Heineken Experience Tour

The Heineken Experience Tour takes place at the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, Holland where the family company and brand was founded. Heineken Beer is one of the most, if not the most, popular brands of beer in the world. The tour is designed to give fans of the beer a peak into the history, production and marketing of the beer. Whilst on my Study Abroad trip in Belgium, I had the opportunity to visit Amsterdam for a day and take the tour.

I will admit, I was not looking forward to the Heineken Tour at first. Over the space of a month we had toured 4 breweries in Belgium and I was over learning ‘more’ about hops/barley/yeast and the fermenting process. Little did I know this was going to be the BEST brewery tour ever!

The tour is self guided, which was great because you can go at your own pace without feeling like you’re holding up the rest of the group. The first part of the tour explained the rich history of the family owned company and the transitions of the packages of the beer.

The next part of the tour showed the process of brewing… Again, I loved that  the tour was self paced so we were free to stop and watch a demonstration here and there and move on – I really enjoyed the freestyle of the tour, definitely made it a lot more enjoyable than the other brewery tours I went on.

Hops and Barley…. important ingredients!

Next up was the “Brew You Ride” – I don’t want to give away details and spoil the surprise for anyone that has yet to go but lets just say, it’s nothing like you’ve ever experienced before – you are go throw the motions of being brewed – literally…..

Following the ride was the opportunity to taste the beer – what’s a brewery tour without a tasting? Of course, I had tried Heineken before but nothing tastes better than free beer. Lucky for me, I actually won TWO free glasses of beer. The beer tender asked “what is Heineken Beer often referred to” – I thought it was a trick question because the answer was so ‘easy’. When no-one answered, I said “Liquid Gold” and along came the second glass of beer. I thank my awesome guy friends who often call it just that.

Free Beer!!

You’d think the tour would’ve ended there. No Sir, it did not. The real fun began next. They were smart in calling it the ‘Heineken Experience Tour’ because it was indeed an experience. The rest of the tour went a lot into the marketing of Heineken. There was a special section for viewing retro commercials; a lounge with loud music and party scenes on huge screens; 007 James Bond features; a DJ game-room and other interactive systems.

Pretending to be a DJ

Last but not least, the Heineken store – not your typical souvenir shop. Everything from retro memorabilia to shirts to beer glasses that you could get your loved one’s name in it carved into it.

If I get the chance to go back to Amsterdam I would definitely do this tour again. My classmates and I were short on time so we didn’t get to do absolutely everything. It is a must do if you take a trip to Amsterdam, whether or not you’re a beer drinker. I recommend budgeting at least 2 hours to do the tour, the store alone will take up 30 minutes because there are so many intriguing items to buy.

Have you taken the Heineken Experience Tour? Have you ever toured their other breweries in another country?

Urban Flats – My absolute favorite restaurant

I kinda feel like a nerd writing about my favorite restaurant but this past week I introduced 2 of my co-workers to Urban Flats, they LOVED it and were surprised that they never ate there before, so I decided I would share my little hidden gem of awesome with everyone 🙂

Urban Flats is a chic, up-scale, casual dining restaurant and wine bar, that specializes in gourmet flatbreads, wraps, “flatwiches” and small plates. It’s located in Downtown Orlando on Church St. with a few other locations in Florida.

I think my favorite things about Urban Flats is that their portions are PERFECT and their prices are very affordable (items ranging from $5-$12). They have a full bar and a variety of wines to compliment each dish.

During the week they have “Wine Down Wednesdays”, for $20 you can sample a variety of wines and appetizer/flatbread pairings. On Thursdays, they have specials for Ladies Night: $5 flatbreads, $4 cocktails and free dessert.

Here are the flatbreads we tried:

OVEN ROASTED VEGETABLE FLAT : sun-dried tomato pesto topped with roasted vegetables and parmesan cheese

MIDWESTERN FLAT : tender sliced steak and roasted potatoes with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, red onion, bacon bits, scallions and a sour cream drizzle

For our free dessert we each got a mini ice cream sandwich: 2 warm tollhouse chocolate chip cookies with ice cream in the middle… As soon as they came out we downed them, totally forgot to take a pic.

