Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz
Close your eyes and conjure up a trip to Switzerland. The imposing presence of the Swiss Alps looms in the distance. Maybe it’s wintertime and a fire is roaring beside you after a busy day on the slopes. Thick blankets of fresh snow drape the streets and the rooftops. Or perhaps it’s summer and grassy meadows are dotted with bright flowers as hikers take to the trails. A pot of fondue is on the table, and a glass of Swiss wine is in your hands. Wait a minute: How about a prized 25 year old single cask whisky in your glass, and a vintage Cuban cigar on the table? That sounds even better, doesn’t it?
While Switzerland is a premier destination for skiing and hiking, and the gorgeous Alpine views and lifestyle perks that come with it, and is noted for its cheese, chocolate, and fine dining, it’s also one of the world’s top destinations for whisky and cigar lovers. The country offers an unparalleled collection of bars and lounges, not to mention luxury hotels with tantalizing selections of one or both. Come for the Alps, stay for the scotch and smokes, and indulge in your favorite passions with a single trip.
Essential Swiss Starter’s Tips
Switzerland is a year-round destination, and any preconceptions about needing to visit during ski season should be disregarded. If skiing and après-skiing are on your personal agenda, don’t consider them the only options.
For one thing, peak times come with peak prices and crowds, and a less frenetic and often local-centric environment can be enjoyed during other times of the year. Also, the all-day outdoor recreation and all-night al fresco dining and drinking in Switzerland in the summer is not to be missed. Few people relish the sun like those who deal with frigid Alpine winters. Water sports on the country’s abundant lakes, swimming, and endless hiking and biking trails are among the pursuits you can expect as the mercury rises.
The best way to get around Switzerland is via train, and if you plot out a few stops across the country, you should never need to travel for more than a few hours a day. A Swiss Travel Pass provides an unlimited number of rides in a given timeframe, such as a four, eight, or 15-day window, and allows for reservation-free access to the bulk of the country’s rail and bus system, excluding only seat reservations for in-demand scenic trains, like the Glacier Express.
When in doubt about where to go or where to stay once you’re there, check out the Swiss Deluxe Hotels group (swissdeluxehotels. com). This organization counts 39 of Switzerland’s top five-star hotels as members, including many of the individual hotels mentioned here (see sidebar). All provide top-tier accommodations, along with high-end dining and drinking options, and immersive spa and recreation programs.
Planning the Perfect Trip
The best Swiss hotels are a gateway to lavish, decadent escapes limited only by your own imagination or budget. Switzerland is known for its dedication to exceptional levels of attentive, detail-oriented hospitality, and few destinations showcase such a staggering assortment of five-star stays.
Take Badrutt’s Palace, a castle-like enclave in the glitzy destination of St. Moritz. When guests arrive in town by train, they’ll find the hotel’s vintage 1967 Rolls Royce awaiting them at the station for a short ride up the hill. The hotel’s famous tower façade is an icon of the city and its skyline, and its 10 restaurants are backed by big-name chefs that draw hotel guests, locals, and those staying elsewhere in the region. Its lakefront location provides stellar views and access to an abundance of activities, while its indoor pool, housed in a solarium, sports a grotto and connects to outdoor hot tubs.
Smoking is allowed indoors in Switzerland in well-ventilated fumoirs, and the Renaissance Bar at Badrutt’s attracts a crowd into the late hours, eager to partake in its assortment of vintage cigars stretching back to the middle of the 20th century—including a pre-embargo assortment from Cuba. The house list details its cigars by production year, nicotine strength, smoke time, and potential cocktail pairings. A well-curated whisky list of several dozen is highlighted by pours such as Glenlivet Signatory 1971, Brora 30 year old, and Chivas Regal Royal Salute 62 Guns.
Such options may be your preferred modes of indulgence, but all modes are welcomed at Badrutt’s. Its mountaintop club Paradiso, accessible via ski lift in the winter and via Range Rover shuttle in the summer, has an exclusive $50,000 membership, more than 800 labels of wine, and large format bottles up to 27 liters in size.
