It is a sunny, cold afternoon when we enter the Glattfelder Gsellig Bräu brewery in the basement of the  restaurant Löwen and are warmly welcomed by the two friends and SWISS Captains Andy Umiker and Lukas Meyer, as well as by several family members. The fine aroma of hops is in the air and the brewing process is in full swing. Since the beginning of 2023, Andi and his team have been brewing their own beer here in Glattfelden, Zurich - the passion for the art of brewing is evident from the very first moment.

In addition to Andy and Lukas, the "Gsellig"-team consists of Andy's wife Martina, his daughter, flight attendant Laura, sons Cyril and Tim, flight attendant friend First Class Marcel Huber, a Helvetic captain, and three other investors. About 15 years ago, the friends, who work mainly in commercial aviation, started brewing beer together as a hobby and decided a year and a half ago to turn their hobby into a professional brewery. Their passion and fascination for the centuries-old craft can be felt from the very first moment. But the birth of the "Aviation Brewery" was not so simple.

The search for a suitable location proved difficult at first and remained unsuccessful for a long time. Then, in November 2022, the team stumbled upon the Glattfelder Brewery, which was for sale. By December, all the contracts had been signed and Gsellig Bräu AG, under the management of Andy and Martina Umiker, was born. A few weeks later, the first beers were brewed and experiments were carried out.

In the Glattfelder brewery, not only classic beers are brewed, but also special beers. On the one hand, the well-known and popular Glattfelder Hell, Dunkel and Weizen beers are produced, which were inherited from the brewery's predecessor. On the other hand, the team is keen to innovate, and in the short time since the start has already developed an American Pilsner, a Belgian Wit and an IPA under its own name "Gsellig Bräu", with more varieties to follow. Sales of the beer are off to a good start: Glattfelder beer is already on sale in the nearby Coop supermarkets, two hotels in the area and on the ramp.

And how does a pilot actually become a passionate brewer? We asked the brewery owner Andy Umiker a few questions about brewing, flying and his personality:

What do you want to contribute to tradition and diversity in Switzerland by brewing beer?

It is important to me to contribute to the diversity of beer in Switzerland. My ambition is to brew special beers that are not available everywhere. The last three beers we brewed were the Belgian Wit, the American Pilsner and the IPA. That has never been done in this brewery before and it's something we've initiated  - let's see how it's received. We also do a cloudy light beer which is very conventional, but people like it. The variety does it.

What experience as a pilot helps you in your job as a brewer?

As a pilot, I need a checklist, which also helps me to work systematically in brewing. Handling and understanding technology, electrical controls, etc. also helps me in my work. Apart from that, I like the contrasts between flying and brewing. In brewing I work with my hands, create something and have a result at the end. In flying, I get off the plane, put the crew bag in the corner and my work is done.

As a commander, what made you decide to become a brewer?

I have been flying for over 30 years now and will soon be 56 years old, - retirement is approaching. I'm still too young to do nothing in a timely manner. I wanted to do something practical, something of my own, before I become a pensioner and start looking after my grandchildren. I used to have a company and I always had other jobs in addition to being a pilot. In the '90s I worked on the ground for Swissair, in the '00s I had a company, in the '10s I was on the board of Aeropers, and now I run my own brewery. After thousands of flights I needed a change, I appreciate the addition, the variety makes all the difference.

Will your beer soon be flying with SWISS to the rest of the world?

I don't think our beer will ever be served on SWISS. We don't pasteurise our beer and that's probably a requirement. Also, we wouldn't be able to handle the volume required with our microbrewery. But one idea I have is to do an Aviator Special. Like a light pale ale, an Oktoberfest beer, or some other limited edition that has an aviator label on it that we can get out to people in the aviation community.