Celestial, a promising newcomer2 reading minutes

Microbrewery Fridays - Max Moeschler

Popular with holidaymakers in summer and nature-lovers in search of enchanting landscapes in winter, the marshes and beach at La Tène, at the eastern end of Lake Neuchâtel, have all the makings of an unspoilt paradise, set between an industrial zone and the conurbation. nearby. It's in this unique setting that the young and dashing Brasserie Celestial has been built.

Founded only in April this year, the flamboyant Brasserie Celestial thinks big. Founded by Marianne, who previously worked in communications, and Peter, a passionate brewer, the brewery is capable of producing 4,000 liters a week, making it the largest craft brewery, in terms of production capacity, in the canton of Neuchâtel.

It was during a trip to the United States that Peter discovered the immense diversity of the market. Craft Beers across the Atlantic. This journey inspired the six beers that make up the brewery's assortment, and the spirit that characterizes them: «you can't please everyone, and you're not going to try! Following this credo, the beers produced at La Tène all have a strong character, resolutely oriented towards typical, strongly hopped flavours. The bitterness imparted by the hops is their creator's pet peeve: »If it were up to me, they'd all be more bitter,« he laughs.

The beers therefore come in six different forms, each capable of charming a different palate. The white, «l'Intemporelle», the brewery's only Belgian-style beer, and bestseller is also the most accessible and pleasantly refreshing. Hopped beers of the Pale Ales and IPA beers in particular: the excellent «Tène out of Tène», pale ale extremely fruity, the powerful «7ème ciel», a double IPA with marked bitterness and woody aromas, and the very interesting «Dernier cri», in the style New England IPA, with its aromas of vine peach and mild bitterness, will delight novices and seasoned connoisseurs alike.

The range is successfully rounded off by «Elektron libre», an American-inspired caramel amber ale, and «l'Autre monde», stout with a clean bitterness and brewed with coffee, to the delight of our taste buds. If Celestial continues in this vein, there's no doubt that it will find itself at the forefront of the Swiss beer scene in the not-too-distant future.

Write to the author: max.moeschler@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Brasserie Celestial