While in town, be sure to pop into the Waldhaus Am See Hotel to visit The Devil's Place. The bar has a selection of about 2,500 whiskies, while the property’s Cigarren Lounge has a walk-in humidor with a cigar selection worthy of investigation.
Continue exploring at The Chedi Andermatt, the town’s first modern five-star resort, as it seeks to emerge from the shadow of neighboring destinations like the aforementioned St. Moritz. It’s located on the site of the original Grand Hotel Bellevue, the region’s once top-reigning resort whose heyday was in the late 19th century. The hotel features a mix of Asian and Alpine sensibility, a set of influences also seen across its dining and drinking programs, where a mix of eastern and western menu items is available. The Chedi has a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant and sake bar, a cocktail bar touted as one of Switzerland’s finest, and a soaring cheese cave that’s sure to tantalize.
The fun is just beginning. Its Cigar Library is billed as having the largest cigar selection of any hotel in the world, with 900 cigars spanning 15 countries of origin. Needless to say, there’s something for everyone, and you’ll likely come away both surprised and impressed by what you find. To relish the moment, you could do worse than a pour of Balvenie Fifty, Black Bowmore 1964, or Bunnahabhain 40 year old, but that only gets you through the Bs of an eight-page whisky list that also features gems ranging from Hibiki 17 and 21 year old to Midleton Very Rare 2018.
Since self-care is the order of the day, be sure to spend some leisure time in the hotel’s expansive three-story spa. The indoor lap pool is the country’s largest indoor hotel pool. Then there’s a series of hot baths at different temperatures that are reminiscent of a Japanese onsen, alongside a Tibetan relaxation lounge and a comprehensive assortment of sauna experiences.
This is what Switzerland’s top hotels do best: specialize in every avenue of rest and relaxation, take you from morning to night, from steamy spa sessions to smoky last calls in the utmost comfort and style. Plan an itinerary by choosing three or four cities of interest, from cosmopolitan Zurich and the heavy German influence of its food, drink, and culture, to the almost impossibly quaint Gstaad, and find the whisky-soaked, cigar-laden luxury to match (see sidebar).
Whisky Shops, Cigar Stores, and Distilleries, Oh My
No cigar journey to Switzerland would be complete without making a pilgrimage to Davidoff. The brand got its start in Geneva over a century ago, in 1911. It remains well-rooted in the country, with flagship shops in Basel, Lucerne, St. Moritz, and Zurich, in addition to its legendary original Geneva location at Rue de Rive. The latter got a facelift a few years back and features a 320 square-foot walk-in humidor.
There are myriad other Davidoff lounges, many scattered in hotels, golf clubs, and similar locales, as well as other affiliated retailers across the country. There are 17 shops, including those aforementioned flagships, run by Davidoff’s subsidiary, A. Dürr & Co. AG, in addition to 52 Davidoff-appointed merchants. Flagship stores have a larger footprint and wider selections, but all of its official shops will showcase an assortment of spirits, in addition to cigar accessories and the company’s house brands, such as AVO, Camacho, Cusano, Griffins, Private Stock, and Zino. Its global headquarters, dubbed Maison Davidoff, opened in 2017 in Basel, though this facility is not open to the public.
There are plenty more cigar shops and lounges worthy of seeking out as well. In Zurich, Manuel’s is a go-to hub for Cuban cigars, plus all things coffee and rum. The shop hosts ongoing events, like masterclasses and tastings. Tao’s, a bustling nightlife hub with multiple locations, is known for its high-end whisky, like Balvenie 30 year old and Glenfiddich 26 year old, and the cigar lineup at its Restaurant, Bar & Smoker’s Lounge.
In Geneva, the InterContinental Hotel is home to a cigar lounge, a day and night haven for cigar smokers in a sultry setting, as well as Les Nations, a leather-clad hideaway known for craft cocktails and elevated bar fare. Not to be mistaken or outdone, the Hotel d’Angelterre Geneva also has a stogie paradise called The Cigar Lounge, with about three dozen cigars, pairings ranging from cognac and armagnac to whisky, and masterclass sessions that include three cigars. Feel free to bring over a dram or two from the hotel’s adjacent The Leopard Bar, which has about 50 whiskies on offer.
