Our Distillery Partners

Rugen Distillery

Ideas often come to Master Distiller Kurt Althaus at night - and using a combination of his creativity, trends he's observed (and even some trends he comes up with himself), he lets the delicate spirits he creates tell their own story.

Nestled in the pure Alpine air of the Swiss mountains at Interlaken, Rugen Distillery makes full use of both its stunning surroundings and the expertise acquired over decades to produce its award winning range of single malt whiskies. Independent and family-owned for over 150 years, they treat their local roots, heritage and quality standards as the cornerstones of their DNA.

Known for their experimentation with wood, they have over 4,000 barrels laid up of different ages - most of which get released at cask strength, and keep nine casks in their ice cave for an annual special release.

Believing in cultivating both tradition and trends to achieve excellence, they combine their conventional production methods with innovation, to produce the finest distillates and spirits which are then carefully distilled, stored and refined.

Exciting projects are underway at Rugenbräu - in general, I believe a healthy level of projects are needed in order to develop and advance a company well.

Remo Kobluk

Rugenbräu AG is more than just a distillery, it’s a cultural asset of the Bernese Oberland

Kurt Althaus

Interesting Facts

The history behind Rugenbräu Brewery and the Rugen Distillery can be traced back as far as 1866 when a politician from Kiesen, built a brewery with distillery on the guesthouse meadow belonging to the Hotel Interlaken
The Rugen rock cellar was built in 1875 and is still in use today
Their brewhouse was built in 1895 and brandy production followed in 1999 paving the way for whisky making, with the first Swiss Mountain Single Malt launched in 2008
In 2010, the Rugen Distillery was constructed directly over the brewhouse - in a truly one-of-a-kind position
Most of the whisky Rugen produce is matured in Olosoro sherry casks in the original deep, rock-hewn Rugen rock cellar, however some are even laid in casks on the eternal ice cave of the Jungfraujoch at almost 3,500m altitude
Their decades of beer-making expertise comes into its own when producing whiskies – and they actively work to combine craft, tradition and innovation in their expressions
Rugen’s carefully curated product range includes time-honoured classics, surprising specialities and everything in between
As well as creating excellent spirits, Rugen actively commit to looking after the environment, taking voluntary measures for climate protection and energy efficiency and recently obtaining an EnAW certificate

Cask World's Highlights

Well, what can I say - cheese fondue, watches, chocolates and whisky - all produced in a class of their own in Switzerland. Especially the whisky.

The Rugen Distillery is in one of the most beautiful places of the world - surrounded by the Swiss Alps with its own ice cave in which it stores casks in to produce their Ice label editions.

Although mainly focused on sherry casks from Spain, the forest behind the distillery is often harvested for a more traditional Swiss touch to combine with the Swiss alpine water and Swiss barley.

Now focusing more on single cask releases, when we took their whiskies to one of our Whisky Live shows in Thailand their sherry matured ‘Classic’ edition was a clear favourite. A whisky that stands out amongst the finest in the world.

Their CEO, Remo, is focused on sharing their whisky with the world. With new markets and territories for distribution in his sights and a clear strategy, this is a whisky the world is sure to know more about soon enough. I enjoy working with Remo - he is a no-nonsense, genuine, down-to-earth businessman.