No wonder they call this the "Heineken Experience."
One of Amsterdam's most popular attractions among young adults, the Experience has reopened after a year of renovations.
Long gone are the days when the tour, located on the site of Heineken's former brewery in Amsterdam, was mostly a way to drink unlimited amounts of booze.
The remodelled version lives up to its name, a cross between corporate museum and a chance to achieve rapture with one of the world's most-recognized beer brands.
Though for cynics the Experience may feel like one long advertisement, for those who love the beer it's "a pilgrimage," says Bob Rogers, a branding expert who advised Heineken on the museum's renovations.
"We wanted to bring back the connection with beer-making, and the history of Heineken, to help people see it, touch it, taste it," he says.
The new Experience updates its offerings with several hi-tech exhibits targeting the "YouTube generation."
For instance, visitors can perform karaoke of the cheesy Dutch classic song Tulips from Amsterdam against a backdrop of canals -- and instantly send a video clip of the event by e-mail to their friends.
SHORT FILM
The tour begins with a short film designed to praise Heineken's history, in which the word "quality" is mentioned a dozen or more times.
It gets better from there.
After wandering through historical Heineken artifacts, visitors are offered a chance to see and touch barley and hops, two of the main ingredients of beer.
Next they enter a stylish art-deco hall filled with massive copper brewing kettles.
An actor plays the part of master brewer, explaining the brewing process while stirring a steaming cauldron full of "wort" -- the mash that is mixed with yeast before beer is fermented.
Next is the low-impact "Brew U" ride, where visitors are encouraged to "be the beer" and witness brewing and bottling from the perspective of the amber liquid.
At the halfway mark, visitors are offered their first taste of the holy Heineken itself.
A bartender demonstrates how to tap a beer properly -- a head of foam keeps a beer at its best -- and gives helpful tips on tasting.
Along the way, visitors are initiated into some of the secrets of Heineken. For instance, Heineken uses its own proprietary strain of yeast, the beer equivalent of Coca Cola's secret formula or Kentucky Fried Chicken's secret recipe.
There are homages to the advertising savvy that made Heineken popular internationally, including one room full of Heineken posters.
Other attractions include a chance to order a bottle of Heineken with a personalized label, or to see your own image superimposed on one of Heineken's James Bond adverts.
At the end of the tour comes -- what else? -- a bar stocked entirely with Heineken.
The roof is decorated with thousands of the company's hallmark green bottles.
As a gag, bartenders serve water to anybody who tries ordering a Bud.
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HOPS TO IT
The Heineken experience is located at Stadhouderskade 78, Amsterdam; www.heinekenexperience.com.
Reachable by trams 16, 24 and 25 from Central Station. Open daily 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tour costs $25 (15 euros) and the price includes two beers.
Under Dutch law, people aged 16 and older can drink alcohol.
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