Bols Cocktail Experience

This is a must do. I feel like it’s a little hidden gem. My 3rd time in Amsterdam in 6 months. Came across this and thought it sounded good. I would definitely recommend booking the cocktail making class. I did the one with 3 cocktails and it was brilliant. The bar tender teaching the class was very interactive and very friendly. Throughly enjoy the whole experience.

We visited as a company Christmas event and had a fantastic experience. The museum was great, the ambiance was lovely, and the staff were incredibly friendly. The cocktails were delicious, and the instructor leading the workshop was knowledgeable, funny, and very engaging. Overall, it was a really fun and well-organized activity, perfect for team building.

Oh what a great experience. From start to finish. Learning about cocktails' history, and science behind making those. Going through taste tests and sniff tests, trying to figure out ingredients.... That was a wonderful experience. And it ends with a free cocktail of your choice. The bar man was so good and great with his job. And guess what it was his first day and he didn't shy away from adding alcohol to his creations. MUST TO DO WHEN YOU ARE IN THE CITY

This was a fun little experience overall, I actually had a great time. They offer a bit of free alcohol during the tour, though it’s not very strong. At the end, you get your own drink, which is included in the ticket price. It’s a cool and slightly educational experience, but nothing extraordinary. I’d say it’s worth doing if you’re in Amsterdam and have some extra time to spare, but not something I’d make a main priority on your itinerary.

A truly unexpected experience! I visited their museum during Museum Night and it was a truly unique sensory experience! At the end of the tour, you can try their cocktails, which are really good! I tried one dedicated to Museum Night: Museum Kiss. ​​Also, stop by the shop because it's really worth it: very well-curated merchandise and great prices!

An enjoyable, interesting experience, showcasing the Bols journey and development of the massive selection of liqueur and spirits. The tour plays on your senses with brilliant displays of color, enticing aromas, and tastes, with a mystery shot during the tour. You will have one free cocktail included in the basic tour, with a larger selection than I expected. I would definitely do this again with the cocktail making experience.

If you are into cocktails, this a must to visit. The experience gives you an incredible insight into infusions, flavours that you can smell and the ingredients. Even though it's focused on bols products, it's very interesting and fun. You can also arrange cocktail experiences if you are a group. You end up at a cocktail bar post tour and you can choose two cocktails from the decent menu on the kiosk. Or you can choose the option to make it custom and ask the bartender to make it something based on your wishes. I did went for the second option, given being a mixologist myself. The request was well executed and was delicious. You can also buy more cocktails later for very nice price and continue your evening.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Cocktail Experience in Amsterdam! With my I amsterdam card, I got a discounted entry, which made it totally worth it. The story and interactive part about the “bols” was fun and interesting, and the free drink at the end was a great touch. The mixers were excellent, and all the drinks tasted amazing and well-balanced. It’s also in a great location, just a short walk from the Moco Museum, Van Gogh Museum, and Rijksmuseum, so it’s perfect to combine with a day of sightseeing. I’d definitely recommend stopping by for a unique and enjoyable cocktail experience in Amsterdam!

I enjoy distillery tours when I travel. I browsed the list of attractions that accept the I Amsterdam card and came across Bols Amsterdam. It's located near Museumplein by all of the major museums which was so convenient. I was interested in doing a cocktail class with the tour, but wasn't sure if I could book the class with the I Amsterdam card. I sent an email through the website and a DM on Instagram and no one responded, which was disappointing. When I arrived, I inquired about it. They offered to let me upgrade my ticket, but I declined. Once I got checked in, I received a vial of a mystery flavored genever to taste at the end of the tour. The tour is self guided and it is truly a sensory experience. The tour starts with the history of Bols, then goes into the process of making genever. There are interactive elements throughout. It was really cool to see Lucas Bols' original recipe book from 1820. Towards the end of the tour, I tried the mystery genever in the sensory booth. I don't remember the flavor, but it was red and it was sweet. The sensory booth contains a camera that records your reaction as you're tasting it. At the end of the tour, guests are able to enjoy a complimentary cocktail. The bar area was really cool. They have a flair booth where you can learn how to spin and throw cocktail bottles. They also had house music playing which created a fun vibe. The bartender that made my drink was Serchan (pronounced "Sar-John"). He was so nice and let me sample a couple of genevers. I ordered the First Aid cocktail. It was citrus forward and refreshing! He also printed out a receipt with the cocktail recipe. I threw some cash in the tip jar and learned that they accept cash in any currency! This was a fun experience! Any activity where I can have a delicious cocktail and learn something new is right up my alley.

