The BLZ Company, success with a local flavour

Microbrewery Fridays - Max Moeschler

Like the plethora of craft breweries emerging in French-speaking Switzerland, Orvin's Brasserie BLZ Company is on a roll. Since it was founded in 2014, its success has continued to grow, as has its production to meet exponential demand, and its reputation, which now extends far beyond the borders of the small village in the Bernese Jura.

It was in the summer of 2014 that the seeds of this impressive success were sown by the brewery's founders, brothers Guillaume and Arthur Balz. Both passionate about the world of craft beers American, they tried their hand at brewing, first in their small kitchen in Orvin. As the project quickly took shape, the name «La Balzeuse» was first chosen, before becoming «BLZ Company» when the team expanded to meet growing demand. «The reason for the “Company” in the name of the brewery is to’encompass all those involved in any way with the project and make it a reality,» they explain.

As the brewery developed and its products became increasingly successful, the need for new, more spacious premises became apparent. This was achieved at the beginning of 2017 with the acquisition of a new brewing space in Biel. Among other things, the new facility boosts production capacity to nine hundred liters per brew, enabling more stable brewing and more precise flavor control. This success leads BLZ to win first prize at the Artisa'malt festival in 2017 for the Mosaic IPA.

Respect for the environment and short supply chains are also at the heart of the brewery's philosophy: «Using local resources can paraîThe brewers point out that, although the region is an obvious one, its production, particularly of malt, is still rare. In order to offer resolutely local and natural products, the brewery is involved in a number of collectives, such as the »Malticulture« cooperative in Delémont, which aims to encourage and promote the production of quality local malt, and the »Bois ta Région« association, which promotes the production and distribution of regional beverages.

But neither the passion of its creators, nor their commitment to the environment, would have been enough to build such a success story without the essentials: surprising, high-quality beers. These beers derive their originality from unusual ingredients in beer, such as mate or gentian. There are six of them, each with its own unique flavours and strong character. From the highly sought-after Mosaic IPA, with its unique fruity bitterness, to Black Roots, a highly distinctive brown ale flavored with gentian, to the astonishing Don Maté with its mysterious flavors, BLZ Company has something to please every palate eager for beer and discovery.

Photo credit: © Yolane Rais