Heineken Experience

The enormous Heineken Brewery on the northern edge of the Pijp neighborhood has been a major tourist attaction for a few decades now. It ceased operations as a working brewery in 1988 when a larger facility on the edge of town was opened, but the beer maker has run popular tours through the facility ever since.

UPDATE: In late October 2007, the Heineken Experience has closed for a major renovation until June 2008. Stay tuned for more details.

The old Heineken Brewery tour closed down in the year 2000, and then reopened in 2001 as something completely different. Visitors familiar with the old version continue to whine that one of the city’s most fun attractions is gone forever, replaced by an expensive corporate infomercial. It’s hard to argue with that, but the new version is really slick and quite worth a visit, particularly if you actually like Heineken.

Memories of the old tour

Through 2000, the tour was very different. It used to cost 2 guilders (about €1), and groups of about 40 would be led by an attractive local through a fairly standard industrial tour for about 45 minutes, after which the group would be seated in a large beer hall where the Heineken would begin flowing. The servers would refill your drink almost as quickly as you’d finish it, and if you knew the trick to the thing it was easy to get 6 or 7 small beers to go along with some cheese blocks with all your new friends.

The new tour

The Heineken Experience now bears little resemblance to the old tour, but they can accommodate far more people this way. It’s now a self-guided tour going through different rooms with different beer-making displays, and several of the rooms contain impressive multi-media presentations. In some ways it feels like being in Itchy and Scratchy Land on the Simpsons, but as long as you like Heineken it should hold your attention long enough to make your way through the exhibits. They say it takes about 75 minutes to go through, but if you are determined you can make it through in under an hour.

Price

The cost is now a whopping €11 with no discounts for anyone. You no longer get unlimited beer time, but each guest does get tickets for three small beers to be redeemed at one of the two posh bars that replaced the old beer hall. Just as with the old tour, the Heineken poured after the Experience is otherworldly fresh, and definitely the best glass of Heineken you’ll ever guzzle. If you like Heineken you’ll love it here, and if you don’t care for it much you’ll probably be really impressed with what you get here.

You also get a “free gift” as well. SPOILER ALERT: The free gift is a small Heineken glass in a handsome metal canister. SPOILER ALERT UPDATE: As of September, 2007 the parting gift was a Heineken can opener in the handsome Heineken bottle-shaped holder. Amsterdamlogue will have boots on the ground shortly after they reopen to sort out the gift situation.

Hours

September - May: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays)

June - August: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day

Last admission is an hour before closing. There is also a gift shop selling every imaginable item with a Heineken logo embossed on it.

Tip for visitors: This place gets really crowded, especially on weekends and during summer. The earlier you go the better chance you’ll have of getting in quickly and not having to deal with thousands of other slow moving tourists.

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