Kopstootje (Dutch Headbutt) Cocktail Recipe
A tulip glass of ice-cold jenever filled to the brim, sipped hands-free and chased with a small beer — malty, juniper-scented and bracing.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 35%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Jenever (Dutch malt-wine gin)50 ml (1.7 oz)
- Pilsner beer200 ml (6.8 oz)
How to Make It
- Chill the jenever thoroughly, ideally in the freezer.
- Fill a tulip glass to the very brim, so the liquid domes above the rim.
- Bend over the bar and take the first sip without lifting the glass.
- Pour a small pilsner alongside and alternate between the two.
Garnish
None; a small pilsner is served alongside as the chaser.
What it tastes like
It has a green, botanical backdrop, the spirit is right out front and it hits hard.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Pilsner beer
- A dry, lightly bitter, clear style of lager. Being sharper than a plain lager, it balances the sweetness when mixed with a spirit.
The Story
The kopstootje — 'little headbutt' — is the traditional Dutch way to drink jenever: the glass is filled to the brim, the first sip is taken bent over the bar without hands, and a beer stands alongside. It remains a ritual in the old tasting houses.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Kopstootje (Dutch Headbutt) mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Kopstootje (Dutch Headbutt)?
- Roughly 35% ABV as served — a spirit-strength drink — sipped slowly, and it wants a glass of water beside it.
- Can a Kopstootje (Dutch Headbutt) be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Kopstootje (Dutch Headbutt) hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Wine in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.