🇨🇭 Lucerne
Rathaus Brauerei
The wort runs through a 70-metre conduit tunnelled under the old town to reach the fermentation cellar, a world first when it was built in 1998. The beer follows the 1516 purity law and is brewed with Pilatus spring water.
Right on the Reuss under the arcades of the old Town Hall (Rathaus), a minute from the Chapel Bridge, this microbrewery has brewed in copper vats on the premises since 1998, following the German purity law of 1516 and using spring water from Mount Pilatus. The engineering quirk is real: the wort flows through a 70-metre conduit dug under the old town to reach the cellar, which was a world first at the time.
The signature is a bright, hoppy house ale, with seasonal March and Christmas brews. Just as much of the appeal is the riverside terrace, with the Reuss in front of you and Pilatus beyond, one of the better-placed tables in the old town.
It works for the whole group as a riverfront lunch or dinner stop: there is a full Swiss menu and soft drinks and non-alcoholic options, so the setting and the food carry it whether or not you are sampling the beer.