Located in a historic facility that served for over 100 years as Heineken’s original brewery, not far from Amsterdam’s legendary Museumplein (Museum Square), the Heineken Experience is a can’t-miss destination for beer afficionados from all over the world. Most visitors choose to enjoy the Heineken Experience as a 90-minute tour of the historic site that shares insights into the brand’s heritage, innovative techniques, brewing process, and many contemporary sponsorships. The whole thing culminates in each visitor being able to drink two complimentary Heinekens.
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History of Heineken Experience
The Heineken Experience is a contemporary Amsterdam attraction dedicated to telling the story of the Heineken beer brand, which can trace its origins all the way back to 1864, when local merchant Gerard Adriaan Heineken purchased a preexisting Amsterdam brewery and set to transforming it into something that would suit his vision for a world-class pale lager beer. The building in which the Heineken Experience is located today was Heineken’s primary brewing facility from the late nineteenth century until 1988, when the company outgrew the property and moved brewing operations elsewhere.
In 1991, the shuttered site was reopened as the Heineken Experience, an attraction that reimagined the old brewery as a Visitors Center where enthusiastic fans of the beer could learn more about its rich past. The historic building was renovated again some two decades later, ensuring that the legacy of the Heineken brand can continue to inspire visitors from all over the world for years to come.
Heineken Experience Highlights
The majority of people who visit the Heineken Experience opt to explore the attraction via the official Heineken Tour. The Heineken Tour is a 90-minute tour that is predominantly self-guided, meaning you can peruse the site at your own pace. Helpful brand ambassadors—many of them wearing the Heineken bartenders’ distinctive green bow tie—will be strategically placed throughout the venue in order to answer any questions you might have as you move through the old brewery.
Particular highlights of the official Heineken Tour include an assortment of historic brewing artifacts, as well as the humble space where the entire operation once got its start: the original brew room. More modern flourishes abound here, too, namely a host of multimedia exhibits that demonstrate how Heineken is made, bottled, and distributed. Among other fascinating wrinkles, these interactive features let you answer trivia questions about Heineken’s history, brewing process, and more.
Of course, no visit to the Heineken Experience is complete without the beer itself, and so at the conclusion of each 90-minute excursion, the Heineken Experience offers all Heineken Tour participants two free beers. If you’re lucky, you’ll even be permitted to pour the pints yourself!
More to See and Do at Heineken Experience
Heineken Experience is one of Amsterdam’s quintessential tourist attractions. Here are a few more things to be aware of when planning a visit to this local institution.
•All Heineken Experience tickets—whether you’re using an attraction pass or purchasing tour passes on your own—must be booked in advance of your visit. Walk-up admission isn’t available, as all tickets must be purchased online in advance.
•It’s important to note that all individuals under the age of 18 years old are strictly prohibited from entering the Heineken Experience. Even if accompanied by an adult, children will not be permitted to visit this particular attraction.
•Though the Heineken Tour is largely self-guided, you may download a free audio guide straight to your smartphone. This audio guide is available in six languages, and is especially useful for those visitors whose native language in not English.
•If you or someone you know love Heineken, then you absolutely must make time for the Heineken Experience Flagship Store. Here you can purchase every kind of Heineken souvenir imaginable, including customized pint glasses, bottles, and so much more.
•Most visitors to the Heineken Experience, whether they’re using an attraction pass or touring the site of their own accord, opt for the self-guided Heineken Tour. However, it’s worth noting that the Heineken Experience actually offers guests a wide variety of tour packages. These various packages include options that combine the brewery’s standard tour with a canal cruise, rooftop excursion, or AFC Ajax stadium tour. If one or more of these sounds appealing to you, check out the official website of the Heineken Experience for more information.
Why Heineken Experience Should Be on Your Must-See List
Though Heineken has long since become a major global beer brand, its roots remain strong in Amsterdam, the city where the iconic green-bottled beverage got its start two centuries ago. Any drinking-age visitor to Amsterdam with an interest in brewing and the history of beer—or who’s simply in the mood to enjoy a couple of pints in an historic setting not far from legendary attractions like the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Moco Museum, and the Stedelijk—won’t want to miss out on the chance to live the Heineken Experience for themselves.