Cheers to Europe: tips for drinking in Lucerne

Posted on 9 May 2012

Only a country as fantastic as Switzerland could give you the meanest mercenaries and Lindt chocolate. So expect nothing less from the drinking potential of the most neutral country in the world. Get out your mittens, because it’s time to slap a few back in Lucerne.

How does one describe Lucerne? Lucerne is like the perfect first date – good looking, clean, great manners – and you also want to take it home and do unspeakable things to it. The city center surrounds the unbelievably clear waters of Lake Lucerne, and looks out over the peaks of the Swiss alps. I hate to say it Cape Town, but Table Mountain doesn’t even begin to compare to these majestic forms. If you’ve ever heard of a place described as “picture-perfect”, this is it.

So what are we drinking in this gorgeous setting, you may ask? The simple answer is cider. Lots of cider. And then even more cider. The cold weather and hearty food make this the ideal drinking companion. Do not be fooled though: this cider is not the Swiss equivalent of a Hunters Dry or Savannah. This is authentic Swiss apple cider. Light amber in color, dry in taste, mildly sparkling – it can only be described as heaven in your mouth. In Switzerland, cider is about as popular as beer, which means there’s no need to hunt for it across the city. You’ll be able to find a good quality cider in most bars/restaurants/side-alley vendors. If you need a name to get started, give “Moscht Cider” a try. Not only is it delicious, but it’s served in a fairly large bottle, which obviously is the best way for any alcohol to be served.

If you want to take your Swiss experience a step further, enjoy your Swiss apple cider over a traditional Swiss fondue lunch. I think I’ve mentioned the word ‘Swiss’ enough to get my point across. There’s something fantastic about the combination of stringy, melted cheese and a crisp, refreshing cider. And if it happens to be your birthday on the day of your Swiss adventure, you can potentially wrangle a few free ciders out of people around you, although it seems that wearing a low cut top works in your favour too.

As South Africans, snow is about as familiar to us as free petrol, therefore it is our duty to do the ‘touristy’ thing when in Lucerne and make snow angels, throw snow balls and prance around like an idiot in as much white stuff as possible. Even in the Summer months, many of the mountains maintain their gorgeous white caps and beckon you to yodel from their peaks.  And once you’ve remembered that snow is, in fact, ice and start to feel your fingers grow numb and your clothes get damp, there’s no better time to head inside and grab another cider.

So to sum it up: cider, cider, cider. All in possibly the most beautiful city in the world.






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