As surely not everyone here is following me on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057098784409), I decided to publish my reviews of the Swiss cantons on this blog too.
Here is the second part.

Fribourg – January 26 2023

The next canton on our list (sorted by the density of breweries per capita – from the lowest to the highest) is Fribourg.

With 1 brewery for 8’450 people, Fribourg stands light under the national average of 7’160.

There are 39 officially registered breweries in the canton of Fribourg, yet 3 of them – Boss’Beer, Molettes and le Fou du Roi – are what I name “procrastinators”, i.e. breweries which have not registered themselves in the new system of the Swiss customs, but appear to be still active.
As many as 7 of them seem to be inactive: Brädele Bräu, Brasserie de la Falaise, Brasserie du Chêne, Cow Water, la Voie de Garage, Meduzin and RDY Brew.

About one fifth are professionals, so a slightly higher proportion as the national one which lays between 10 and 15%.

The Google map of the canton can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Vg4J_Qq4aTuVexkDPGcCXtvOdxY&ll=46.74099424732195%2C7.064266000000021&z=10&fbclid=IwAR2hCe3NyvDnWSU_23RWMK9y_e4eZhX5Ky1zvOTl2oS4RczOlGmGXWR0C-k

The oldest active brewery in Fribourg is Fri-Mousse (1993), one of the pioneer of the craft beer revolution in Switzerland. It is followed by la Croix Blanche (1999) and Fleisch & Brau (2004).

Finding the biggest brewery of this canton is a difficult task, because since the closure of Cardinal, no breweries with a solid size have emerged. The five leaders – which are brewing a bit more or just a bit less than 1000 hectoliters yearly – are Freiburger Biermanufaktur, Fri-Mousse, Boss’Beer, le Fou du Roi and Fleisch & Brau. But in which order?

The only client brewerey known to me in this canton is Gruerius. The beers are brewed at Millevertus in Belgium.

Some former breweries are worth to mention. Firstly the historical ones: Cardinal (1788-2011) and Beauregard (1882-1970). Then two pioneers of the new beer era: la Houblonnière (1992-2001) and Haldemann (1998-2018).

What about the best (and worst) ones? To answer this existential question, I have attached the usual two charts, one with the Untappd ratings and the other with mine.

The correlation is perfect at the bottom of the scale where it clearly appears that the beers from la Croix Blanche and la Faougueuse should be drunk with caution.

Considering the best ones, it seems that I really have to put my hands on beers from Simply Bier, a brewery displaying a solid average and being clearly on top for this canton on Untappd.

The only consensus here between Untappd and myself is about Prévert. Otherwise, I had the pretty good Brädele Bräu (probably inactive nowadays?) which has not received enough ratings on Untappd. And in my opinion, Untappd users are underrating the Brasserie du Dzô and overrating Extra-Muros. But it could also be the other way round 😉

Appenzell Ausserrhoden – February 24 2023

With 1 brewery for 9’270 people, Appenzell Ausserrhoden in fact just moved behind Fribourg which I presented last. Such a small canton with very few breweries can of course move very fast up or down in the ranking.

There are actually 6 officially registered breweries in this canton, yet half of them – Eugster, Remise Braui and Rohner – seem to be inactive.

This canton has the particularity to be the only one from which I never had a single beer from…

The Google map of the canton can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1TMs3JaC4nG3HT_1PjVZgiy_MFjE&ll=47.41096571225446%2C9.4058045&z=12&fbclid=IwAR0_60BZs1v_EMNm805KU45GGc4HMo6Wvk_pR2__WF0SZ0HjegNRx8prWck

The oldest active brewery in Appenzell Ausserrhoden is BoFo (2003).
Talking of a “biggest” brewery for this canton is quite excessive. There are no professionals, so it could be also BoFo with very surely less than 100 hl yearly.

One former brewery is worth mentioning: the Kronenbrauerei (1875-1978) which had the official register number 6. As reminder: domestic breweries were registered for the first time in 1935 in line with the introduction of the general beverage tax. Starting in 1956, a numbering system was introduced. This was done alphabetically by canton – so Aargau first, then Appenzell and so on …

The question about the best brewery of the canton is totally open here, as I, like I said before, had no beers to help me answer this question and furthermore, only a single brewery appears on Untappd (BoFo with 30 check-ins and a very modest average of 3.24).

