As someone who has never been opposed to stopping for a beer, it should come as no surprise that I also like a good brewery tour. The Heineken Experience, in Amsterdam is just such a thing. Right at the start I have to say that I had a great time on the tour. Both the people giving the various parts of the tour and the general public I was touring with were very nice, and the experience was quite enjoyable.
For full disclosure, I decided to go on the tour because my friend Pete is a huge Heineken fan, and has talked about going there several times. When I decided to go to Amsterdam, It was automatically on my list of things to do.
In a city like Amsterdam, world-class attractions are pretty much everywhere. If you’re thinking Why do I want to go on a brewery tour when I can go to a world-class museum? The answer, in short, is because it too is a museum (of sorts). It actually is a museum; a museum about making Heineken beer.
On a side note, if you’re one of those people that explores the map app on your phone by pictures and not words, The Heineken Experience comes up on most maps with a museum symbol. This is because the actual Heineken Brewery is located outside of Amsterdam. The site of the “Experience” is in the buildings of the original brewery that was constructed when it too was on the outskirts of the city. Now, it is very much in the city center.
The Heineken Experience is located in the buildings of the old Heineken brewery. It’s located at the bottom of the city center area, on the south side of the main canal area.
(I’m probably going to butcher this part. Sorry Dutch people.) The Old Heineken Brewery is located at the intersection Stadhouderskade and Ferdinand Bolstraat, directly across the street from a picturesque canal. The brewery takes up the entire block and is really hard to miss, once you get on the right street. There is an Amsterdam Canal Cruise location on the canal across the street, if you need a secondary landmark while walking there.
I recommend walking if it’s nice. The views of the canals are excellent, and the entire city is made for walking. Also, the city center is the size of a postage stamp. Maps make it look vastly bigger than it actually is. If you’re not a walker, there a bunch of tram stops all around it, depending on what direction you’re coming at it from.
Much like other things in Amsterdam, The Heineken Experience opens at the completely respectable hour of 10:30am., closing at 7:30pm on weekdays and 9:00pm on Fri-Sat-Sun. I went on the tour during a weekday and found it well attended, but not over crowded.
When you enter the building from the front doors, you will come to a set of kiosks. Here you decide what parts of the experience you would like to experience, and pay your admission. The main experience comes with two free drink chips for the bar at the end (more on that later). If you choose to add the rooftop bar, which I highly recommend, you will get another free drink chip before going up to the rooftop.
The Actual Experience
The museum tour starts with a conversation while standing in a collection of items from Heineken’s early years. Originally, the beer was only sold in kegs, and individuals could bottle it as they chose.
The tour goes through a good explanation of the brewing process. Much of the original equipment from the brewery is still in place in the building. Here, one of the huge copper kettles is preserved.
The second half of the tour was a multi-media based affair, with different video presentations representing different stages of the brewing process. The multi-media part is worth the price of admission alone.
Continuing on, another section of the tour goes into the different worldwide activities that the Heineken company sponsors. This section was for their sponsorship of Formula One.
Heineken is also a sponsor of Champion’s League Football. The exhibit area had some of the trophies and a different pieces of information about the league and its locations around the world. I would have added it but all of my pictures were crappy.
You exit the tour into the Heineken bar. It’s a standing room only affair. Each guest is provided with two drink chips which will get you two free drinks at the bar. Shockingly, it will only get you a Heineken draft.
This was either beer one or five. I ended up having a bunch, as there were several younger people that gave me their drink chips. Multiple free drinks were good!
Like any respectable tour anywhere on the planet, the whole thing ends in the gift shop. The gift shop is directly past the bar, and you can’t avoid walking through it. Thanks to some people at the bar who weren’t drinkers, I was about five beers deep into the experience when I wandered into the gift shop. Fortunately, I kept my head about me (unlike when I toured the Guinness Brewery).
The Rooftop Bar Addition
If you get the optional extra when you buy your ticket, you end up at the Rooftop Bar. You get one free chip before getting on the elevator, and the bar serves a selection of beers from Heineken’s inventory. It also has a killer view.
Some Final Thoughts
Whether or not you’re a fan of having a drink or two, the Heineken Experience is worth your time. It’s a great museum, and the gift shop is nice too. Seriously, they give a very good tour. It is informative and provides a nice history of brewing and the growth of Amsterdam. I had quite an enjoyable time, and would recommend it to anyone spending some time in the city. (And, the beer’s good too!)
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