When I was visiting Amsterdam, I went to Bols for the museum tour and cocktail class. Each ticket comes with 3 included cocktails, so immediately you're getting great value for your money. Their museum was creative, informative, and engaging - it was BY FAR the best museum tour of its kind I've ever been on. I won't spoil what's inside, but I highly recommend checking it out! The tour ends in their bar (which is incredible and very extravagant looking) for the included drinks. For the cocktail class, we learned to make two drinks: a caipirinha and a fruity martini. For both drinks, we were walked through the process, ingredients, and techniques; then we got to choose from about 30 different flavors which one (or multiple ones) we each wanted to put in our drinks. The teacher of the class was hilarious and kept it fun every step of the way, and the drinks came out tasting great.

This was a really fun and low key tour, you get a mystery shot upon entry, plus a ticket for a drink at the bar at the end of the tour (you can purchase additional as well). There's an entire room dedicated to the KLM dutch houses (Bols provides the genever inside these iconic mini houses!). There was also multiple rooms of flavors that you can sniff test. The museum itself is fairly small, easily finish-able within 30 minutes or less depending on your time constraints, but it was fun and interesting and the audio tour was very informative. The bar area at the end is pretty small (and indoors only), but service was fast and our cocktails tasted great. You can even sign up for a session where they teach you to make your drinks, but we did not opt for this part. All in all, very cool museum experience.

Went here after researching Genever distilleries in Amsterdam. This is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the city. You start off with a very informative and interactive tour and then proceed to the bar. They mix you a drink according to your personal taste. They have over 300 flavors to choose from and it's quite impressive how spot on the outcome was. If you want a second drink you can just pay 8e each which we did. Then you proceed to the gift shop. If you liked your drink and want to recreate it at home you probably should buy the main ingredients from here because It might be difficult to find these specific items at home. We enjoyed this place so much that we decided to do it again today with some of our friends.

Learning the different methods liqueurs are made was interesting, but I would have preferred more educational content. Oldest cocktails in the world, that you Dutch East India Trading Company. Bartenders were amazing. I enjoyed the cocktail experience by myself, but would have been more fun with friends. Ambiance is a bit glitzy for my taste, but it definitely curates the experience. Wynand Fockink is another liqueur distillery (owned by the same company) that has a real traditional and casual vibe. Try both!

After a full day of art and culture at the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the Bols Experience is a great place to decompress. Friendly and helpful staff will get you on your way to a fun and surprisingly educational escape. The room which tests your sense of smell of the ingredients was truly unique. If you appreciate architecture, aviation history, and Delft Porcelain, then the eye-popping display of the KLM Delft Houses might make you a bit giddy. I can't be the only one. For your cocktail, or plural, you've got plenty of choices. My bartender (from South Africa) was a super nice guy who mixed a great Dutch Manhattan. My only criticism is the limited seating in the bar, especially as people will tend to linger. The gift shop offers several quality items for your bar as well.

This was a great experience to learn the history of this "Dutch gin"- Genever. The tour is self guided and includes the history, distilling techniques, and the many different flavors extracted from many different plants. The tour ends in a dedicated bar where you can order a specially cocktail from an interactive screen. This produces a ticket with you take to a bartender. It was fun to watch them work.

Really interesting if you're into distilling and gin history. The experience is fun where you can put your olfactory to the test. Enjoy a drink at the end!

Probably a highlight from the many museums that I visited when I was in Amsterdam. I had very low expectation when I was visiting Bols Amsterdam. It was like the 4th museum of the day and I was not sure what to expect. I bought the tickets at the front and the lady gave me a little bottle of alcohol that she told me that I should hold until one of the interactive experiences. I went down a flight of stairs and voila! I was immersed in this experience. The museum is all about the Bols distillery and there is a few interactive experience including different smells, etc. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to ruin anything. I also went when it was a little later in the day so I was able to wander around without any interruptions. There is also a super cool Instagram worthy exhibit towards the end. Your ticket also includes a drink at the end. If you put in your preference, the computer will recommend a drink. I got this super pretty mai tai. There's a small bar where you can sit and enjoy your drink. The bartender was super nice and gave me some recommendations for night life. It took me about an hour to go through and have a drink. Definitely worth the price for the experience.

Such a fun tour and experience. It's super interactive and educational plus there are cocktails at the end and additional cocktails can be purchased for 6 £ which is quite the steal! Genever is an alcohol uniquely Dutch. It is the juniper-flavored traditional liquor in the Netherlands, Belgium and adjoining areas in northern France and northwestern Germany. It is similar to gin in that it is distilled malt wine mixed with herbs like that of the juniper berry. This is a unique interactive tour that will trigger your senses; smell, sight and taste. After the tour, you can enjoy a delicious cocktail. There are some delicious options. This was a fun tour. Highly recommend this experience!

