Swiss Beer Day Date in the current year: April 25, 2025

Switzerland has a long history of brewing. It is believed that the Gauls, a group of Celtic peoples who flourished in present-day Switzerland and other parts of Europe from around 450 BC to the 1st century BC, produced beer, mead and wine. After the fall of the Roman Empire, beer brewing was reportedly reintroduced to the region by Saint Gall, an Irish missionary who founded a hermitage that would become the Abbey of Saint Gall in St. Gallen. The Plan of Saint Gall, a 9th-century architectural drawing of proposed renovations to the abbey, included a brewery.

Beer brewing began to spread beyond the canton of St. Gallen in the early 17th century. The first license for professional beer production was granted in Bern in 1635. However, beer production and consumption in Switzerland remained relatively low until the mid-19th century. It began to grow and develop because of two factors: phylloxera, which affected wine production, and the Industrial Revolution. As a result, the number of Swiss breweries increased from 150 in 1850 to 530 in 1885.

The development of the Swiss beer industry stagnated during the 20th century due to the formation of a cartel that essentially froze the market and prevented breweries from expanding and trying new things. Most small breweries were taken over by large companies that brewed similar tasting, bland beers. The cartel ended in the 1990s, and things began to change for the better, with craft breweries popping up all over the country.

Today, most large breweries are located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, while the French-speaking part of the country is better known for its wines. This reflects consumption trends: the German-speaking regions consume more beer than the French-speaking regions, with the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in between. However, all regions have at least some craft microbreweries. Overall, beer accounts for about 30% of alcohol consumption in Switzerland, with consumers preferring milder beers, especially pale lagers.

The professional and economic interests of the members of the Swiss brewing industry are represented by the Swiss Breweries Association (Schweizer Brauerei-Verband, SBV), which was founded on April 19, 1877, to protect Swiss brewers from the increasing import of foreign beer. Each year, the SBV organizes several events, including Swiss Beer Day, the Swiss Beer Sommelier Championship and the Swiss Beer Award.

Swiss Beer Day was launched in 2012 to mark the 135th anniversary of the SBV. It aims to celebrate Switzerland’s beer culture and brewing tradition, and to kick off the brewing season. Every year, Swiss breweries organize various events and activities on and around the last Friday in April, such as beer tastings, beer festivals, open houses and more. Most of these events take place in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.