The sad news that the Leckere brewery of Meern, near Utrecht, has gone under puts an end to the plans of some very determined and idealistic brewers. One of the better new breweries, with a reliable range of brews. The Guide knew they had cash flow problems some while back. We won't miss the labels but we will miss the beers.

The closure of Maximiliaans' in Amsterdam may not be quite such a disaster. The café is in an excellent position and enjoys a good reputation for food and ambience too. If the rumours are correct there may be some big money investors willing to revive the brewing operation. If there are parallels with the Utrechtse Stoombrouwerij situation five years ago, we might yet see some positive effects on quality and consistency, without ruining the originality. Such optimism proves it must be New Year.