Heineken Experience

The Heineken Experiences is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Amsterdam, the main factory of the worldwide known Heineken and the place where it was first founded.

How to get there?

• Walking: From the Rijksmuseum, it is a 10 minute walk along the Stadhouderskade West, from the Munttoren or the Flower Market it is a 15 minute walk along the south of the Vijzelgracht canal.
• Public transport: from the main tram station 16, 24, 25: get off at Stadhouderskade; from the Leidseplein tram 7, 10; get off at Weteringcircuit.
• By car: from the Amsterdam A10 bypass, take exit S110, follow the signs for 'Centrum' and 'Stadhouderskade'. There is a covered car park in Heinekenplein and there are other options to park around the area too.
• In boat: various boat excursions stop at the Heineken Experience along the canal during a combined tour, the boat stops opposite the beer factory.

The experience

If you are under 18 you can only access the museum with an adult because of Dutch law, you also won't be allowed the drink of Heineken at the end which is included in the price. On the other hand, with the adult entrance you get two tickets for two pints of Heineken and a gift that you receive at the end of the tour. It isn't a guided visit so you can take as much time as you want. There is a shop at the end of the tour where you can buy all sorts of souvenirs that are all coloured in the same green tint of the brand.

Heineken beer belongs to the best group of beers in the world. The brewery was found in Amsterdam in 1864 and today, it is a multinational company and one of the top three biggest beer companies in the world. Heineken is owned by a family business, with Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken being the main stock holder and her husband Michel is on the board for the company. Heineken have used their old brewery in Amsterdam as a museum, with different exhibitions and an interactive page and renamed it the Amsterdam Experience.

This Heineken brewery closed in 1988. After the renovation in 2008, it was transformed into a tourist attraction. 'We aren't the Heineken museum, we are the Heineken experience', is what their website says.

But some parts of the former brewery have been preserved: the authentic interior, old photographs, state awards that the Heineken museum had received, a famous gold medal from the Universal Exposition of Paris 1889, which is printed on all of their products.

There is also a talk that explains the process of brewing in which an actor pretends that he is inside the liquid of the beer, and acts out the process.

It is open most of the year from Monday to Thursday from 11:00 to 19:30, with last admission at 17:30. And on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 20:30 with the last admission at 18:30. Closed on the 1 January, the 26 April and the 25 December.

One of the things you can do inside is stand behind a giant poster which is lots of fun, and you can take a photo with the Brewer who is pulling a funny face.

There is also a part that tells you all about the marketing and design of the Heineken labels, posters, advertisements, promotional marketing strategies etc.

In the next room, there is a board that explains what temperature is needed for the beer to ferment. Then you can go to a bar where you can try the barley seeds that give the specific flavour and aroma to beer. When you get the first beer, a Dutch guy explains what ingredients it has, he asks which other flavours you can taste, and those who get it right get a second beer as a reward.

The most enjoyable part of the trip is the interactive part where you can play games, use machines and screens to learn how to properly serve a beer. Other screens let you take a picture with a fictional background, and last but not least, don't miss the room that is all about football since Heineken has been the sponsor for so many teams and important events like UEFA.

In another room you have the option of personalising your own bottle of Heineken for 6€.

The last room is where you will find the bar area and is the liveliest part of the whole museum where people drink beer non stop. Each person has two tickets, there are two bars and one where visitors can pour themselves their own with the help of a barman. The room is decorated with lots of screens showing different images of cities where Heineken have factories and offices such as Paris or New York.

On my second visit to Amsterdam, I didn't want to miss this visit to the brewery. Even though I'm not the biggest beer fan, the tour didn't disappoint me. We spent almost two hours there, which was even too short for me because it was really entertaining and I liked learning about how beer was made in a fun and interactive way.