If you need a fun distraction during your time in Amsterdam, we highly recommend a visit here. We bought our tickets at the door. They give a nice little tour that provides an overview of the distillation process. Parts of the tour include smelling a whiff of scent and trying to identify it. Fun! Then comes the really fun part, you get to input what tastes you like into a screen and then the cocktails that best match what you like come up for your final selection. We each had something different, which are made in a snazzy bar area. Both tasty and then we each opted for the ticket option that includes a small bottle of liquor. We also bought one of the collectable Bols blue Delft houses to start a collection of our own!

Oldest distillery brand in the world! My friends and I visited House of Bols, a distillery known for its genever and gin (and other types of alcohol). Bols is a very popular name brand in the Netherlands, so it was nice to learn about the brand's history and try some liqueurs. Located in the Museum Quarter, House of Bols is walking distance from many of the museums. We were able to walk in without any appointments and our admission fee came with a shot of a liqueur, a complimentary drink token and an audio guide. The audio guide was useful, for allowing you to listen to all of the information for each room you walk though on the self-guided tour. Touring House of Bols was actually pretty interesting and they do a great job of breaking down the different rooms, from Bols' history, to smelling different ingredients used for making the liqueur, how the liqueur is created, and even an interactive room where you walk in and take a shot of the liqueur that you're given with your ticket. At the end of the tour you're then led to the bar area where you can choose from a list of complimentary cocktails. It was better than I anticipated and actually learned about a distillery brand that I never heard about before coming to Amsterdam. I would recommend for anyone who likes cocktails, especially gin-based ones, or anyone needing a break from touring all the artwork in the several museums nearby. It's a fun experience.

Amazing!! If you like alcohol and want to learn more, this place is a must see in Amsterdam. Not too expensive, a ticket for the museum and workshop (33€) includes 3 free drinks and a little surprise taste during your tour. I learned so much and love the layout of the museum. The bar was great as well, mirrored and funky, a perfect place for a picture! We chose for the bartender to surprise us twice and we were so happy with what they gave us! The cocktail workshop was informative and fun and I will definitely take these skills home! No complaints here! This is one of the best museum experiences I've had as someone who loves a tactile and kinesthetic experience!

After a prior trip to Amsterdam I discovered my love of genever (aka: jeneveer) and wanted to learn more about this liquor of the Netherlands. While planning our vacation I came across the House of Bols cocktail museum and I knew we had to visit. The tickets to the House of Bols are a little pricey at €16 per person, but it includes a handcrafted cocktail of your choice at the end of the tour. The tours are self-guided and take about an hour to see everything. The highlight of the museum for me (besides the Mirror bar!) was the room where you can smell each genever flavor. My husband, sister and I had so much fun guessing which each scent was! This also gave us a chance to realize what flavors of genever we would most likely enjoy. At the end of the tour you get to select your own personal handcrafted cocktail to be made at the bar. The kiosk allows you to choose whether you prefer fruity, herbal, savory or another variety of cocktail. Our cocktails were so good!!! If you love genever I highly recommend a visit at the House of Bols!

This place is AWESOME!!!!! So happy we stumbled across a Groupon that brought us this way. From the moment we walked in, the experience was A1. The guy at the front desk was so warm and helped us with instructions that were greatly detailed. We started the tour and it walked us through the history of Bols. We also got a shot along the way. At the end of the tour, you get to select your own cocktail and drink it at the bar. I recommend this place to everyone!!

Had an awesome time checking out the House of Bols. It's a beautifully designed experience that really engages all of your senses and teaches you about the history of bols and their alcohol in a fun way. The drinks themselves are quite tasty as well, and all of the staff and bartenders were very friendly. We bought tickets online ahead of time - but note, you should have them printed if that's the case!

Touristy - but fun. The self-guided tour has some interesting moments. If you think that you will buy some bottles at the end of the tour, the premium tour, with the 10% gift shop discount, is a good deal. The tour ends with a cocktail of your choice, containing a House of Bols product.

This place rocks, the tour is kinda cool and the cocktails at the end are really good. For 15 this is a no brainer and you can buy extra drinks for like 6 dollars which is a great deal. The bartenders are all awesome, I would suggest letting them pick a cocktail for you. If you get the Latina bartender ask her to make a spicy cocktail it's gas.

