Amstel beer has been brewed in Amsterdam since 1870. The famous brewery was founded by De Pester and J.H. van Marwijk Kooy, two businessmen who embarked upon the venture in response to the rapidly increasing popularity of Bavarian style lager beer in Holland. Despite the large number of breweries already in operation when the Amstel brewery was first opened, by 1886 the operation was the primary brewer of lager beer in the city. Also in the 1880s, Amstel began exporting their beverages to other countries. Amstel Light, which is currently the most heavily imported light beer in the United States, however, was not developed until more than 100 years later in 1980.