Frequently
asked questions

Do you have a question? Check out the frequently asked questions or get in touch directly.

About

  • How long has Royal Swinkels been in business?

    We were established in 1719, so we have been brewing beer for over 300 years.

  • What kind of beverages does Royal Swinkels produce?

    We brew over 300 kinds of beer, plus an increasingly broad range of non-alcoholic beer and other drinks.

  • How is the company structured?

    Royal Swinkels has five divisions: Swinkels Family Brewers, Holland Malt, Habesha, Cuba and Swinkels Real Estate. 

  • Who owns Royal Swinkels?

    We are an independent family business that is still owned by the descendants of the original Swinkels brewing family.

  • How does Royal Swinkels market its products?

    We bring our beers to the consumer through our partners, on-trade establishments and retailers throughout the world.

  • Do you make your own malts?

    Yes: we own two malt houses. This allows us to carefully control the quality of all the malt these malt houses produce.

  • Is it possible to buy malt from Royal Swinkels?

    Yes: we sell the malt that we do not need for making our own beers to other breweries around the world.

  • How much malt and beer does Royal Swinkels produce each year?

    Our two malt houses and nine breweries together produce around 405,000 tons of malt and 7.7 million hectoliters of beer each year.

  • Is Royal Swinkels going to develop new drinks in the future?

    We certainly are: in fact, we are constantly searching for new opportunities to create beers and other drinks that consumers will love. 

  • What kind of malting and brewing techniques does Royal Swinkels use?

    Our long-standing expertise and craftsmanship are supported by advanced technologies that are enabling us to work smarter and more sustainably. 

  • How do you want to see Royal Swinkels develop over the years to come?

    Our commitment to a long-term outlook inspires us in everything we do: our goal is to pass on a smarter, healthier and more sustainable business to future generations.

  • What is Royal Swinkels' sponsorship policy?

    Royal Swinkels wants to make a valuable contribution to society. That is why we are happy to contribute to sponsorship projects that reflect that we are a community based, socially engaged, leading and innovative family business. Unfortunately, we receive so many requests, by phone, in writing and through our own colleagues, that we cannot grant all of them. We have therefore developed a sponsorship policy, which offers several guidelines that a sponsorship request must meet. 

Portfolio

  • In which breweries does Royal Swinkels manufacture its beers?

    Our breweries are Bavaria, De Hoorn, Palm, Rodenbach, De Koningshoeven, De Molen, Uiltje Brewing Company, Habesha, and Cervecería Cubana. Most of these are under our ownership, and we operate in the others using a joint venture or partnership agreement.

  • How does Royal Swinkels distribute its beer?

    In addition to our own distribution channel, we also use Bier&cO to export our beer and other drinks throughout the world.

  • Does Royal Swinkels have any malt houses?

    Yes – we own Holland Malt, which has two malt houses based in Lieshout and Eemshaven. These produce the high-quality malts used as the basis of many global beers.

  • How sustainable are your malt houses?

    We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, and are continuously taking steps to enhance sustainability. For instance, Holland Malt will establish the world’s first emissions-free malt house in 2024.

  • How can I order your beers and drinks as a consumer?

    You can order them via the platform Dare to Drink Different, which brings together different beers, brands and tastes for consumers to enjoy.

  • How can I order your beers for my hospitality outlets?

    You are welcome to order all the brands you need via our reliable horeca platforms.

  • Do you offer any craft or specialty beers?

    Yes – our portfolio of over 300 drinks contains many high-quality brands that have been produced using innovative and authentic methods.

Sustainability

  • What is Royal Swinkels doing to reduce CO2?

    Royal Swinkels has committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and this means that our aim is to have net-zero operations by 2050. All the electricity that we buy is green. We are making our business processes more sustainable and choosing greener transport options.

  • What is the Swinkels Circularity Index?

    The Swinkels Circularity Index is a calculation method we use to determine how circular our business operations are. This method has three core processes as control mechanisms: circular procurement, circular manufacturing and high-value reuse. Ultimately, the goal is to do business completely circularly.

  • How sustainable is your packaging?

    Royal Swinkels aims for all packaging to be 100% recyclable and composed entirely of recycled or sustainably certified material. The first objective has been achieved: all our packaging is fully recyclable. For the second objective, we are well on our way. More than half of the plastic we use is recycled material, and our bottles consist of 75% recycled glass. By packaging our products differently and for example making our packaging thinner, we will need fewer raw materials.

Careers

  • I applied for a job but haven't heard anything yet. What now?

    Great to hear you are interested in working at Royal Swinkels! We aim to give you feedback within two weeks. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a little longer than hoped for. If you still haven't received a response after two weeks, please contact the recruiter in charge of your specific vacancy.

  • What is it like to work at Royal Swinkels?

    Craftsmanship, a sense of fun and passion for great beer are key at Royal Swinkels. You will find yourself working with a team of enthusiastic colleagues who support each other. Together, we all contribute towards passing on a more flourishing business to future generations. In our dynamic and ever-changing industry, we are a close-knit family business with an informal, no-nonsense culture. Short lines of communication are the norm for us. At Royal Swinkels, the door is always open. So come and join our team of enterprising, down-to-earth people who enjoy having fun while working hard in the pursuit of sustainable growth.

  • How old do you have to be to work at Royal Swinkels?

    The minimum age to work with us is 18. This is because we have to comply with laws and regulations concerning dangerous substances, noise standards and working hours. Exceptions may be made for internships or graduation projects.