Food and Beer tours in Amsterdam

While it does not have a specific beer focus, the Hungry Birds Food Tour was a highlight of my trip! Highly recommended! I'd also recommend dinner reservations for each night. I went in late March and needed them.

Whether or not something is worth it, it’s very subjective. For me, a tour thru a building where they used to brew a beer that I don’t like the taste of, would not be worth it. On the other hand, hundreds of visitors a day seem very happy to visit the Heineken Experience, so they obviously think it’s worth it.
You don’t need a tour to try bitterballen. Bitterballen are a snack that will be available in every cafe/bar in Amsterdam, but especially in the so-called “brown cafes”. Named after the dark color of the walls after decades of smoking inside. These traditional cafes can be recognized by the fact that the name of the cafe is written on the windows in white letters.

Personally? I'd skip the Heineken Experience as it's a beer that's brewed all over the world so nothing special. I'd go for one of the smaller craft breweries with a tap room. Here's a list to get you started:

https://www.manvsglobe.com/best-local-breweries-craft-beer-bars-amsterdam-netherlands/

We've done the first one on the list - Brouwerij ‘t IJ at "The Windmill" (De Molen) - and had a ball hanging out on the sunny, lively terrace with tourists and locals alike. They offered flights for sampling a variety of their brews as well as just pints. They also do tours but we didn't take one.
https://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/?lang=en
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g188590-d591008-Reviews-Brouwerij_t_IJ-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Editing to add: they have bitterballen on their taproom menu. :O)
https://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/250410-demolen-mobile-1.pdf

Sorry to say, beer tour and the Netherlands are not something most people would recommend.
Beer lovers, if your husbands are, will probably be very disappointed.
Typical Dutch beers, Amstel, Heineken are really pretty bad. If you want a decent beer, you will need to get into some of the less known local varieties to make it worth your while. You can find some dubbels and triples.
My approach to Amsterdam has been to focus on the Genever and drink the beer only as a chaser. Once you get through a few Genever's, the beer will become "ok".
Search out places where you can enjoy Belgian beers and if you happen to be there during Kings Day, realize that just about every bar will be offering Heineken....not sure why, but for those couple days, you cannot escape from it.

Brouwerij ‘t IJ at "The Windmill" (De Molen)

I'm with @kathy on this one. We've been there several times, and enjoy the beer and the relaxed outdoor seating. Grab a bike and ride on over.

Likewise, with canals all over Amsterdam and pretty much all other towns & cities, you'll find a bajillion bars & restaurants with canal-side seating where you can order beers and food (bitterballen is always an option). Most places will have several local, Dutch, and Belgian clearly listed on their menus (or a chalkboard), and we had a great time just running through a bunch of them over our vacations. While Belgium is probably the much bigger hitter in the beer world, I found the Netherlands to have many good ones (and don't think I ever got Heineken at any bar).

I'd keep my eyes out while out wandering in Amsterdam for places with nice outdoor seating. I'm a people watcher, so a good location is a great way to spend a bit relaxing - drinking and eating. We've found many spots just walking about and keeping an eye out.

Didn't know Heineken did beer. (grin).

You don't need a tour. Just head in to a pub and look at what they have on the board.
I like "In De Wildeman" near the Central Station. That place always has a good selection of local brews on tap. I used to go there a lot when I still lived in The Netherlands because at that time it was one of the few bars that had a non smoking part.

Totally agree with Wengenk with regards to In de Wildeman. Be aware they are closed in Sundays.

Some other good suggestions can be found here: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/restaurant-and-bars/best-craft-beer-bars-in-amsterdam.

The Netherlands beer scene is way more than Heineken and some Belgian macro beers. While I am not aware of any beer tours worth searching for, I can wholeheartedly recommend Proeflokaal Arendsnest, which is a great little bar hugging a canal in the Jordaan neighborhood, roughly a 10 minute walk from Central Station. Their specialty is serving only Dutch micro brews, which they have over 30 on tap.

Another option is a self directed beer tour in Haarlem, which is just a short 20 minute train ride. Haarlem is a lovely town, but the Jopen Brewery (in a former church) is worth a visit. Then, walk a few blocks to Uiltje Bar. Uiltje beer is top notch. While their brewery isn’t worth a visit, the Uiltje Bar near Jopen is a quiet, unassuming bar with 20 plus Uiltje beers plus guest taps.

Lastly, do some online checks on the Google machine and see if any beer festivals are going on when you are there. We attended Uiltje’s Wet Hop Fest the year before Covid and loved it.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your inputs!! After speaking with the husbands, we are going to forgo Heineken :) We will be in Bruges for a few days prior to Amsterdam so I'll look into some brewery tours there for the guys.

Thanks again!!

We will be in Bruges mid May and have signed up for the De Halve brewery tour, with lunch afterwards in their cafe. The guide that we have lined up for our personal city tour (found Patrick’s name in RS guidebook) also does tours of another brewery in Bruges, but that didn’t work for our schedule. Also planned a dinner at Cambrinus, which has over 400 beers and gets good reviews.

Bruges is exactly where you should go to enjoy good beers. Bravo. That is a better option.

Ditto: go to Belgium for beer. The Espousal Units will enjoy some fine ones in Brugge. My husband is a bigger fan of brews than I am (he especially enjoyed some of the Trappist varieties, as I recall) but I had fun trying some others out. Kriek (a beer made from sour cherries) is good on a hot day but not to everyone's taste, I'm sure.

I see that De Halve Man was already suggested (we did that one too; no tour) and while not a brewery, I'll throw in ‘t Brugs Beertje: cozy place on a quiet street with 300 beers. Yep, 300. 'The Little Bear' is a memorabilia-cluttered oasis for lovers of brewskis.

https://brugsbeertje.be/en/home-2/
https://firkinbeer.com/2020/04/20/t-brugs-beertje-vacations-in-a-glass/

Take note of the vast amount of glassware: specific to each brewery's beer.
Oh, and read up on the legend of the bear of Brugge as he's an official emblem of the city so you'll encounter him in various forms around town, including on Brugge's coat of arms.

Thanks Kathy & everyone else! I was able to book a tour of De Halve Maan and a lunch afterwards. I will check out Brugs Beertje. I have read a recommendation for Cabrinus as well. We are skipping Heineken.

Thanks again!