Has anyone of you guys already drunk a beer from Appenzell Ausserrhoden?

Glarus – March 21 2023

With 1 brewery for 8’240 people, Glarus is also light under the national average of 7’150.

There are 5 officially registered breweries in this canton. One is exactly what its name said: a homebrewery (“Elmer’s Huusbraueri”) while another is a really special one, as “Carlsberg Supply Company” is the headquarter of Carlsberg for the western europe. They registered themselves for their test laboratory. Getting a beer from there is very surely a real challenge.

The Google map of the canton can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1lQWXUevrhrgq3rRk8sbM-DEPjxc&ll=47.03364601124318%2C9.012788000000018&z=11&fbclid=IwAR3DYqU9crY3ZZ0i4Ql934-k8Him9aDStRtfc6gBbfgAFmV7orcXpghYLFQ

The oldest active brewery in Glarus is of course Adler (1828). It is also clearly the biggest with about 9’000 hectoliters produced yearly.

No client breweries are known to me while one former brewery is worth mentioning: Erlen (1827-1981; register number 22)

With only 3 breweries appearing on the ranking lists of Untappd and on mine, looking for the best (and worst) ones is not of great relevance. What can be said however, is that both Braucheib and Hopstache Brewing Brothers appear to have a lot of close friends… I mean, I do agree that both are producing good beers but look at their Untappd average: 4.13 respectively 4.02!

So they need 500 to 700 ratings more and they will both lead the ranking list of Switzerland… A bit weird if you ask me.

Zug – April 12 2023

With 1 brewery for 8’650 people, Zug is also light under the national average of 7’330.

There are 15 officially registered breweries in this canton, yet 1 of them – Chomer Braukunst (Abi & Abi) – has still not been able to record itself in the new application of the Swiss customs.

As many as 4 of them appear to be inactive: Baracca5, BGB Blüemlis Garagen Bräu, Gägi-Bräu and Hopfla Brauart. If someone reading this has different information, don’t hesitate to correct me.

About 40% are professionals, so a much higher proportion as the national one which lays between 10 and 15%.

The Google map of the canton can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1-QNwqgaG9bVwC7jVqaZzEXcnlfI&ll=47.17432671580431%2C8.517588500000013&z=13&fbclid=IwAR0NP7ffTN6oqv1ntxB_DIME_13pj-0ynBaGzfCIV48qjeVx7fc-nPDA10k

The oldest active brewery in Zug (and the 7th in the country) is Baar (1862). It is followed – much later – by Brewery Heaven and Einhorn-Bräu (2010).

Baar is also by far the biggest brewery in the canton with a production of 25’000 hl yearly. It is worth noting that this brewery is enjoying an impressive growth: 8’500 hl in 2005, 12’000 in 2008, 20’000 in 2016 and 25’000 in 2020.

It is followed very probably by Bachweg Brewing (production unknown to me) and Einhorn-Bräu (360 hl).
There are two client breweries (as far as I know) in this canton.
Lawinenbräu is offering hemp beers and was located in Schwyz between 2004 and 2006. They restarted their business 15 years later in Oberägeri, yet their beers are brewed by Rosengarten in the canton of Schwyz.

Kreuzmühle – a bakery – brewed its own beer since 2000. The production is nowadays made by Euelbräu (Winterthur)

What about the best (and worst) ones? To elucidate this question, I have again attached two charts, one with the Untappd ratings and the other with mine.

Untappd and yours truly agree that Kreuzmühle, Einhorn-Bräu, Eisbock and Baar do not compete for a medal…

Considering the best ones, Hopfetopf appears to be the winner, even if my preference goes slightly in favour of Götter Brauerei. And I really have to put my hands on beers from Chomer Braukunst, as Untappd users praise them.

