Cocktails are welcome whatever the weather.

With Europe being in the middle of a bit of a cold snap, indoor activities are always going to be a good option, and what better than genever (Dutch gin) to warm you up! Luckily, the House of Bols offer a cocktail and genever experience ( I recommended it in my edit here) in the heart of the museum district in Amsterdam, which is just perfect for a day like today.

Bols are a famous historical genever producer in the Netherlands, but they also make a huge range of flavoured liqueurs too. The experience gives you a look at the company through the ages and the process they use to create their products. Not only that, the museum is extremely interactive, as it encourages you to use all of your senses to experience their liqueurs to the max! The displays are extremely colourful and engaging, they give you the chance to touch and smell the ingredients and flavours, and you’re even given a mystery drink to take at a certain point along the tour (I won’t spoil it for you!)

To round the experience off, they have a cocktail bar where you can choose one cocktail, made with Bols products, by their very talented bartenders! They allow you to look through the cocktail options on a computer, which filters the drinks by your flavour preference (fruity, floral etc). Only one is included with the ticket price, but you can purchase more at 5 euros a pop. They also do group cocktail making classes too if you’ve booked in advance. As you leave, there’s a shop that sells all manner of cocktail making equipment, so if you’ve felt inspired by the museum you can take some bits home to make some yourself!

All in all, I would highly recommend a visit to the House of Bols as it showcases an interesting side to Dutch history and culture, it’s super fun to experience, and it ends with a tasting! Stay out of the cold and enjoy some gin instead.

If you want to find some more great things to do, see and eat then check out my Amsterdam edits (Part 1 here and Part 2 here) and my must-eat food guide!