The Swiss..

I can still taste the wonderful flavor of the local Naturtrüb from the Rathaus Brauerei Restaurant in the city center of Luzern, Switzerland. This particular offering was their Helles Lager, not necessarliy the more complex and interesting beer I ever had however the company made it surely one of the most unforgettable experiences that come to mind in my drinking travels. Lori, my college roommate and great friend who has lived in and around Luzern for over 6 or so years was probably part of the reason. Not to mention Lukas her then 18 month old son, who of course could not sit still and promptly made friends with the table full of Swiss Military guys on leave.

My wife and I were over there to visit and knowing my love of beer, Lori knew I would not want to miss this and she was right. The food was ok, but what I most remember was the company and being able to share a few fresh unfiltered offerings from this rather small brewery while enjoying the people I so care for but only see maybe once a year if I am lucky. On this same trip I had enjoyed many other experiences in beer which you will of course read about if I have not bored you already but this is one that will truly stick out in my mind forever and while it was completely about the beer, it really was not. Would the beer have tasted the same in a random town, at another random brewery, in another place?

A little more about the brewery; quite a small space the brew house was in the middle of the place but the cooked wort was pumped down the street to a cellar where the fermentation and lagering tanks were. To get to them the brewer has to walk down the street and through a storefront, which I believe was a women's clothing store! When completed the finished product is pumped back down the street (literally in lines that run under the street in some way) to the serving tanks in the pub. Definitely not something you see here in the United States, but very interesting. They produce 4 to 5 beers year round, and also had a wheat beer, a dunkel of some sort when I was there and all were great. My wife was particularly fond of some of the traditional Swiss cuisine which consisted of what I was told were typical comfort food and sandwiches on fresh pretzel bread.

While in the place itself I was so caught up in the moment I did not get any pictures which is typically the way it happens, but I have included a view or two from the walk home from there which was to me at least breathtaking..