Klaasje: hard seltzer dreamt up by students, drunk by the city

Light, fizzy and fresh - the young Amsterdam brand turning a trend into a lasting drinks moment.

Klaasje started as a student venture: a group of friends - including co-founder Olaf van de Sande - noticed hard seltzer barely existed in the Netherlands yet, and decided to make it themselves.

The idea is simple, and that's exactly its strength: light, sparkling, fresh, and with less sugar than the average mixed drink. Something you can start the evening with without dropping out halfway through drinks.

What sets the brand apart is its tone. Klaasje feels like a group of Amsterdam mates: down-to-earth, funny, and without the overblown lifestyle rhetoric of international seltzer brands.

In a drinks box, this is the alternative to the standard bottle of beer - also nice for colleagues who prefer something lighter.

Proof that you don't need a centuries-old family tradition to be Amsterdam through and through. Sometimes a good idea and persistence are enough.