A) Yes, this is what I heard from two beer-brewers, that the water used is important in the beer. And that the "Hürlimann" done in Rheinfelden no longer is "Hürlimann"
B) Champagne made in London under licence of course would be
Well, amusingly written but wrong. The Kronenburg Brewery DID produce this beer already in times when the Alsace was German
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Hardly. They knew about the heavy sugar-content in beer. THIS is why people with diabetes have to stop with beer and Porto-wine and liqueurs but can continue with wine and Vodka and Whisky and Calvados.
When Australia started to produce fizzy wine and called in Champagne, the French complained. The Australians said "So? Invade!"
Years ago I used to drink Green Point fizz. It differed from Moet et Chandon in two ways - it wasn't called champagne and it was half the price. It was made by Moet though. ( Ok, third difference - it was made in Australia ). Tasted IDENTICAL.
Of course, now I don't touch the stuff. Stick to Dom Perignon.
It's not the greatest beer in the world, though certainly not the worst (I find the Mullerbräu from Baden is actually undrinkable rather than merely bad). For supermarket-available Swiss beer, the best I've found (that I can get round here) is Quöllfrisch, and my perception is that Appenzell seems to be the most reliable beer brewing area in Switzerland. I've just had a few Paddy's day Guinesses in Pickwick's, in Baden, which were passable (though I'm not generally a Guiness drinker). I've still not found a reliable solution to the "Swiss beer problem" short of crossing the Rhine and drinking in Germany, but for me Waldshut isn't too far away, and the last train back is late enough that it is at least an option. I think I need to find a convenient british CAMRA beer festival that I can get to soon, though.
also the small ones are crap! nats p.i.ss. paul, turbine, sprint etc. is way to light. all of them swiss beers are. they taste to me like what we call in germany hell/helles. and i drink only pils=lager.
feldschlösschen advertises on tv that they use the best hops that leaves no bitter (what the swiss call) aftertaste. and i sat there screaming: noooo!
each 2 month we have a beerday at work, means apero with beer, on a friday, 4:30 pm. my office sets it up and the first months i took over the beer supply. each time i bought nothing swiss but czech budweiser, staropramen, pilsener urquell, wernesgrüner, radeberger, bitburger, guinness, kilkenny, murphys, duvel, etc...the best stuff from coop or drinks of the world.
my boss then got a complaint that the beer was crap and i told the jannitor: please take the supply over. i cant buy this s.h.it, tough its corporate money. now they have back their feldschlösschen and quöllfrisch. but the worst ever is appenzeller. i get headache from it while drinking. i swear to god! in some clubs i have changed to gspritzter weisser, standing around like a queer sippin. it lead to the situation that i dont go out anymore, rarely only. so i save money...
the best beer in switzerland for me is hürliman. it got the best pils taste available. needless to say that the swiss hate that the most...thats why its maybe the cheapest in my local cornershop: yay!
I only go out rarely these days, but I make a point of only going to places with at least a couple of Belgians. As luck would have it the bar I see from my bedroom window has a half dozen very nice Belgians on hand . Got to save up for that though...
Thank God the trains have Erdinger hefeweizen at least .
The best cheap quoffing lager that I have found (for refreshment whilst working outside etc.) is Farmer beer from Landi. I am a big fan of Landi but stayed well clear of this beer cos it was too cheap at 60 something raps a can.
Then someone told me to try it and read the can. It's brewed in Germany and for the money is pretty decent. Much much better than any Swiss main stream beers.
Then of course, there is Spiffing Ales and Rappi Bier....
I might recommend the Italian champagne, the PROSECCO, which in many cases is at least as good as that product from the Champagne, but generally far less expensive
the SPUMANTE is similar but usually of lesser quality. Many Spumante however are really good in reality
I guess I should clarify, I don't mean "Apenzeller Bier", I mean the small breweries in that area seem to be better than the small breweries in other areas (if they even exist), and they still seem to be in the "least worst" rather than actively drinkable. I guess my main problem is that most of the people I hang out with here are not the sort of people who actually care about their beer, and are quite happy with whatever happens to fill their glass, and I'm too meek to insist on otherwise.
Jahhh! Sonnenbräu is the tipple of choice in the Rheintal. They now have a Weizen that is, come to think of it quite drinkable, although you can get a batch that is 'yeasty' but they only started brewing Weizen last year so it may be that they don't quite have the knack yet but they are getting there.
What gets me sometime is that a bar hereabouts could have the planets best beers and a choice selection from all countries and what would a Swiss order???
I'm really surprised that people are complaining about Appenzeller. For me this brewery produces produces the best mainstream (i.e. large brewery) beers here . . . Qüollfrisch, Naturperle and Vollmond are all decent beers (especially in comparison to something like Kilkenny! ).
Of course, you'll always get better from smaller breweries who care passionately about what they're doing. I quite enjoy the Calvinus beers from Geneva.
Last year during our wedding reception we put-awayseveral kegs (ie hundreds of litres!) of Feldschlösschen fresh from our own sweet tap (hired). It was a beautiful beautiful thing.
No-one complained and average consumption must have been 3-5 litres each.
at club zukunft they serve it and i am absolutely fine with any 5 bottles 0.3l beer of any kind....after i had 3...i threw up on the streets home. and this hasnt happend for the last 20years what ever beer i ever had!
id be so fair to admit: it could be an allergic reaction to its ingredients...but any appenzeller, especially vollmond is the antichrist of beer to me.