Appenzell Innerrhoden – May 25 2023

The next canton on our list (sorted by the density of breweries per capita – from the lowest to the highest) is Appenzell Innerrhoden. This is at the same time the smallest Swiss canton and the one with the fewer breweries (2).

With 1 brewery for 8’200 people, this canton is also light under the national average of 7’330. Of course this can drastically change with each new opening or closure.

Despite its size, Appenzell Innerrhoden is home of the third biggest brewery of the country – Locher – with a yearly production of 400’000 hectoliters.
Locher is also the third oldest one (founded 1810). Some years ago, the discovery of old documents proving the existence of brewing activities in Appenzell as soon as 1778 gave Locher some hopes to be called the oldest one in activity, yet a link between those activities and the brewery Locher failed to be proven.

Locher is producing many beers under contract (like for Egger, Calvinus, Ackermann, Mein Emmental, …) and is exporting about 5’000 hl yearly.

The second brewery is a very new one (2021): Alpstein Craft Beer. I must confess I have no clue about its size and future ambitions.

The Google map of the canton can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Ykmbhy7U1hLoTr_5V95U_aaSars&ll=47.35104318277486%2C9.384136499999988&z=14&fbclid=IwAR3g6ZGabmmzucg_g8pWWIeRJgxm9IkcBXAkYq19WVguT3nNO9xFrSY4Vp0

Vaud – June 21 2023

With 1 brewery for 7’690 people, Vaud is also light under the national average of 7’330.

There are 101 officially registered breweries in this canton. It is the 4th most behind Bern, Zurich and Aarau.

Six more breweries are also listed on my homepage, as they were previously registered in the old system of the Federal Customs and clearly seem to be still active nowadays: Baz’Art, Concorde, Dystopian, Giez, Gonzo and Hordeum.

Not considered here are breweries which have never been registered (like Beear – formerly Beer Brothers Swiss – , Fennek, la Brasserie du Major and la Talentueuse).

As many as 18 of those 101 breweries appear to be inactive or are extremely discrete homebreweries. A pretty high proportion if you ask me…

About 40% are professionals, so a much higher proportion as the national one which is between 10 and 15%.

The Google map of the canton can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1hp1gffkCA7h9i_yzNDsuWbtiUTE&ll=46.55935703737753%2C6.619613499999998&z=9&fbclid=IwAR0PrR2x-kFETAsQcauJa1CpeDDeqbLXKeM189HXck-9GJdgyQaPBPWft8U

The oldest active brewery in Vaud is Boxer (1960). It is followed by Château (1997) and Brasserie de la Côte (1999).
Boxer – named Chopfab Boxer nowadays – is also by far the biggest brewery in the canton with a production close to 60’000 hl yearly. It is followed by Doctor Gab’s (20’000) and la Nébuleuse (6’000).

There are three client breweries known to me in this canton: Cayon’s, Yeasty Luppulo & The Naked Oats and la Cave de la Rose d’Or.

There are some former breweries in this canton that I would like to mention here, for different reasons.

First of all the one which lasted for the longest time: Orbe, Fertig Frères (1848-1970). I wonder if someone here is old enough to have tasted their beers!
Then, in no particular order, some pioneers and especially good breweries. Some are cumulating both criteria and others, well, were just pioneers … I am sure you can put them where they belong 😉
Bière du Foudre (2000-2014)
Brasserie de l’Ours (2005-2020)
les Faiseurs de Bière (2000-2014)
Speed Club (2000-2005)
Trois Dames (2003-2020)
Côte West (2015-2023)

What about the best (and worst) ones? To elucidate this existential question, I have again attached two charts, one with the Untappd ratings and the other with mine.

On the top – and if we can agree that the insane Untappd average of les Vieux Grinches will not stay at this level – there are surely À Tue-Tête followed by Cayon’s.

Then come breweries like Dystopian, Drunk Beard … and probably les Vieux Grinches.

At the other end of the scale appear les Brasseurs, la Pêcherie and Triumvirat. Untappd emphasizes further to be careful with Magic Hop and la Brasserie des 4 Vents while, for myself, do not really recommend Drunk Cat and Haut-Lac.

cheers!