«Alpenbier, the new Swiss star of SBB restaurants

Microbrewery Fridays - Jonas Follonier

Sipping this little-known beer from the far reaches of Central Switzerland—which has recently been featured in the dining cars of SBB trains—is a truly unique experience. A journey and a surprise are guaranteed in the land of organic alcohol.

The idea was to try «something else.» A hoppy brew different from Nostra, a poor-quality Ticino beer that we had lowered in both senses of the word. Today, our media is turning into a “drunken gaze.” Not that I’ve tried several different bottles of this beer: the “drunkenness” here refers to intellectual pleasure—the pleasure of having set aside my prejudices.

Naturally cloudy, as the brewery states in its description available here, the’Alpenbier makes the drinker feel a bit uneasy at first sip. That’s because you have to get used to all these unusual flavors, which are undoubtedly the result of the lack of filtration and the cloudiness caused by the yeast. Once the initial coldness and conformity have been shaken off, a growing appreciation begins to take hold. And the magic happens, revealing hints of bizarre citrus notes and psychedelic freshness.

Yes, this beer from Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz is quite enjoyable—and that’s putting it mildly. It’s an opportunity to write a review that’s anything but undrinkable. And to sincerely applaud the Swiss Federal Railways for promoting local and eco-friendly products, since, after all, our tax dollars are at stake, and it would be a shame not to offer one of the five hundred varieties of craft beer brewed in our country. Cheers.

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Photo credit: © Jonas Follonier for Le Regard Libre