House of what... Bols? Yes, that is exactly right. Bols is a Genever (Gin) first created in Amsterdam in 1664. Now this is my type of museum! Upon entering, you will see a whole wall of different colored Genevers. There is every color and flavor imaginable. The girls at the ticket counter were personable, helpful and patient. They explained that the museum is a self guided tour, answered all of our questions and even took our jackets to hang up for us so that we can explore in comfort. The tour shows you the history of the Bols family and distillery. As you wander around, you are able to smell and touch the different ingredients that go into producing these Genevers. At the very end of your tour, you can select your choice of a free cocktail on a computer, print the choice and present to the bartender. The bartender is in the mirrored bar room where you can enjoy watching your cocktail being made, take pictures and get 2 more free shots of your choice. I recommend the strawberry yogurt. It was the most refreshing, fruity and delicious cocktail I've ever had.

Something fun to do other than just walking around while on vacation. The "experience" is about an hour. And it's fairly interactive. There is one part of the experience that has strobe lights and basically will give you a seizure. I was fine with it, but if you're old or have a medical condition, be careful. They should probably warn you about that. The ticket was close to 20 euros per person, but it includes a cool cocktail after. I had a fun negroni in a light bulb glass. Totally worth it.

Cool unique experience. Worth the cost plus you get a free drink at the end. Check it out after the Van Gogh museum!

Yes, it is a bit touristy, but I think it is worth it. Honestly the Heineken Experience is trash compared to this place. So initially, I didn't have much thought over this place just because it was part of the Amsterdam Pass that I had so I decided to give it a go since it was included. I was genuinely surprised and really enjoyed the "experience". I think everything was very well organized and it was pretty interactive and interesting. Towards the end of the experience, you are able to enjoy a cocktail, and a shot of your choice. The bartenders and barback were very hospitable and friendly, and I think it was one of the highlights of my trip.

Spent 3 days in amsterdam, saw a lot, but this was definitely one of my favorite stops. I'll admit, I am kind of a drink dork, so it might not be for everyone, but for 16 euros, which includes a cocktail, it's probably for most. From the sensory booth, to the squeeze bottles with all scents that you can try to guess, to the explanation of their process and their development of Genever, a juniper based spirit - it was really interesting, interactive and well done. At the end, you can use a kiosk to make your own cocktail, or get something made - with or without alcohol - you just tell the bartender the flavors you're looking for. They made a virgin grapefruit smash which looked beautiful for my travel buddy who opts not to drink much. I had a passion fruit sour -- it was fabulous. They also have great souvenirs - small bottles of elderflower liqueur and yogurt liqueur. If you're in Amsterdam, and are in the museumplein anyway, you definitely should stop here. Go forth, and drink.

My husband and I are visiting Amsterdam this weekend and signed up for the House of Bols tour. I hadn't heard Bols or Genever before, but found the tour really interesting!! It was a self guided, audio tour. I liked how interactive it was, although it was a bit short. Only took around 30 minutes to complete the tour portion. At the end, we were able sit down and enjoy a cocktail. The bar area is a bit small though, so I felt guilty taking up a seat to enjoy the drink and company. Overall, fun tour for a good price!

Not a bad place. It is interesting and it should be for the price. The "experience" takes about 20 minutes; there are about five trims including their KLM give away a. I am not knocking, this was kind of cool. At the end, I would have preferred a tasting of Bols liqueurs vs. the single drinks. The folks that worked there were nice, but I felt pretty cheated when I left. There was a lot more that could have been done. Go to Heineken.

Bols is a fun museum stop if you happen to be visiting Amsterdam. It's a bit expensive, but the experience is totally immersive so my group agreed it was worth it. The design of the museum is also cool and very fitting to the cocktail bar theme they have tied throughout. The ticket also includes a cocktail which you can select at the end and have it made virgin if you so choose. Overall fun experience with tasty drinks!

Did the Cocktail Workshop and Tour. The museum is pretty cool and the drinks being only 6EUR is definitely a steal, they're very good drinks and the bartenders know what they're doing. The workshop is amazing and you get a 10% discount in the shop after! You make 2 cocktails during the 30 minute workshop, currently it's a cucumber lime one and a blackberry flavored one, they're both delicious and I don't even like cucumber!

Cocktails are great. Adam did a great job in keeping us in delicious cocktails! You must buy extra tokens from Jorvik. Both hosts were just as welcoming as the pornstar martinis I had. Great place to visit in Amsterdam. Tour, bartender mixing original creations. A win, win!

