Swiss craft beer celebrated in Zug

For the third time, "independent beers" from all over Switzerland can be tasted and evaluated on 12th October.

The Brewfest 2019 will once again be promoting small breweries from all over Switzerland who produce craft beer. Craft beer (see info box at the end of the text) is an emerging trend in Swiss beer culture, and will be promoted by the Brewfest.

The festival will start in Zug's i45 cultural centre on Saturday, October 12th, just before noon. Drinkers will receive a souvenir glass and three yellow chips, with which he/she can vote for his/her favourites. The beer that receives most votes will win the Zug Brewfest People's Choice Award. This means that there will be no jury to judge the beers by criteria. People should vote for the beer that tastes best, and that beer will receive a prize. The "tasting" runs throughout the day while eating, playing and celebrating. The submitted chips will be counted In the evening, and the three most popular beers will be proclaimed. They will receive a medal at the award ceremony as well as a certificate, which is then usually displayed in their breweries.

The nine participating breweries come from all over Switzerland. One from Ticino, one from Lausanne, two from Nidwalden, one from Zurich and three from Zug. They all offer different flavours or flavours in different variants. There is no mass production for craft beer, which is not your typical beer. Most brewers are new to the craft beer industry, and are happy about start-up help like the "Brewfest".

"We want to give the small breweries from Switzerland, and especially those from Zug, a chance to present their beers. They rely on such festivals," says Anthony Barringer, one of the organisers. Together with Timothy Meeks, one of the owners of the "Bachweg Brewing" craft beer from Edlibach, they are organising the Brewfest for the third time. "The participation fees for the breweries are low. And they can keep all the revenue they generate during the festival," says Barringer.

The Brewfest in Zug entices with true conviviality. The first two events (in the picture the one from 2018) were visited by numerous beer lovers.

In addition to beer, the festival offers something else: There are food stalls and play areas with child care. Bands will be playing throughout the festival, with music ranging from acoustic and relaxed to rocky covers, but also own compositions. "The whole thing should be a family event. We want to appeal to an audience from young to old”, says Barringer. Not much will change at the festival compared to the previous years. The organisers are still excited about the venue. "The i45 fits perfectly with our groove," explains Barringer. The supporting program has also proven itself in recent years, and can be safely continued. The organisers owe that to their partners, who have also taken care of social media and marketing, in addition to the supporting program. A new feature is the charity foundation, the Cedar Foundation Switzerland, to which part of the revenue will go.

There are already two well-known Brewfests in Zurich, and one in Lucerne. The Brewfest wants to bring the Swiss craft beer culture closer to the people of Zug. The two Zug Brewfests in 2017 and 2018 were successful, and the organisers hope that it will also run well this year. "In any case, it’s already clear that there will be another Brewfest in 2020," Barringer proudly announces.

Note
The 3^rd Zug Brewfest takes place in the i45, Industriestrasse 4, in Zug von Saturday, October 12, from 11.30 am to 10 pm. More details can be found on www.zugbrewfest.com.