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A little bumblebee in the beer

A man showcases regional products at a distillery with copper stills in the Glarus region
This traditional distillery produces high-quality regional specialties—offering an authentic glimpse into the craftsmanship and culinary delights of the Glarus region.

With a touch of the legendary and the uniquely Glarusian, the “Hummel” combines tradition, craftsmanship and enjoyment. The golden-yellow honey beer with its fine, natural sweetness is a taste of spring and tells a story from the Glarus region.

Text: Taria Hösli / Photos: Brauerei Adler und Maya Rhyner

In the village of Schwändi, there once lived an old farmer. Nobody knows his name today, but that he was a very hard-working man who was always at work in the fields and forests is still known by all who know the story of the Hummel. In his old age, he had married a young and beautiful woman with strong arms. When she was out in the meadows, mowing and wheeling through the village with her husband, or coming back from the forest with large loads, the villagers would look at her with approval and say: “He’s still got it good! It could be a lot worse! The woman is quite all right!” – And the farmer thought the same, and so they lived together in their little house, which was located in a green area away from the village, in peace and quiet (...)

Something strange was that the young woman slept with the window open every night. No one knew why, but the village gossiped about it for a long time. They speculated about a secret she was keeping – until one morning something eerie happened.

This legend lives on in the “Hummel”: a golden-yellow honey beer brewed at the Adler brewery in Schwanden with honey from Glarus bees. Light, delicate and spring-like in character, it represents the awakening of nature and the legendary mystical Glarus region. The honey comes from a regional bee species that has always been closely linked to the landscape and climate of the Glarus Hinterland. Its characteristics are reflected in the beer – gentle, balanced and harmonious in taste.

The Glarus honey beer “Hummel” is only available for a short time and is part of the legendary beers from the Adler brewery in Schwanden. Each of these specialties tells a Glarus story in liquid form.

More about the legends and legendary beers: brauereiadler.ch/biere/sagenbiere

Brauerei Adler AG
Hauptstrasse 34, 8762 Schwanden
Telefon: +41 55 647 35 35
email@brauereiadler.ch
brauereiadler.ch

Packaged Hummel honey beer products in front of the brewing facility
Hummel Honey Beer combines regional honey with the art of brewing—a specialty from the Glarus region.
Hummel Honey Beer combines regional honey with the art of brewing—a specialty from the Glarus region.
Hands holding barley grains over a sack during production
Barley, the key ingredient in beer and other regional specialties—straight from the farm.
Barley, the key ingredient in beer and other regional specialties—straight from the farm.
Automated bottling line for bottles in a production facility
A look at modern bottling technology: Regional beverages are bottled here efficiently and hygienically.
A look at modern bottling technology: Regional beverages are bottled here efficiently and hygienically.
A bee pollinates a yellow flower and collects nectar
A bee gathers nectar from a yellow flower—the basis for high-quality honey and regional products from the Glarus region.
A bee gathers nectar from a yellow flower—the basis for high-quality honey and regional products from the Glarus region.