Amsterdam is known as a town that likes to have a good time – drink being one of the ways to help in having a good time. With bars open virtually all day, some only open from 2am – 6am, getting a drink is not a problem.
As a beer guy, I’m a fan of Heineken. Although I may be one of the world’s most disloyal beer drinkers (if it’s in a bottle and cold, I’ll try it), I have been drinking Heineken since my late teens (that’s a few years ago). The Heineken Experience (don’t call it the Heineken Museum) makes a worthwhile visit if you are visiting Amsterdam. http://www.heinekenexperience.com/AgeCheck. You walk through the former brewery location and wind your way through an interesting interactive tour. The history of Heineken, the family, the beer and the making of beer. Of course, the best part is drinking the beer – the 2 Heinekens at the end of the tour.
Heineken casts a large shadow in Holland and Amsterdam in particular. Heineken is everywhere, followed by Amstel. In the interest of variety, I stumbled upon a small brewery called “Brouwerij De Prael”. The brewery occupies a building that dates back to 1300. Prael makes you think you are back in the day between the wood interior and the historic brewing methods. Absolutely delicious and authentic. They have 4 different beers to choose from- Johnny (5.7%), Heintje (5.4%), Mary (9.7%) and Willeke (7.5%). They all have a kick for sure but without the harsh strong beer taste. You can take a tour and taste all 4 beers for 10 Euro. Or just sit down and pick one and have a great Dutch meal. Great atmosphere and beer made with traditional methods. Well worth the visit. http://deprael.nl/
