Here I am in St. Gallen Switzerland, where my wife has been for conferences twice in the past. Apparently Switzerland's oldest brewery is right across from the hotel. How come I was told of this ahead of time? Its the Schutzengarten. Jihad the Scwarzer bar (dunkel) at lunch and it was really good. Any one else have experience with Swiss beer?
Spent some time in Interlaken and enjoyed the beer. Was nothing greatly special*, but fresh -- and the scenery helped make it memorable. Looking at the Rugenbräu web site I was reminded of their Zwickel Bier -- very tasty stuff.
Easily the most recognizable Swiss Brewery: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2958 BFM is world class. Some of their brews are polarizing, but it's on the whole delicious, if not pricey over here in the states. I love Italian beer, but you'd be surprised. And be careful, you might lure out GiovanniLucano for the digital high-five!
If you can make it to Rapperswil (not far from St. Gallen), these beers are great: http://www.bierfactory.ch/beer/?lang=en You can drink them in the taproom and buy to go. Run by a guy from the US and a guy from New Zealand.
I recall sitting in the Zurich train station in 2007 (before I was REALLY into beer) and there were A LOT of options to choose from at the bar. Was it good? I do not recall. But if you're at the train station, the bar was awesome.
I worked and traveled in Switzerland for several weeks a couple of years ago and had the chance to sample quite a few Swiss beers. Many were German styles or pale Euro lagers (some quite good, others average), but I did have a Swiss-brewed IPA from Brasserie Trois Dames. As is the case in most of Europe, distribution is quite local (apart from the big national brands), which means that beer selection often depends on the region you're visiting. I think it keeps things interesting and fun while traveling.
I have now had four of these beers. They are all quite good. I highly recommend Schutzengarten beers if you ever get the chance. Good old world styles.
I have been quiet lately due to those mid/north westerners giving me issues and accusing me of being too pushy which is never my goal in all this. Yes, this forum is one of first in dealing with beer, and it was hard for me to adjust. I am so much better in person then online...
