Christmas hamper with a drinks platter: the Alkmaar borrel as a gift

Cheese, nuts, savoury spreads and a good drink - here's how to build a drinks platter that rounds off the year nicely.

A drinks platter in a Christmas hamper works because it's a moment, not a product. You're really gifting a Friday afternoon.

The ideal build-up

1. 01Something savoury with bite: farmhouse cheese from De Kaasopslag or savoury delicacies.
2. 02Something salty: freshly roasted nuts from the Alkmaarse Notenbranderij or crisps from John Altman.
3. 03Something creamy: small cheeses from Say Cheese Today or a spread.
4. 04Something to drink: beer from Dampegheest or Zeglis, wine from Wijndomein de Koen, or the Likorette from Dutch Cookie.
5. 05Something sweet to finish: chocolate from Bon Choco or Alkmaarse jongens biscuits from A.C. de Boer.

Ready-made or build your own

Our drinks boxes are built exactly on this principle. Prefer a classic Christmas hamper with a drinks accent? Take a look at the Kaaskopse Box.

For the whole team

Tip: think in portions, not products

A sharing board for two needs roughly 80 to 100 grams of cheese, 60 grams of sausage or a vegetarian alternative, something sour and something crunchy. Count per person instead of per item and the board always feels complete - even on a smaller budget.

Tip: cover the four tastes

• Salty: mature cheese, olives, nuts.
• Sour: gherkins, mustard, pickled onion.
• Sweet: fig bread, chutney, honey.
• Fatty and creamy: soft cheese, butter, hummus.

Miss one of the four and the board tastes monotonous after ten minutes. That's not about pricier products, but better combinations.

Tip: put a vegetarian board next to the classic one

Swap sausage for smoked almonds, grilled peppers or a substantial vegan spread. Same look, same price. Communicate it as an equal option, not as 'the vegetarian exception'.

Tip: include one instruction

Print on the card: take the cheese out of the fridge half an hour before serving. That single line does more for the flavour than buying a more expensive cheese.

Tip: watch the cold chain

Fresh products and home delivery only combine with short lead times. When delivering to many addresses, choose cheeses and sausages that survive outside refrigeration, or deliver everything to one address and distribute the same day.

For a shared Christmas drinks event we also deliver larger platter combinations to a single address. Request a quote with the number of participants.