If you’re feeling a little parched on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon, then take a tram to the Plantage for a microbrewery tour, a few beers and some snacks in the shadow of one of the city’s few remaining windmills.
As the afternoon wears on, the voices of Dutch speakers gradually get drowned out by the din of tourists and foreign beer enthusiasts who have come to this iconic building next to the historic De Gooyer windmill to take advantage of the brew tour that’s held here in English every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 15:30 (16:00 in Dutch). Tickets, which are actually plastic tokens good for a tour and a beer, cost €4.50, but bear in mind that it’s best to get here early to sample at least one brew before you learn about how the amber nectar is made. The seating in the tasting room is limited, which is why there are another dozen or so picnic tables outside. What could be more Amsterdam than sipping a locally produced beer with a sausage and cheese plate next to a giant windmill only a short tram ride from touristy Leidseplein? Take tram No.10 toward Azartplein from Leidseplein, get off at the Hoogte Kadijk stop and turn right.