KAASDRAGERSGILDE
With over 400 years of history, the Kaasdragersgilde was formed on 17 June 1593 to formalize the cheese-porters’ trade. Members of the gilde work for one of the vier vemen, work in red, blue, green, and yellow teams under the guidance of the Kaasvader, the leader and sole bearer of a orange hat. Each veem manages its own scale in the Waag building, the men would transport, weigh and trade the cheeses that were brought in through the canals of the city to be exported towards all the wind directions.
With over 400 years of history, the Kaasdragersgilde was formed on 17 June 1593 to formalize the cheese-porters’ trade. Members of the gilde work for one of the vier vemen, work in red, blue, green, and yellow teams under the guidance of the Kaasvader, the leader and sole bearer of a orange hat. Each veem manages its own scale in the Waag building, the men would transport, weigh and trade the cheeses that were brought in through the canals of the city to be exported towards all the wind directions.
BEER
At the Alkmaar Cheese Market, a new chapter has been added to the centuries-old tradition of beer and cheese. A beer that it thru to the history and heritage of centeries old craftmanship. Brewed in honor of the Alkmaar Cheese Porters’ Guild, established in 1593.
This refreshing dark blond beer (5.5% ABV) lives up to its name with a rich, golden hue. Crafted as a versatile specialty blond, it’s suited for any season and finishes with a smooth, subtle bitterness. And this beer needed branding!
The bond between cheese porters and beer goes back for centuries. Hundreds of years ago, the water in the canals was undrinkable. Cheese porters, who performed heavy labor, needed to stay hydrated. Back then, beer was a safer option than water a tradition that has endured, even though today’s porters can simply drink water.
LOGO EXPLAINER
The coat-of-arms inspired design reflects the guild’s four centuries of history and heritage. Whiles the compass-rose silhouette is a reference to the cheese trade extending to all corners of the world. The four axes reference the guild’s four vemen, each recognizable with its own distinctive colour: red, yellow, blue, and green.
At its core stands the letter K, serving as an indicator for the brand name and symbolically representative of the Kaasvader, the head of the Kaasdragersgilde, hence the use of orange.
At the centre of the logo is a depiction of two kaasdragers carrying their distinctive berries full of cheeses. A radiant starburst highlights the core element of the trade: the cheese itself. 1593 marks the founding year of the Kaasdragersgilde.
