The Heineken Experience

This was the first museum we visited, although the description says it’s technically not a museum but an ‘experience’. After a quick tram ride from our flat it was a lovely short stroll to the old Heineken brewery (which was easy to find, as there is no way you can miss the huge Heineken sign). The line to buy the tickets was pretty long but it moved swiftly. The cost to enter was €17 for adults but with a coupon found in a tourist attraction book we paid €15 for one ticket (yay for discounts). Along with your tickets you are given a green Heineken band that allows you to get two free drinks after the self-guided tour.  Slipping the band on our hands we had no idea what to expect and we were excited to get started on the experience!

The Heineken brewery is well worth a visit even for non-drinking folks.  Being one of the most successful and internationally known beer brands, Heineken has such a deep-rooted history in Holland and the tour presents this and information about their brewing process in an interesting and fun way! We were treated to impressive video presentations, a 4D movie where we were turned into a bottle of Heineken beer, and a very informative beer tasting session where we learnt how to correctly serve and drink a beer like a pro! There are a lot of interactive activities from making your own music videos to taking fun pictures both of which you could either email to yourself for free or make souvenirs with. A lot of walking was involved but rooms to sit and relax in were strategically placed throughout the tour, in which screens played Heineken beer commercials from over the years.

The visit definitely gave me a new respect for Heineken and for the rest of my stay in Amsterdam I ordered their beer over other choices! Carib beer from Trinidad is still my favorite but Heineken is now up there too! Do you guys like Heineken? What is your favorite beer?

Visitor info can be obtained from their website:

http://www.heinekenexperience.com/visitor-information/

The Heineken building located at Stadhouderskade 78

Posters and an impressive video presentation gives insight into the Heineken history

A sample of past logos and bottles, each new design the result of a well thought out process. An example are the bottles on the right which were recycled to build houses

 A staff member makes and hands out 'Barley water', explaining the importance of this step in the beer making process

Water, barley, hops and Heineken's special 'A' yeast are the ingredients that go into making the beer

 A very informative beer tasting session, where we studied the colour, froth and taste of a glass of Heineken beer

An interesting wall of bottles that lit up with different designs 

Different areas to rest for a bit while watching both old and new Heineken commercials from around the world

The tour featured many interactive games and areas for photo op's

After the self-guided tour you can relax and drink your two beers at the world bar

Cheers!