Cardinal Brewery

Cardinal was the name of a Swiss brewery in Fribourg.

History

It was founded in 1788 by the innkeeper François Piller for his son, who had previously stopped short his training with a Bavarian brewmaster. After the death of the father the son moved to La Neuveville and the business changed hands several times until 1877. Then it was expanded by Paul Alcide Blancpain, who came from a family of watchmakers from the Jura, to a modern industrial plant.

When Pope Leo XIII. on 23 June 1890 Gaspard Mermillod a bishop of Freiburg lent the dignity of Cardinal first time, brought the Blancpain brewery to mark the occasion a celebration of beer on the market, the Cardinal. This product was so successful that Paul Blancpain decided to give his brewery in future the name Cardinal.

1970 the Brasserie du Cardinal and the Brasserie Beauregard in Freiburg, Salmen Brewery joined in Rheinfelden AG, the Brasserie de la Comete in La Chaux- de-Fonds and the Wädenswil brewery to Sibra holding company. Two years later, the entire holding was named Cardinal.

On 29 October 1996, the Feldschlösschen Hürlimann Holding, which had in the meantime acquired the majority of shares in Sibra / Cardinal announced the closure of the brewery in Freiburg. After massive protests by the Freiburger population and a campaign by the newspaper La Liberté Feldschlösschen - Hürlimann holding company and the authorities of the City and Canton of Fribourg signed on 25 February 1998 an agreement that guarantees the continuation of the business in Freiburg.

On August 31, 2010 Feldschlösschen Beverages Ltd. announced again at the closure of the production site in Freiburg in June 2011. The Origin of Cardinal beers was moved to Feldschlosschen to Rheinfelden.

The state and the city of Freiburg took over the factory premises on 1 June 2012 for 21.5 million Swiss francs to build a technology and innovation park there.

Range

• Cardinal Angel ( Alcohol Free )
• Cardinal Bb (5.1% alcohol)
• Cardinal EVE (3.1% alcohol)
• Cardinal Blonde ( 4.8% alcohol)
• Cardinal Lemon ( 4.6% alcohol)
• Cardinal Original Draft ( 4.7% alcohol)
• Cardinal Sans Alcool (alcohol free )
• Cardinal Spéciale (5.2% alcohol)
• Cardinal 2.4 ( 2.4% alcohol)