Tweet10-03-2010 om 10:00 by Amanda Potter

If you visit the Centre Cermaique Library between now and 12 September, 2010, take the stairs up to the temporary gallery to find yourself pleasantly surprised by the interesting and accessible De Dorst Van Maastricht (The Thirst of Maastricht) exhibition. This short exhibit walks you through the history of spirits in Maastricht from Roman wine to modern day cafes. I visited Tuesday and was please to discover an English translation that meant even I could understand everything.


Water and stronger drink have played an important role in the history of Maastricht since the Roman era.  De Dorst Van Maastricht walks us through that early history and delves into the tales of wine making, gin distilling, and beer brewing through the documents of brewing families and the oral histories of modern day Limbergers.  Particularly important cafes in the city, such as the Groote Societet  and Momus are mentioned, as are key historical events, such as the “Small Ice Age” which halted the production of wine in the 16th century and allowed Maastricht’s drink makers to transition to the beer we are all accustom to today. Later in the exhibit, the relationship between poverty and alchohalism during the 19th and 20th century is explored. Artifacts were laid out in a pleasing and comfortable manner ending in a mock cafe that looked like they should be serving drinks.

My favorite part of the exhibit is the way it draws our modern experience into the historical narrative. You can visit the old brewery bar of the Marres family (‘t Klaoke) and the Slavante still serves food and drink on their mountainside patio.  Although most of the local breweries and distilleries are now closed, we can still find reminders of that part of Maastricht’s history and a visit to this exhibit will help you see the spaces around you in a new light.



After absorbing all you can in the exhibit, you’ll likely be a bit parched.  Head to the Centre Ceramique’s cafe to try the limited edition De Dorst van Maastricht beer.  This dark, citrus-y beer is based on an old Maastricht recipe. I found it to be tasty and fairly unlike your typical Dutch pilsner.

De Dorst van Maastricht is open free of charge until 12 September 2010 during the libraries usual open hours. A special beer tasting with ‘De Fontein’ brewery, creator of the special Dorst van Maastricht beer, is taking place on 10 April.

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