While I was in Amsterdam back in April I visited the
Heineken Experience. This is more
of a museum and activity center than a brewery tour as Heineken hasn’t been
brewed in the old brewery since the 80s, but it is still worth a visit for
those of us interested in beer.
Half of the Experience is about how the company was
built through four generations of the Heineken family and how they developed
the world renowned beer we know today.
The second half of the Experience explores the marketing side of the
company, which has played a huge part in its success.
I was very interested to learn that currently the
company is owned by a woman, Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken. She gives you a little speech via video part way
through. When you get into the old
brewery proper with the mash tuns and old equipment on display you get a chance
to taste the wort made from the ingredients Heineken brews with. I didn’t realize how sweet and like
warm cereal it would taste! I also
had a go at stirring the wort while wearing traditional brewers garb.
One of the activities you can take part in is being
brewed. You are shown a video
discussing the brewing process while standing on a platform that moves. It shakes and mixes you while the
temperature in the room also changes and you get sprayed with water! I apparently now know how malts feel.
There is of course the obligatory beer tasting at the
end of the Experience. With your
ticket you get a wrist band with three tokens on. One token is good for a half pint. You get a half pint in the tasting and then at the very end
can get more in the World Bar.
Overall I found the Heineken Experience interesting,
it is definitely a different approach to a beer tour. A lot of the information is about the company and its
marketing process however so if all you really want to know about is the beer
and the brewing process, that side is a little light. I still think it is worth seeing though, but you definitely
have to be a beer or business enthusiast to really enjoy it.
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