Northeast Switzerland Brewpubs

In the lakeside town of Wadenswiler, south of Zurich, The Wadi-Brau-Huus serves some great beers in their pleasant bar / restaurant / terrace. Their beers are only available on site and at a take-away downstairs.

While we were there, a brewing seminar was taking place. 14 people paid 139 CHF (about $105) to watch a 5-hour brewing session, have dinner, samples, and experience the finer points of professional brewing. Although some were "hobby brewers", most attended for fun and curiosity.

They hold this "Grosse Brauseminar" 4 or 5 times a year and have shorter sessions, 30 minutes to 3 hours, about twice a month.

Frauhenfeld, northeast of Zurich, has the Brauhuus Sternen, a deceptively large restaurant with many rambling rooms. They also bottle and have some accounts in town and in Zurich. It opened in December, 2003.

In Konstanz, Germany, we got off a ferry and saw a sign for the Ruppaner Braurei. Whipped the car right, scaring Terry.

Turns out this large brewery has a tied house next door, the Cafe Hoheneggisa in an uninspiring brick building with a million-dollar view (across the parking lot) of Lake Constance. They say "since 1795".

Near the east end of Lake Constance, Arbon, Switzerland, boasts the Gasthoff Brauerei Frohsinn - a real jewel. It's a 100-year old hotel, upscale restaurant, and beer keller rolled into one within a building remodeled in 1986 that's spotlessly clean throughout.

We were shown about by an enthusiastic and cordial woman who called her daughter, Judith Krim, to help translate. We mention Judith by name because she's married to an American in New Glaris, WI and is an avid fan of the New Glaris brewery.

Their two staples are a full, clean Blonde and a nice brown Dunkle lager.

Seasonals include a Strong beer using wheat and corn, a Maibock, a medium Pils, and a Guinness-style stout. All were out of stock at our visit. They went through 1000 liters of the Strong beer in just a couple of weeks.

They brew weekly and lager long, as evidenced by the 12 1000 liter lagering vats that double as serving tanks.

Jazz, blues, or Gospel is live every weekend. Just the place to base a week visit to the southern Germany, Northern Switzerland, Western Austria, Lichtenstein area. June is a fine time for it, beat the tourists, still have snow on the mountains, weather in the 60s and 70s.

"Mainly, The Frohsinn beer is bottom fermented. But, as an old custom, one or two brews of top fermented Stout is brewed every year."

Down the road in Rorsarch, the Lowengarten brewery which distributes to a wide region in Switzerland and Austria. Rorsarch is a hip little lake town with a Ferrari dealer.

The Lowen Pub has rich all-new cherry veneer and check out the booth seating at the bar in the picture to the right - great idea. And couldn't that picture be an advertising poster?

Lowen Prinz and Lowen Dunkel Spezial are in bottles and Lowen Strange Hell Spezial on tap. The later is a robust yellow lager, quite effervescent, not at all hoppy (which seems to be the region's main style characteristic). Mild but promises an alcoholic kick after 2 (or 2:30 at the latest).