1.39 yo’s a can) and though only a simple 5% like oranjeboom (and also similar in taste), the hackenberg stuff gets you hammered drunk. I don’t know what they put in it but it’s good. So Oranjeboom is not bad but hackenberg beats it. It is the quintessential rocket fuel. Nice Blog. Enjoy your brews fella’s. Cheers : ) Peace out. Dave
By Dave on Oct 1, 2007
I think that Oranjeboom is fantastic and its one of my favorite beers. I’ve never had a bottle of it, but the larger cans which I can no longer find anywhere, apparently the suppliers have changed and its no longer available around here (Mid Atlantic/Philly). When I’ve been to Holland, I was never that impressed by the beer on tap, like Heinikan or Amstel, plus they serve it in those girl size glasses. But as to it being cheap swill, go to Ireland some time, a place with outstanding beer. Every bar has American Budweiser, talk about incomprehension, that is my impression. But Oranjeboom in the big cans is on my top 10 list, very high up. But every person has differnet taste.
By Joseph on Dec 28, 2007
I love Oranjeboom. I live in Washington, D.C. and it is surely is the perfect blend of taste and price. Yes, there are many superior beers but not for $4.99 for a six pack of tall boys.
I use to drink Grolsch but now that Anheisher Bush is the US distibutor of the beer the price went up $2 a six pack! I quit drinking it in protest and discovered the Boom at NORM’s beer in Vienna, VA. Also available at Trader Joe’s in town (cheaper at Norm’s though).
I have never liked Stella, Kronenburg, Bavaria, Carling or Henniger. If money did not matter I would drink Eggenberg, Stiegel, Bitburger or Augustiner.
By Phil McGlassup on Feb 1, 2008
Hackenberg is a Belgian. Same price, better quality — like all Belgians.
By Marshall Lentini on Feb 21, 2008
I’m actually drinking one right now as I read this posting. Ik houd een van dit bier.
Etienne
Chicago, Il
By Etienne on Mar 14, 2008
Hello fellow beer-a-holics! I am a beer fun from Greece! Here, Amstel-Heineken are the top sellers followed by local brands Mythos-Alfa-Vergina. All these are expensive beers for the quality which you pay at the supermarket 1-1,2 euro per 0,5L bottle or can. Since I drink ALOT of beer and like to have at least 1-2L on a good day more on a bad one, I go for cheaper stuff! I LOVE Henniger which is made by same brewery as Mythos and goes for 0,5-0,7 euro a half liter bottle. I used to love Valentines sold at Plus supermarkets which was again 60c a 0,5L can but we will not see those again since Plus was bought out by another supermarket. I DONT like Belgian beers, sorry! Other brands I like to drink once in a while but are expensive are Erdinger, Franziskanner, Paulaner and sometimes Budweiser altough the last I dont preffer over Henniger. Oranjeboom I am tasting now for the first time!!! Seems nice, its cheap (58c a can) and strong enough for my taste. I would go back to Henniger anytime though!
By Chris on Apr 21, 2008
hey there, i m from india and i happened to get my hands ona few cans of oranjeboom from a friend who returned from europe….and i still remember the awesome taste of this beer. it went down so well, and i remember feeling very sad after the last sip of my last can. hope to get my hands on some in future….would recommend it to anyone who wants to try something really refreshing and tasty, aprt from the regular boring beers like budweiser, fosters, and the like. cheers!
By Avinash on May 12, 2008