House of Bols, cocktail experience in Amsterdam
Cocktails. The possibility that you don’t like them, we reckon, is pretty small. The chances that you know exactly where to find the perfect cocktail in Amsterdam, however, might not be that great. This is where the House of Bols, in Museum Square in Amsterdam, comes in.
In the House of Bols, you can learn all about this Dutch licquor brand. Given that it opened in 1575, it holds the impressive title of being the oldest spirit brand in the world. The concept of the House of Bols is “See, Hear, Touch, Smell, Taste and Enjoy”; and Bols has done its utmost best to make the tour a full-on sensory experience. In fact, they know so much about stimulating the different senses that they won the Dutch Design award for the “Best Exhibition and Experience”.
- You can see the traditional blue-and-white Dutch ceramic houses, which are produced in cooperation with Bols and KLM airlines.
- Drinks and nightlife go hand in hand; Bols has found an original way to let you hear this for yourself by enabling you to take place in a customised video clip.
- The museum is full of touch screens, where you can source more information about the cocktails and gins on offer
- Challenge your friends to see who has the best sense of smell and see if you can identify different ingredients.
- Obviously, after all this, you’ll want to cultivate your sense of taste. This can be done in the Mirror Bar, where bartenders whip up your favourite cocktail. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if this were your favourite part of the museum…
You can also try your hand at flair bartending in the special Flair Booth, or if you prefer to leave it to the professionals, try another cocktail for € 5.
Practical information:
To visit the House of Bols, you must be 18 or over. Visitor’s guides are available in Dutch, German, English, Spanish, French, Russian, Italian and Japanese. Where: Paulus Potterstraat 14 (close to the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum). When: open from 12pm to 6.30pm; Fridays and Saturdays open until 10pm. How much: Entrance costs € 12.50, and includes a cocktail.
Sebastian – Marketing Team