Got the tickets for this with MOCO ticket combo and this outshined MOCO. We didn't know what to expect going in, but we had so much fun! It is very modern and interactive. They give you a drink with your ticket and a shot. You are also given a guided tour remote that you can check in at different places throughout the tour and is linked to your email. When you do the video experience of taking the bols shot they give you, you check in with your tour remote and it sends the video of you experiencing the shot to your email. The video experience is super cool and trippy. There are many great photo spots here, too. There's another video experience by the bar upstairs where you try to do bottle tricks. At the end of the tour, you end up at the bar where you can turn in your ticket stub for your free drink. It's really impressive to watch them make the drinks. With MOCO ticket you get a free pink drink, but just know this also serves as your free drink with the ticket stub. We initially thought we got the MOCO pink drink + the House of Bols ticket stub drink, but were wrong. The MOCO pink drink isn't that good but is cute, so if you care about enjoying the taste of your drink opt for another option. There are many great drink options! Definitely will recommend this to any friends that visit Amsterdam! Not a super big museum so it doesn't take a ton of time, but it is a lot of fun and you can spend as much/little time there as you want since there were a lot of exhibits we breezed through!

I have to admit that I went into the House of Bols with muted expectations. My knowledge of their brand was limited to their basic genever product and their array of unpalatably sweet (to me) syrupy flavoured liqueurs. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by how much eye-opening history there is to the Bols company and that they -do- sell alcoholic products worth raving about. It's worth noting that they're currently sporting a check-in offer on Yelp, which I was unable to take advantage of due to forgetting my phone at the hotel. Oops. Fortunately, they have an even more compelling student deal, and the boy has a student ID from his residency program. Hooray! Knocking off 15-20% of the €11ish entry fee made a reasonable price tag extra affordable. The venue itself is exceptionally posh - something you notice immediately upon walking in. You're guided through various interactive displays and engaging exhibits that detail the origins of Bols genever, the history of the Bols trading company, and some of the fascinating works they've done. I had no idea about the Houses of Bols, filled with their genever and handed out to a partner airline's most loyal customers. Similarly, I didn't realise just how extensive their selection of liqueurs was. The entry fee is worth the cocktail and two shots of your choosing at the end of the tour. Particularly if you're into very sweet drinks. If you, like me, shy away from sugary beverages, you'll be pleased to know that in addition to any of their flavoured liqueurs, you can opt to sample some of their genevers instead. The aged genever isn't to be missed, and may even be worth scoring a bottle (since they barely export!). Also, if you have friends who are heavily into cocktail culture, you'll find oodles of great gift ideas from history and recipe books to bottles of booze to bartending equipment. If a stingy Asian is telling you to go shop, you'd best pay attention. I'm just sayin'.

Right across the street from the Van Gogh Museum, I probably wouldn't have done this one except that the reviews were all so glowing and positive. Well... it was worth it! I'd never heard of the House of Bols before and I didn't know anything about genever, but now I know all about it. The history, the manufacturing process, even the different flavors of Bols liqueurs. The museum is very interactive with lots to look at, touch, and even smell. The hall of scent testers was really interesting and I think I got maybe 5 correct out of more than 30! And yes, there's the cocktail at the end. I went with the caipinevra and I probably should have had something to eat first. Woo. I'm slightly buzzed on an empty stomach. A great and very interesting museum and well worth the entrance fee. As the sign says... "Some museums have a great bar, our bar has a great museum!"

After enjoying the Van Gogh museum for hours (and standing in line), one might enjoy exploring a different path of history.... Bartending and Alcohol There was no line, and it was just outside the Van Gogh museum. You can smell different types of their alcohol. Inside was very cool... dark, neon, black lights... You got to hang out at their bar and try 3 different shots as well as a drink of choice (that was the special when I went).

They call it an experience. That is an understatement. The self guided tour takes about an hour and a bit, depending on how long you stay in the last 'instalment' but I'll go into that later. Entrance is limited to the 18+'s and the entrance fee may seem a little OTT but, in my estimation, worth it. Again that will be explained later. The tour takes you through the History of the House of Bols and how, we Brits, pinched the genever idea and started to make the 'inferior' gin. That's how the Dutch explained it. Great visual displays in the form of video and sound and light displays. Fantastic selection of Delft houses given to KLM Business class passengers. Then comes the crowning glory of this tour, teaching you how your taste and smell senses can be deceived. Placing a taste strip in your mouth and watching the screen your brain is sent into overdrive. Shots on the screen of various fruits scramble the brain. Was that taste strawberry, cherry, melon etc etc.? Awesome. The final challenge in this room was to pinch the nose while placing a taste strip in the mouth. NO TASTE. Unpinch the nose and WOW, the flavour comes through. A room with about 48 bottles to smell the various scents. Truly fascinating. Finally, I mentioned the entrance fee. The ultimate experience is a visit to the bar where, on a visual display, you choose a cocktail. Print your choice out and take it to the bar where a barman, from the bartending school above, makes your cocktail. Followed by your choice of two shots of any of the full selection of genevers. There goes the entrance fee. You can even have another cocktail, or two, for a price of 6.50 Euros each. We were extremely lucky that while on our visit a 'student' came down with his new cocktail and asked the bartenders and us to give our thoughts on his delightful 'concoction'. Full of citrus flavours, wonderful. If you are in Amsterdam, well worth a visit. Especially if, like us, you enjoy a different alcoholic beverage.

