Skip to main content

Panache, a Swiss Mixed Beer

Next to our daily coffee fix, we Swiss really enjoy our 'Feierabendbier'. This literally means 'quitting time beer' and refers to a beer drunk in the after-work hours. Maybe we're not quite like the Irish who are said to go straight to the pub after work but many of us still like to enjoy a good cold beer when we get home.

Much like with coffee, where people usually like it either strong or not, there are Swiss people who don't like their beers to be strong. Especially so after a long day of work. This is when we usually opt for a typical Swiss mixed beer called 'Panache'.

Panache Beer - KFM  / pixelio.de
Mixed beers or beer drinks are a great alternative to 'real' beers. I'm not talking about pre-mixed beer that is sold in supermarkets. Those suck! Good mixed beer is made on the spot with beer and a soft drink, syrup, liquor or other interesting ingredients.

The most famous of all Swiss mixed beers is the Panache, pronounced 'Pah-nash'. It is a mix of beer and lemonade. It tastes fresh, a bit sour and sweet. You have to make sure the beer and lemonade are cold though - nothing is worse than a lukewarm Panache!

Swiss Mixed Beers & Soft Drinks

Panache is not the only mixed beer we drink in Switzerland. There are plenty of other options for beer drinks:
  • Panache: Beer and Lemonade (Sprite, 7up, etc.)
  • Diesel: Beer and Coke (Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, etc.)
  • BMW: Beer and mineral water 
  • Monaco: Light beer with grenadine syrup
  • Schwuchtel (vulgar: 'gay guy'): Beer and apple juice
  • Uboot ('submarine'): Beer and liquor (a big beer glass with small liquor glass dropped inside)
If you are not much of a beer drinker, you might like some of the popular soft drink mixes we drink in Switzerland:
  • Spezi: Cola and orangeade or orange juice
  • Skiwasser: Sparkling water with syrup
  • Schorle: Sparkling water and apple juice
There are probably many more tasty combinations for mixed beer or mixed soft drinks. If you prefer a regular soft drink, you can try Rivella, a popular Swiss soft drink.  If the weather is cold, hot drinks like punch or Ovomaltine chocolate drinks are a great alternative to cold a beer! 


A few side notes:
1) In southern Germany a Panache is called a 'Radler'. Just in case you want to order one while visiting over there.
2) If you are looking for good Swiss beer try one of the smaller breweries. Feldschlösschen is probably the best known beer in Switzerland but not necessarily the one that tastes best. You can find an overview of over 500 Swiss beers and 100 breweries on the website Schweizer Bier.



Source: 
Wikipedia on Beer Drinks / Mixed Beer



© 2012 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Comments

Post a Comment

You have something to add or would like to ask a question? I would love to hear from you!

Popular posts from this blog

Schätzli, Schnüggel and Müüsli - Terms of Endearment in Swiss German

Kiss -  Oliver Haja  / pixelio.de If you've ever been invited to the home of a Swiss couple, you are probably familiar with the most popular Swiss German term of endearment "Schätzli" ('little treasure') or one of it's many varieties like e.g. "Schatz" or "Schätzeli" . Obviously, this is not the only pet name used by Swiss couples (or parents for that matter). Like many other languages, Swiss German offers a wide variety of words and phrases that you can use to address your loved one. Swiss German Terms of Endearment What most of these pet names have in common is the ending "-li" which basically turns the thing or person a word refers to into something small or cute. For example "Haus" means house and "Hüüs li " means small house. Plus, this ending "-li" can also be added to first names as a means of endearment, e.g. Benjamin li , Esther li or Fabienne li . I tried to come up with a colle

How to Say 'I Love You' in Swiss German

To be completely honest, I'm not very fond of hallmark holidays and Valentine's Day is probably the mothership of them all. In my home there will be no cheesy cards or flowers on that day and, personally, I'm happy about it. However, I know that there are many people who like to celebrate Valentine's Day and take it as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation to their loves. Even in Switzerland, there are plenty of people celebrating it nowadays. If you're short on ideas for this years Valentine's Day in Switzerland you might find some inspiration here: Valentine's Day in Switzerland . If you're already set and have the perfect date ready, how about surprising your loved one with a few romantic Swiss German phrases? You should know that the expression "I love you" has only recently made its way into Swiss German from the High German "Ich liebe dich". Swiss people used to simply say "I like you" or "I like