Alcohol is part of Dutch life, and is freely available in supermarkets and off licences. The only restrictions to buying alcohol are age; children under 16 cannot buy any alcohol, and if an item has an alcohol content of more than 15% of the volume, they must be over 18 years of age.

All supermarkets stock wines and beer, spirits are usually sold in a separate off licence section. Expect to pay around €3.60 for a six pack of Heineken lager, a cheap bottle of white wine retails from about €2.20 to €5, and a 70ml bottle of vodka is approximately €15.50. You get slightly better prices at Schiphol airport , but there's not much in it. Check out their shopping section for special offers at www.schiphol.nl.

The biggest chain of off licences is Gall & Gall, which has outlets over the whole of Netherlands. It is also possible to order online from Gall & Gall using the Albert Heijn online shopping service (www.albert.nl).

If you are looking for discounts on wine, try Aldi or Makro in Hypermarkets. On the other hand, there are some great wine dealers in Amsterdam which can source excellent wines, and their staff are quite knowledgeable. Try Chabrol Wines, which also organises a wine course and wine tastings for groups. Wine dealer B.J. de Logie sells wine and spirits for consumption or investment. They also have an internet service (www.delogiedirect.nl).

Jenever is to the Dutch what whiskey is to the Scots - if you're looking for a typical souvenir or just curious about this part of Dutch culture go to Dranken Kado Shop de Vreng (www.oudamsterdam.nl) You can taste the different jenevers before you buy, and the staff are well informed about the product.