This was cool too see. Take a tour of the bartender life, learn about how Bol became so successful and how they create new drinks everyday. You get to choose and make your your cocktail at the end, but I'm not going to lie... I wasn't a fan of them. After taste was just not enjoyable. And it was a bit too pricy for the what the whole experience was. I will say that their pornstar drink is very good though.

A fascinating and surprisingly enjoyable 1-hour experience. My wife and I are serious foodies and enjoy occasionally making craft cocktails at home. We are quite familiar with the quality of Bols products and were very pleased to learn more from this informative and professional presentation. Younger guests will be dazzled by the high-tech displays, as visitors explore the various stations during the tour. More mature folks will likely find a valuable opportunity to experience scents, aromas and tastes that will add to their knowledge and appreciation of finely crafted liqueurs and spirits. Most everyone will find this to be an enjoyable and informative adventure. At the conclusion, guests are provided a handmade cocktail selection of their choosing (computerized menu... very techie). We were particularly impressed with a beverage new to us -- genever (the predecessor to gin). I chatted up the bartender and apparently displayed some genuine interest. He was kind enough to offer me a sample tasting of three different ages of this interesting infused liquor -- all quite tasty (we will be purchasing some genever at home). Given some of the mixed reviews of this Bols tour, we weren't quite sure it was worthwhile. Happily, we very much enjoyed this memorable experience and left quite satisfied with big smiles on our faces. We can highly recommend the House of Bols Experience.

This way a cool way to spend some of our time in Amsterdam. Especially since I love cocktails. The entry price was 15€ and this includes a cocktail at the end. You don't make the cocktail, but you pick from a self service electronic machine that puts drinks into categories. It gives you the ingredients and a visual of what the drink will look like. You take up the receipt to the bar and they create your chosen piece. If you want more cocktails, they charge 5€ each. So the exhibition was interesting with some information about the history and process. They have an interactive section in which you use your senses. Then it ends with the bar. The drinks are very strong and delicious. I was really impressed with them. Also you can take home the bit of paper with the recipe. I would definitely recommend it!!

A museum and mixology education in one! Learn about the production of Dutch Jenever and its history as the main alcohol traded before the English tried to copy it and created Gin. Learn about how your senses influence what you taste and how you can trick them :) Taste your favour Bols flavours and a cocktail of your choice watching the mixologists shake the mix like maracas in Cuba! Have a go at cocktail style tricks and send yourself a video of your attempts

Dutch Gin. Like no other. Called Jenever its a juniper based spirit. Its also the "National drink of Holland (and Belgium, but really, Holland lead the way I'm sure). It is the forefather to gin (you know, what we tend to drink in America. Like some wines, in order to be called Jenever, it must be made in certain places in certain countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, parts of Germany and parts of France). History is actually unclear where it first came from (most likely Flanders), but it is clear that, like many alcohols, it was first marketed as a medicinal product. House of Bols is a fun place to visit. Come here and see how genever is made, why the juniper was first used, and have a cocktail at the end. Its a win win. Similar to visiting a vineyard, they really want you to enjoy the experience and have made it a nice one as a result, If you buy your ticket online there's a slight discount. Come here for a different kind of culture after you visit the other "real" museums in the area.

This was a fun experience. It's a self guided tour with a free drink at the end. Their signature Genever is pretty strong, I fell asleep an hour later after a bike ride in Vondelpark. It's more fun as a group so go with your friends. I also think it would be a fun date night. Come here for drinks and then get a nice dinner somewhere. It's right across the street from the Van Gogh museum so you can actually make an afternoon of it. Go see the museum, have a few drinks at House of Bols & finish the night out at a nice restaurant.

House of Bols is both a tasting experience and a museum. Before going to the House of Bols I wasn't sure how the experience would be after reading reviews on a couple websites, but I'm glad I went since it was both informative and fun. I purchased tickets ahead of time online because I had a coupon code that brought the price down by a couple Euros. The first part of the experience is the museum, which goes over the history of the House of Bols. Next is a section regarding tasting and smell senses. At this point there are taste strips available to see how your brain reacts to information. Followed by this is a long room where you can smell a variety of different flavors. It's a great experience in learning what to look for during a tasting experience. After the museum and sensory experience is the drinking experience. At the end of the walk through your ticket entitles you to one drink and two shots. You select your drink by going through a computer, which then prints out a receipt with the drink recipe. Overall this may be a touristy experience, but House of Bols was a lot of fun and interesting. Next time I'm in Amsterdam I would definitely go again.