Take a look at their menu!

What’s your favorite restaurant? Have you ever eaten at Urban Flats? Which flatbread/dish have you tried?

Halloween is a season now, apparently.

The last time checked, Halloween was only ONE day in October. But that’s not the case in Central Florida.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios and Howl-O Scream at Busch Gardens kicked off this past Friday – (September 21st) – That’s more than a month before Halloween! Disney takes the cake though, ‘Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party’ at Magic Kingdom started on September 11th. Move over Fall – there’s a new season in town! *steps down from soapbox* Anyway, the buzz in Orlando right now is about the Halloween themed events at the parks. I want to say they do these types of events for tourists but honestly, the FL residents look forward to this every year! Basically the parks operate normally during the day, they close at 5/6 to set up, then at 6:30-7pm they reopen and you must enter with an event ticket as your regular daytime ticket will not get you in.

The first (and last) time I went to HHN was back in 2010.

Halloween Horror Nights XX [20 years of scare]

My friends always spoke about how awesome and fun it was so I wanted to experience it for myself. The fact that I was scared to even go on the website should have been the first indication that it was going to be too intense for me. I did not expect the park to look so different – It was transformed! Extremely dark pathways; scare zones with people with REAL CHAINSAWS; people walking around that looked like zombies, and haunted houses. There were about 8 haunted houses, each with a different theme. I remember 2 distinctively: ‘Zombies Geddon‘ and ‘Orphanage‘. I’m getting goosebumps just reminiscing. Universal does such a great job with casting for these events its phenomenal.  Walking through Zombies Geddon was HONESTLY like experiencing a real life nightmare/horror movie. Pale, bald men wearing orange jumpsuits were either chained by their necks to a wall or behind a chain-link fence. They all looked possessed and were determined to either eat or capture each person that walked through, reaching out as far as their chains let them. To make it even scarier, it was dark with flashing strobe lights so everything looked like it was in slow motion. I was on the brink of tears when we got out – I was so scared!!

Now, Orphanage wasn’t that scary, it was just CREEPY! Once again, the place was dark, but this time no strobe lights, just a bunch of mirrors. When you thought you were looking through a door, you were looking at a mirror that showed something on the other side of the room. There was a little girl with red eyes riding around on a tri-cycle in the distance. As you walked through you’d hear giggling and then sometimes screams.

With all that being said, I will never ever go to another HHN nor will I dare to try Howl O Scream. I refuse to pay money to experience a real nightmare. If you’re into that stuff, you’ll have a blast! But, if you are faint of heart (like me), Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party might be more suitable.

Have you ever been to Halloween Horror Nights? Were you scared out of your mind like me? Will you go back this year?

Las Olas Wine Cafe

I’ve developed a serious liking for Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. There are so many great restaurants, bars and lounges concentrated in one area that if you don’t like one, there’s another one across the street to try 🙂

I learned about  this quaint little wine cafe on WSVN’s (Channel 7) Bite with Belkys – a segment of the news where reporter Belkys Nerey goes to different restaurants in South Florida and learns how the chef makes a signature dish. I started following them on Twitter and found out about their Manic Monday specials (2 for 1 glasses of wine and tapas) so I was curious to see what the place was all about.

This wine bar has about 20-30 bottles of wine on dispensers that allow you to select ‘a taste’ (roughly an ounce or two), half glass or full glass. The cost per taste/glass differs from wine to wine – a taste is typically $1-$3, half glass is around $4/$5 and a full glass about $7. You purchase a card to use in the machines. You insert the card into the machine; place your glass under the spout; select the wine and desired size; gulp and repeat 🙂 .

The wine dispensers

‘Wine Card’

What I love about this place and other wine bars that use this technology is that you can sample so many different wines without committing to an entire glass. I’m still new to wine drinking so I’m always hesitant to order an entire glass when I’m not sure if I’m going to like it. There are descriptions below each bottle to give you an idea of the taste to expect. Our waiter was VERY knowledgeable about the different wines and made great suggestions of what I should try based on my preferences.

