Accept that the Heineken Experience is a huge advert for
Heineken (hardly surprising) then ignore the hype and go
ahead and enjoy this informative and amusing exhibition.
Allow a couple of hours at least to make your way around.
Note that all of the Heineken Experience, including the film
is in English.
Brewing ceased at this location in
Amsterdam in 1988 but Heineken continued to
use it as a tourist attraction. The
exhibition has been updated twice, once in
2000 / 01 and then again in 2007 / 08.
The current Heineken Experience has been
designed to be informative with lots of
historical information and a fair attempt at
explaining the brewing process. But the
prime purpose is as a fun tourist attraction
and it does this very well. Previously,
tourists were allowed to drink as much
Heineken as they wanted. After a few drunken
experiences they restricted it to two
bottles, enough for most!
The exhibition highlights some
interesting facts about Heineken. One of
them is shown on the left, the recyclable
beer bottle. Manufactured in 1960 with
Freddy Heineken in control, these bottles
were way ahead of their time.
On the right
is one of the brewing vats on display. These
are principally made from copper. A few of
the vats are open for viewing inside.
After the history and facts sections are
completed you enter the show which charts
the life of a bottle of Heineken beer. Right
from the first brewing though to the
distribution you follow its progress on a
floor which moves and bumps to add realism.
A bit gimmicky but a funny and amusing
experience nonetheless. You will also be
sprayed with small amounts of water and lots
of bubbles, so beware!
See the short
movie below for a taster of the life of a
bottle of Heineken. Apologies for some of
the sections where the floor is moving or
our camera is unexpectedly sprayed with
water! All part of the fun.
During the tour you will be given a
small glass of Heineken in a beer tasting session.
And if you think that pouring a glass of lager is a
simple matter then you will be educated in how to do
it correctly. So it is explained, a spatula dipped
in water should be drawn over the surface of the
head of the lager to seal it and keep the bubbles
in. The guide will also explain how to taste beer
correctly, sweet on the tongue at first and then
bitter at the back of the throat as you swallow. See
the video below more explanations.
Along the way you will be given the
chance to record a movie with you as the star. After
you have made a complete fool of yourselves, the
movie can be instantly emailed to your loved ones.
See the movie below for one young hopeful making an
idiot of himself and enjoying it at the same time.
Our guide at the tasting session
redefined the phrase "drink responsibly" to
"drinks as much Heineken as you like, but do
it responsibly"! It was also explained that
the "beer belly", previously believed to be
the outcome of drinking too much beer and
lager was no such thing. Apparently, the
bubbles in lager expand the stomach making
it feel emptier than it really is. The
resultant frequent visits to doner kebab and
burger stalls to quench the false hunger are
in fact the cause of the beer drinkers
belly. Sounds reasonable to me!
Make your way through the rest of the
exhibition and you will eventually and
inevitably in the bar area. Included in the
price of admission are two glasses of
Heineken to help you face the rigours of
Amsterdam outside.
OPENING TIMES, GETTING THERE,
PRICES ETC
Opening Times: Daily 11.00 to
19.00
Entrance Prices: All tickets
are €15, visit the official site to pre-order
online. Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an
adult.
