History

Background

Brennerei Schwab is a Swiss family-owned company that runs a traditional craft in spirits. They describe themselves as a small distillery that has produced whisky since 1999. Before 1999, the fermentation of starch-rich products in Switzerland was banned, and they only began fermenting and distilling grain thereafter. The narrative around their whisky was shaped by taking an unconventional approach to aging.

Development

Their single malts are matured in Chardonnay casks instead of the more common cherry or port wine casks. Since 2019 they have also begun producing bourbon whiskies made from locally grown grain. In 2025 they could present a gold medal at Distisuisse for their Buechibärger Single Malt Whisky Rouch, and they also note the quince season as notable in 2025 with more than 25 tons of quince stored with them for fermentation and distillation.

Philanthropy and products in the range

In addition to whisky, they also develop Buechibärger Dry Gin with fir needles (Fichtennadeln) and highlight that their products are suitable as Christmas gifts in various bottle sizes. The Schwab family runs Brennerei Schwab GmbH and communicates a strong commitment to traditional craftsmanship.

Operations and availability

They advocate an open approach to the process and note that their whiskies are also sold online and in their shop, and that they adhere to a policy of having their own products for each batch. Their batch management and relationship with customers are prioritized through their Lohnbrennerei concept, where each fermentation/batch is unique and produced as a special product.

Production / Manufacturing

Overview

Brennerei Schwab is a Lohnbrennerei – each mash/cask is distilled separately. This underscores their quality promise: every mash is distilled separately – every customer receives their own product.

Malting / Fermentation process

They describe that they do not have equipment to produce Stammwürze (the malting process) and therefore collaborate with other breweries to produce the mash; they then take over fermentation, distillation and aging. They use yeast-rich products from partner breweries (Gastbrauerei Burgdorf and Brauerei Altes Tramdepot) to produce the whisky starting material.

Maturation and style

— Classic: Single Malt Whisky aged in used Chardonnay casks. — Rauch (smoky): Aged in Pinot Noir and used Bourbon casks. Their bourbon whisky is based on locally grown grain and aged in new Bourbon casks for three years, after which they launch various variants. — Börben Whisky (Bourbon story): Options for three types of Bourbon whisky based on maize, wheat and rye, with a 2016 vintage at 44% ABV.

Raw materials

They use their own and locally sourced grain: wheat and rye from the Oberwil farmers Reto Gassman and Christian Bandi, corn from Getreide Zentrum Busswil, and they can process these materials without intermediate malting steps, supporting their ongoing focus on local raw materials and shorter supply chains.

Marketing and sales

Whiskies are also available in their online shop, and they invite visitors to participate in tours of their Whisky Cellar (opening hours information available).

Products / Whisky Series

Buechibärger Single Malt Whisky Classic

44% ABV; aged in used Chardonnay casks. Suitable for beginners who want a balanced, drinkable whisky.

Buechibärger Single Malt Whisky Fassstärke

52% ABV; a cask-strength version for those who want to adjust the strength themselves at serving.

Buechibärger Rauch Single Malt Whisky

44% ABV; a lightly smoky variation, a different nuance among the non-smoked variants.

Börben Whisky Maize, Wheat, Rye

Vintage 2016; 44% ABV; built on maize, wheat and rye, presenting as a bourbon-inspired whisky; described as lightly sweet with an herbal character.

Börben Whisky Pure Maize

Vintage 2016; 44% ABV; pure maize version; received Distisuisse Gold in 2023; described as a sweet, smooth whisky for bourbon enthusiasts.

Visits / Experiences

Tours and experiences

They state that they offer tours through their Whisky Cellar, and that their products are available in their online shop as well as in their sales outlet.

Philosophy

Craft and local raw material philosophy

They describe themselves as a traditional craft focusing on local ingredients and small batches through a Lohnbrennerei model, where each mash is uniquely distilled. Their approach includes using Chardonnay casks as the aging medium for their single malts and experimental combinations of Pinot Noir and bourbon casks for the smoky variants.

Quality and transparency

Their offerings emphasize a sense of quality through each individual mash and the clear signal that every product is made for the customer – a kind of quality stamp and openness about the process.