So many choices…

Now on to the food. 2 for 1 tapas *hearts in eyes*. The Argentinean Empanadas were the best empanadas I’ve ever tasted in my life!

Argentinean Empanadas – (Choice of Beef or Chicken) Turnovers stuffed with Certified Black Angus ground beef or Bell & Evans® Chicken served with mango papaya chutney. [I got the Chicken ones, so good!]

 We also ordered the Bruschetta – so simple and SO GOOD!

And then ordered the Roasted Red Peppers. It was good, but I probably won’t order it again, I had different expectations and I’ve come to realize I just don’t like red peppers prepared that way.

Roasted red peppers, red onion, capers, garlic, fresh basil, served with sliced baguette.

Last but not least, the Mediterranean Hummus – SO GOOD!!!

Home-made hummus (chick peas), garlic, lemon juice, tahini, glazed with extra virgin olive oil served with warm pita bread.

Their menu also has suggestions for wine pairings – great touch!

They change the wine selections very often so every time you go, there’s something new to try. It’s a nice spot for a small intimate gathering of friends. They offer different specials each day of the week so there’s always an excuse to drink wine 🙂 .

A view of the inside

To see their full menu, you can check out their website and follow them on twitter to see what specials are happening each day of the week.

Are you into wine? Have you ever gone to a wine bar like this? What’d you think of it?

Tap42 – A Beer Enthusiast’s Haven in Fort Lauderdale

Tap42 is a gastropub located just south of Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale. It’s a great place to check out if you’re looking for interesting domestic and international craft beers, and awesome food to accompany them. They set themselves apart from other pubs in the area by their IMMENSE variety of crafts beers on tap.

The taps behind the bar

I found out about this restaurant on twitter when they started following me. The instant I checked out their website I knew I had to give it a try. Listed under ‘Tap Beers’ on their website are two Belgian favs of mine: Lindemans Framboise Lambic (a fruity beer, raspberry sour flavor) and Hoegaarden (a cloudy wheat citrus flavored beer).

Lindemans Framboise Lambic (Raspberry flavored beer)

Their menu is definitely not the typical bar food menu. I’ve never seen ‘Mussels” on a menu at a Gastropub. The menu features international classics, like “Mussels and Fries” and “Guiness Fish & Chips”, as well as their own classic dishes like “Florida Rock Shrimp Mac n Cheese” and “Three Little Piggy” Burger.

Mussels & Fries – Maine Mussels, Shallots, Garlic, Fine Herbs, White Wine, Crème Fraiche

Florida Rock Shrimp Mac and Cheese: Trotolle Pasta, Irish White Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Crimini Mushrooms, Tomato, Mad Herbs, Bread Crumbs

“Three” Little Piggy: Pork and Beef Blend, Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork, Country Ham, Bourbon BBQ, Whole Grain Mustard, Bibb lettuce, Pickled jalapeno, Provolone, Brioche Bun

At first I thought their menu was a bit over-priced (average $11 for appetizers and $12-$24 for entrees) but when I got my food, I realized the quality is high and portions are quite generous and justify the prices.

As for the draft beers and cidars, they are listed on a chalkboard above the bar, with the consecutive tap numbers, alcohol content and price per glass. A craft beer runs you about $8-$10 a glass, whereas the bottled beers are about $5. I’m a beer enthusiast but, $10 for a glass of beer is a lil on the high side for me, especially when some of the beers can be found in the supermarket at that price for a 6-pack. For the international beers that you can’t normally find at other bars or in the supermarket, I can justify the price.

Tap42 has great happy hour and daily specials: Wednesday is Ladies Nights 7pm-9pm – Ladies drink free, WOOT! Daily Happy Hour special: half off anything you can drink from 4pm to 7pm as well Sunday Brunch specials.

If you’re a beer fan, Tap42 is a must to check out. Even if you’re not a fan of beer, it’s worth a try. The bartenders are very educated on the beers and will be able to recommend something for you to try. They also have an extensive choice of bourbons and cocktails for you to choose from.

Have you ever been to Tap42? What did you order?