Price is steep for the tour itself, but includes a cocktail, which made it worth it. Bartender gave us each a free shot of genever too, so even better! The museum is actually pretty interesting and very hands on, which was fun.

I was way disappointed with this museum, considering how pricey the tickets are. Their website makes it sound like you'll be sampling liquor throughout the experience, but you actually only get to smell it until the end. The exhibits are just not that interesting, and it feels like you're in a giant advertisement for their product. You get one complimentary cocktail at the end, and even that was disappointing. They only give you a few drink options to choose from. I ordered a Mai Tai, for lack of a better option, and asked for just a little bit of ice. Apparently that means "extra ice, please!" in Dutch, because the ice was an overflowing heap. My drink was weak and watery. There are many more interesting options in Amsterdam - save your money!

I figure you have to try a Jenever cocktail while your in Amsterdam and this place not only has good cocktails but is located near the Museum center so you can have a cocktail any time after 1pm.

I was prepared to hate House of Bols, because it's immediately apparent that the whole thing is a marketing scheme pretending to be a museum. It is exactly that, but I wound up having fun there anyway. There are exhibits, but no one looks at them, and why should they? Half of them are barely disguised ads. The "tour" is self-guided, so just go straight for the aroma-testing area. There, you can try to identify aromas (all flavors of Bols liqueurs, natch), which is a lot harder than you'd think. Now, on to the main event: the space-agey mirrored cocktail lounge. The amiable bartenders will make you your "personalized" cocktail and offer 2 shots of your choice. Pick something weird (the yoghurt flavor was pretty good) and enjoy. At that point, you should try your hand at the video booth, where you can learn to juggle fake liquor bottles like Tom Cruise. When you get good enough, you can tape yourself and email a copy. (When you get home, you will discover that this video destroys all chance of your running for public office. But you'll be too impaired to realize this until it's too late.)

The experience was as great as last year. The experience was topped off with Robin at the bar with his experience and knowledge behind many cocktails. My family of 4 had a great time and learned a lot of history and mixology with this fella. Thanks again bols!

