Beer of The Month Club

Brauerei 8143 provides beer specialties by the month

Finding recipes that match the uniqueness of a particular month takes time: what makes a month unique? It is simple for some months (October(fest), Christmas, Hot Summer Months…), but challenging yet interesting for others. Using historical data, reoccurring yearly events and the effects that the weather patterns of Switzerland have on one's mood, a recipe is created that is seasonally pleasing to everyone's palate. Research in books and on the internet can help, but mostly, years of brewing experience are the base for identifying that special brew that can't be found at every grocery store. These beers are more than unique; creating a recipe with ingredients not limited to water, malt and hops as specified by the German Purity Law of 1516, but also specialties like spices, fruits and adjuncts add new twists in flavor to old classics. And then there is the yeast; these little organisms that convert sugar into alcohol were praised by the monks thousands of years ago. Did you know that there are more than 35 yeast strains to choose from when brewing beer? Each strain gives the beer a special flavor which needs to be coordinated with the other ingredients in order to successfully create the desired style of beer.

Another part of the recipe is the brewing process itself. Malt is crushed and mixed with brewing liquor (the water prepared for the recipe) at set temperatures. The temperature and the Malt/Liquor ratio define how the beer will taste in the end. These "Mash Rests", which keep the Malt/Liquor mixture at a defined temperature, are mainly used to convert the starches in the malt into fermentable sugars. A higher mash temperature, for example, will lead to a beer with a stronger malt taste and less alcohol. This allows the Brew Meister to make a heavier, sweeter beer during the cold winter months vs. a crisper and lighter brew for the hot times of the year using a lower mash temperature.

So why go through the effort of creating a new beer for every month? Well, do you enjoy the same wine with every meal? Aren't there times when you want to try something special? There are mainstream beers you can buy at the grocery store for every day drinking, but there are also thousands of beer styles from around the world just waiting to be picked by the beer lover. For those special occasions, Brauerei 8143 is offering something new every month.

With your subscription of 1, 3 or 6 months, you will receive a hand-made wooden carrying case and 4 flip-top bottles (500ml each) of specialty beer. This might mean one bottle every weekend or the whole 4-pack to share with friends. However you choose to enjoy them, we ask that you appreciate the time, research and knowledge that went into making each bottle. In addition, every month we include a detailed description about the beer, why it is significant for that month, where it comes from, how it is brewed and the ingredients list. Our goal is to enlighten our subscribers while tantalizing their taste buds.

We ask you to return the empty bottles, rinsed out and flip-top open, in the wooden carrying case when you receive your next month's creation. We take care of the thorough cleaning and sanitizing of the bottles before moving on to quality check and refilling.

An e-mail will be sent before delivery so you may have the case and bottles from last month ready for pick-up. Cash payments for all subscriptions and the deposit will be accepted on the first delivery.

There is an additional bottle and case deposit of 10 CHF.

If you reside outside of Zurich, you may pick-up your order at the brewery. Sorry, no brewery tours without an appointment.

Click here to send a subscription request : Please include your name, length of subscription, delivery address, method of payment (cash on delivery or rechnung) and e-mail address for future contact purposes.

Upcomming Brews (tennative, subject to change)


April 08: Mountain IPA - Our hoppiest and most bitter beer so far, this American Style Indian Pale Ale is authentically powerful and thirst quenching. Not for the Feldschlösschen drinker!

May 08: May Bock - A classic spring beer, perfect for the first BBQs and picknics of the new year. Refreshing and hoppy, this lager has been aged for 3 month at freezing temperatures to make it extra crispy.

June 08: Belgian Saison - Highly carbonated, golden-orange saison bursts forth with a huge, rocky white head of Belgian lace.