Brasserie Du Mont Blanc

In the late 19th century, eight breweries operated in the heart of the Alps, attracted by the quality of the water to be produced and the proximity of the glaciers to be protected. The first traces of a brewery date from 1821 in Sallanches. The owner, Mr. Rabenak, had a single employee who sold 6,500 liters a year. In 1861, Mr. Essig, director of a Bavarian brewery in Lausanne, founded a brewery in the city on both sides of the Avenue de la Gare. The company was sold to Chocolatier Antoine Pissard in 1875 and to Mr. Challamel in 1890 in collaboration with Brasserie Saint Jean in Geneva. In 1902 the company name was changed to "Challamel, Boucharge et Viard" before it became "Bière du Mont-Blanc" in 1911. In summer, Bière du Mont-Blanc produced over 4,000 hectoliters of fermented drinks, compared to 150 hectoliters in autumn. The basement with its glass-lined tanks was kept at 0 ° C with ice from the pond on the banks of the Arve river. When the winters weren't cold enough, the brewers collected ice from the base of the Bionnassay or Bossons glacier. Around 40 brewers worked there. The brewery ceased operations in 1966. However, this was before the arrival of a determined and passionate Savoy: Sylvain Chiron. In 1999 he revived "Bière du Mont-Blanc".