Its my birthday and I can decide what I want toooooo. Totally in 'me' style regel ik een cocktailparty bij House of Bols. Want een Bols likeurtje dat lusten we wel. Vooraf per e-mail probeer ik te reserveren voor mij en vier vrienden. Ik besluit de cocktailparty te nemen, deze is inclusief een cocktail tijdens de museum tour en drie tijdens de party zelf. Ik krijg nog wat informatie over themas, maar voor de rest geen vragen om een keuze te maken, dus ga ervan uit dat ik dat ter plekke regel. Ook krijg ik in informatie over de hapjes die ze serververen. Als ik wat te knabbelen wil hebben kost dat 3,90 p.p.voor wat pindas en kaasstengels en ik moet minimaal voor zes personen afnemen. Heerlijk zon op maat gemaakte offerte. Denk maar niet dat ik 20€ betaal voor wat pinda"s. Dus ik laat het bij de cocktailtjes. Overigens kan ik alle andere hapjes pas afnemen als ik voor minimaal tien personen betaal, dus geen hapjes voor ons. Er wordt gevraagd voor een aanbetaling en bevestiging van de factuur en mijn party is rond. Aldussss We komen aan bij house of bols een vriendelijke jongeman ontvangt ons enthousiast en mn resevering is bekend. Joeppie dit beloofd wat! We hebben er zin in. We krijgen nog een vipbandje om en met wat house of bols flyers en cocktailmuntjes (3p.p.) worden we t museum ingestuurd. Drie denk ik bij mezelf? Hmm kzal me wel vergist hebben. We lopen de tour. Het museum is erg commercieel, maar leuk opgezet. Binnen 20 minuten zijn we er dan ook doorheen. We komen aan in de spiegelbar. Het is er megadruk. Waar moeten we heen? Geen personeel om ons op te vangen. Ik had toch een event georganiseerd? Ik spreek een medewerkster aan. Oow ze weet dat we kwamen. Ze zegt dat se zelfs een tafel voor ons heeft gereseveerd. Helemaal top! Tot dan toe dus..:: Onze viptafel staat midden tussen twee lange rijen mensen, die voor de twee computers staan om hun cocktailkaartjes te printen. Onze tafel is vies en er staan lege glazen op. Het meisje zegt dat we en cocktail van de kaart mogen kiezen. En dat er nog vier extra cocktails staan op een kaartje op onze tafel. Zoo dit is het dus? Ik vraag naar de leuke themas die mij gemaild zjjn. Met een hele lijst met speciale cocktails die mij beloofd zijn. Het meisje weet er niet veel van en haalt haar meerdere. Deze vrouw beweerd dat er ge-emaild js, dat ik moet kiezen voor een thema. Dat ze gemaild hebben voor mn telefoonnummer om me te bereiken. Ik zeg dat het niet zo is. Maar ze houdt voet bij stuk en ik mag alleen nog kiezen van de cocktails in de computer. Zoo daar gaat mn special event. Ik ben niks meer dan een gewone house of bols gast, met een vipbandje dat nergens op slaat en een vieze smerige gereserveerde tafel. De "meerdere" wenst me een fijne avond en gaat weg. Uiteraard check ik ter plaatsen mn e-mail. Waarin uiteraard geen vraag is gesteld over een thema of over een telefoonnummer. En uiteraard staat in mn e-mail dat ik vier cocktailmuntjes krijg. Zo vip voel ik me niet meer in deze tent. Mn vrienden staan inmiddels al een kwartier in de rij om onze cocktails te bemachtigen en ik doe nog een poging om de medewerkster die ik de eerste keer had aangesproken te vragen naar t vierde muntje. Ik laat haar de e-mail zien. Her duurt een poos maar eindelijk krijg ik na een tijd mn vierde muntje. Het is nog steeds erg druk. De cocktails smaken lekker maar doordat je steeds zo ontiechelijk lang moet wachten op je cocktail, gaat de sfeer al gauw naar beneden. De helft van de partypeople staat namelijk in de rij. En de andere helft is druk bezig om alle andere non-vip ahum gasten van ons tafeltje als strontvliegen te verjagen, maarja die mensen kunnen ook niet helpen, dat er nergens plaats voor ze is. Ik zou zeggen. Laat je ni afpoeieren met een arrangement hiero. Tenzij je graag met een rood vip bandje 15 minutenin de rij wilt staan, je aan een vieze tafel je coxktail wilt drinken en je een bedrijf wilt steunen dat liegt over haar e-mailverkeer met je. Easy-omzet, amper service! Shame on you!

(Looking at bucket list) "Getting drunk at a museum: Check!" As a cocktail enthusiast, this was the museum of my dreams. To tell you honestly, I've never heard of genever, but I am now a fan! Of course, the museum takes you through the history of genever and it's creators. But what I loved about it was that the displays were modern and very interactive. The only negative was that some of the interactive displays were not equipped. For example, they had these strips that you could put in your mouth, and whatever showed up on the TV screen, you would be able to taste because your sense of sight and taste work together. I wish I could've tried it, but there were no strips left! :( But then there were the smell tests. Those were fun! They had over 20 bottles of genever that you had to guess the flavor by the scent. I thought I did pretty well! Obviously, the best part was the end of the tour, where you got your free cocktail made by pretty awesome bartenders and 2 shots of the genever of your choice. I was already tipsy at the end of my one cocktail, so I passed on the genever shots. Definitely check out if mixology and cocktails are your thang. Cheers!

If you're in Amsterdam for both drinking and touring, then House of Bols is definitely a place you should check out. A self-tour museum, you get to check out all that goes behind the creation of genevers - the grandfather to gin. The tour appeals to your scenses of sight, scent, taste and touch. An interactive experience to be had. At the end of the tour, select your cocktail, as well as get to sample 3 liqueurs, of your choice. I actually loved this tour more than the Heineken Experience, it helped that we had an awesome bartender. A fun experience, for sure!

LOT OF FUN!!! A museum about drinks.... well... you surely do not have to get there driving because when you are done... you are not going to drive!!! The guided tour is very fun. You are taken from the guide trough the different types of spices used to aromatize the gin and you can really smell them!! It is a nice game. Lot of historic info.... till you get to the final destination... the bar!! Pick up your cocktail recipe, hand it out to the barman with the token you had been given at the beginning and here you go.... mirror covered lounge where you can sip your drink.... you can also make your own mixing video and get it emailed!! Not finished... surprise surprise... the evening goes on with a cocktail workshop at the second floor where you actually get a lesson on how to prepare cocktails and YES... you get your own bar and you can start mixing!!! That is why you should not drive. After 4 drinks preparations and... well. full tasting ... you need to chill on the street... and continue your drinking evening in the neighborhood!! Very nice!