Pop Open a Grolsch to Toast Dutch-American Heritage Day

You don’t have to be Dutch or American to celebrate Dutch-American Heritage Day. This year,  adult beer drinkers are being called upon to pop open an ice-cold Grolsch and toast the date November 16, 1776 – the day a Dutch Island in the West Indies became the first to acknowledge and pay tribute to the flag of the newly independent United States.  

Royal Grolsch, the Holland-based beer company that has been brewing quality beers for almost 400 years and is famous for its iconic Swingtop bottle, is proud to hoist a cold one in honor of this courageous act. On Nov. 16, 1776, the governor of the island of St. Eustatius ordered his fort’s cannons to pay tribute to an arriving American warship, the Andrew Doria. While it was a risky move, it solidified the two countries’ friendship in history, which continues today as the United States and the Netherlands work together to foster peace and freedom to the world.

The Dutch salute was the first friendly act upon the new American nation from a foreign power. Only months before, the United States had declared independence from Great Britain.

“We’re proud of the more than 8 million Americans of Dutch descent and the contributions they have made to the United States,” said Bas Besselink, Grolsch US brand manager. “We believe there’s no better way to salute the historical ties and valued friendship of our two countries than by popping open a Grolsch.”