The Brennhüsi - Old Distillery

The distillery is located in the old part of the village of Salgesch, surrounded by old Valaisan timber-framed houses. It was probably built at the beginning of the 20th century using natural stone and covered with a stone roof.

For generations, grapes have been ‘pressed’ in Salgesch, the juice turned into wine, and the by-products distilled at the village distillery ‘Jännu’. In late autumn, the still no longer cooled down – an excellent “Marc de Dôle” was distilled from the pomace (residue from pressing), whilst a wonderful “Lie” was made from the yeast sediment left over after fermentation (known as “Trub” or “Geläge”). On many a long winter’s night, this schnapps helped people forget their hunger and the cold…

The distillery is located in the old part of the village of Salgesch, surrounded by old Valaisan timber-framed houses. It was probably built at the beginning of the 20th century using natural stone and covered with a stone roof. Inside, the original stills and the associated cooling system are still in place. You can also still see the ‘Trächa’, which channelled the smoke and the characteristic aroma of the distilled schnapps out through the chimney. Distillation in this official village distillery mainly took place from October to April. Public distillation ceased in the early 1970s.