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You can only get it there: Bürgenbräu on the Bürgenstock

Up there it is, the Bürgestock Resort. We looked up from the ship and thought about how the day would turn out. The name of the hotel awakens weak memories: Half knowledge about glamour and disappointment about the intermediate status, the long uncertainty about what will happen with the Bürgenstock. On this day we will ascend the mountain and have an exclusive beer.

All these thoughts were activated when an e-mail landed in our mailbox: “Beer Launch Event at Bürgenstock Resort”. In the text continued: “We would like to celebrate the launch of our beer with you and plan a small and personal event together with you and some other food influencers and beer lovers”.

We figured we’ll go on this adventure and spend the day as a participating observer or gonzo journalist. Being an influencer for one day sounds really exciting. Above all because influencing is a career dream or dreamjob for today’s youth. There is even a training course for it. So, we climb the mountain and mock the people that show up?

No, definitely not. Influencer is if anything mainly an irritating term for people on new channels with more reach than certain newspapers and magazines. They attract more attention, due to the advertising and television frustration of young people. Correspondingly, the intention of the counterpart: Organizations hope to receive attention for their offers via bloggers or influencers.

Nevertheless, it’s somewhat amusing to spend an afternoon with people who take more pictures of their food than the average parents of their firstborn. Imagine if we took so many photos of beer bottles or cans. Follow us on Instagram.

Locally brewed and exclusive to the department

Actually, the story is quickly told: The Bürgenstock Resort (profile below) has its own beer, the “Bürgenbräu” (or 1 ½: they also have an IPA which exists under the breweries name, but is also released with a Bürgenstock label). It is brewed exclusively for the Bürgenstock at Lussi Getränke in Stans, Nidwalden and is the best-selling beer on the mountain. The resort is deservedly proud of the beer, which is why they have invited food and beer influencers to try it out and tell the world about it. Our we took a boat trip and Standseilbahn, were chauffeured to the brewery, where we had beer and sandwiches. Afterwards we went back to the mountain. There we partook in a beer cocktail creation challenge (beer cocktails supposedly are a trend now) and eating antipasta. There was dinner at the Oak Grill with beer pairing and afterwards a cheese dessert in the Taverne, also with beer pairing – which the Bürgenstock is capable of doing, as there’s a beer menu on the mountain.

According to the motto “let’s host the bejesus out of our guests”, the hosts accompanied us very courteously, told us a lot and fed us very generously. And they are not done with just having their own beer: they talk to local farmers so that local hops can be used (in general they like to feature local producers: we got to taste a cheese from just down the hill, which was delicious). Dominik Stalder, Assistant Food & Beverage Director, who guided us through the whole day, was also self-critical: He noticed that the beer recipe was still being worked on and that an adjustment was necessary, for example, with regards to carbon dioxide content. His passion for the beer project was obvious and refreshing.

And despite these upcoming changes, the lager was already rather solid. The malty sweetness is kept in check and the bitterness is discreetly present without disappearing. The beer is a successful compromise between mass suitability without becoming boring. It is therefore a flexible food companion, but can also be enjoyed on its own on the restaurant terrace.

Excursion destination with beer

Finally, and in conclusion: Monika Saxer’s Bierwanderbuch is a great success and the concept is obviously brilliant. It lists hikes, which all lead to a brewery or a special beer restaurant. If there is a new edition, a route including the Bürgenstock is almost inevitable, with the resort having an exclusive beer on offer. And what could be nicer than drinking a beer on a terrace with a fantastic view after a walk or as a stopover on a Lake Lucerne cruise or on a train or bus tour? All tickers (beer hunters who drink each beer only once) of this world further get to tick off a beer that is only available there (in the restaurants or the resort shop). Beer tourism must not only take place abroad, but may also happen in our country.
And those who have the necessary “loose change” can of course also stay there overnight or enjoy the beer in one of the 10 restaurants paired with a meal.

Bürgenstock in numbers

  • Number of hotels: 4
  • Prices per room: between CHF ~450 to CHF ~20’000
  • Number of restaurants: 10 (including Swiss, Asian – Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Indian, Arabic, grill where head to tail is processed)
  • Food: Cooked with passion
  • Spa with Infinitypool: Duh.
  • Tennis courts: 3, two of them indoor
  • Shops: Of course
  • Equipment: Beyond noble
  • Excursion destination: With stilettos or hiking boots

Disclaimer: Bürgenstock paid for all food consumption, plus the boat and Standseilbahn tickets. We ate with pleasure and chatted with the Bürgenstock staff and the food influencers (‘sup cuisinehelvetica, eat.meets.love, luzern_isst and marina_lovefoodish). We weren’t paid for writing this blog post, for complaining about too much carbon dioxide in the beer and for grumbling that we didn’t win the beer cocktail competition.

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