Beers of Switzerland

Presentation

This page is designed for all the beer lovers who live in or intend to visit Switzerland.
Here you will find:
 - a list of Swiss breweries, brewpubs, beer-shops, home-brewing suppliers;
 - a list of interesting foreign breweries, just behind the border;
 - a list of Swiss beers, with ratings.

Just a some years ago, Switzerland was the Country of a few beers, mostly not worth to mention.

In last days we can see a new age of craftsmen beers. In a few years many micro-breweries and brewpubs were born, offering to beerlovers the chance to taste different products from the serialized ones brewed by the major holdings. Some of them won prizes abroad and start being known also in foreign countries (La Sierrvoise, Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes, ...), others are gathering more and more appreciation (Bäre-Bräu, Haldemann, Unser Bier, La Prevotoise, ...)

Nevertheless, on the other side, the national giant Feldschlossen acquired other breweries (Hurlimann, Cardinal, Valaisanne, Warteck, Gurten, ...), and discontinued the production of many brands; in turn, Feldschlossen sold his beverage activity to Carlsberg (nov 2000). Samichlaus, the most famous Swiss beer, has gone out of production since 1996 (to the last 5 bottles in our cellar we dedicate this page background). Many beers actually are brewed by a brewery that doesn't correspond to the label (Ackermann, Ittinger, Actienbrauerei, Frères Papinot, ...), which puts in some confusion.

We don't intend to give in this page a social-economical description, or whatsoever, but just invite the travellers in this Country and its inhabitants to discover the hidden treasures that sometimes are just round the corner.
Thus we list the breweries (not always opened to the public), the brewpubs, the best shops (most of all specialized in Belgian beers, with a real huge selection; but also small shops with a few Swiss beers).

Enjoy this adventure, Alessandro.