Gerard Adriaan Heineken

Gerard Adriaan Heineken (1841? - March 18, 1893) was the founder of Heineken. In 1863, at the age of 22, he decided to purchase the brewery 'Den Hoyberg.' Here he started to brew a new beer.

Gerard Adriaan's emphasis on quality was soon rewarded with Heineken beer winning important international prizes. Gerard Adriaan Heineken was the world's first brewer to found his own laboratory for quality control. He attracted a pupil of Louis Pasteur to head this laboratory. This scientist, Doctor Elion, isolated a yeast strain of superior quality, the Heineken A-yeast. Even today, it gives Heineken its unique taste and guarantees its quality.

At that time of Gerard Adriaan Heineken's death, the brewery had grown to become one of the largest and most important breweries in the Netherlands.