Heineken International is a Dutch brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. As of 2006, Heineken owns over 115 breweries in more than 65 countries and employs approximately 57,557 people. It brews and sells more than 170 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers, including Cruzcampo, Tiger, Żywiec, Starobrno, Zagorka, Birra Moretti, Ochota, Murphy’s, Star and of course Heineken Pilsener. Heineken claims that the original Heineken recipe has not changed since the beer was first produced nearly 150 years ago.

With an annual beer production of 121.8 million hectoliters, Heineken ranks as the third largest brewery in the world after InBev and SABMiller, based on revenue. Heineken's Dutch breweries are located in Zoeterwoude and 's-Hertogenbosch. The original brewery in Amsterdam, closed in 1988, is preserved as a museum called Heineken Experience.