The whisky shopping is exceptional too, for those inclined to come home with a bottle or two. That includes retail outposts from several of the recommended whisky bars in the country. Most notably, there’s Devil’s Place Whisky Shop in St. Moritz, which is affiliated with the online World of Whisky by Waldhaus shop. That chain of connection has one more link, with the Whisky Club 28/10, a whisky bar in Zurich Airport’s Senator Lounge, with 200 whiskies. Before leaving the big city, you can do some shopping at the Whisky Shop Neumarkt Zurich, a specialty store known for its selection of single cask bottlings, or Glen Fahrn, a mini-chain with half a dozen outposts in Zurich, St. Gallen, and beyond.
While the country’s distilling equipment and talent are most traditionally put toward a range of delightful and expressive eaux de vie, there are a few whisky producers to consider adding to your itinerary as well. Start with the HighGlen Distillery in Sta. Maria Val Mustair, known for its creative casks, including its Master Piece and Artisan expressions, with multiple types of casks reconstructed into one, imparting a range of influences from the combination of previously used barrels. It’s recommended to call or email ahead of time to make an appointment.
Langatun Distillery AG, along the banks of the Aare River in Aarwangen, is about an hour’s drive west of Zurich, or 45 minutes northeast from Bern, Switzerland’s picture-perfect capital city. It’s rated as the tiny town’s number-one attraction in Aarwangen by Tripadvisor, and is known as Switzerland’s largest whisky distillery, primarily a purveyor of single malt.
Säntis Malt is based in Appenzell, about 75 minutes east of Zurich, or two-plus hours north from St. Moritz. The brand was founded by Karl Locher, whose first passion was for beer with the well-known Locher Brewery. Visitors can book a group tasting and educational workshop held at the brewery in advance.
Where to Stay for Whisky & Cigars
THE ALPINA GSTAAD CIGAR LOUNGE
Alpinastrasse 23, 3780 Gstaad
thealpinagstaad.ch
The Alpina Gstaad is a see-and-be-seen celebrity haunt, so you want to go big. Select a Cohiba Robusto ($52) and pair it with a 1982 Signatory Port Ellen 25 year old ($260/1.25 oz.), or perhaps a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 ($32) with a Rare Malts Rosebank 20 year old ($80/1.25 oz.), then visit its Japanese Whisky Bar.
BADRUTT’S PALACE
Via Serlas 27, 7500 St. Moritz
badruttspalace.com
Legendary head barman Andrea Delvo recommends pairing his Old Scots cocktail ($27), made from a base of Oban 14 year old, with a Jose Gener Hoyo de Monterrey from the 1960s, or his 1956 cocktail ($27), a Manhattan with amaro and black tea, with an H. Upmann Dunhill Selection No. 41 from 1957.
THE BÜRGENSTOCK RESORT
6363 Obbürgen
burgenstockresort.com
Bürgenstock’s Lakeview Bar & Cigar Lounge has 80 whiskies and 95 cigars, with many top-shelf selections on both lists. Pair a Patoro Vuelta Abajo Extra Belicoso with a Balvenie PortWood 21 year old ($40/1.25 oz.).
THE CHEDI ANDERMATT
Gotthardstrasse 4, 6490 Andermatt
thechediandermatt.com
With over 900 cigars from 15 countries, The Chedi Andermatt has no shortage of options. Bar manager Elmir Medjunanin recommends pairing a Gilbert de Montsalvat Gran Robusto with a Balvenie PortWood 21 year old ($38/1.25 oz.), or a 2015 Caol Ila Unpeated ($37/1.25 oz.).
GRAND HOTEL LES TROIS ROIS
Blumenrain 8, 4001 Basel
lestroisrois.com
With 100 cigars, including 60 Cubans, and 250 whiskies, there are infinite combinations. Bar manager Thomas Huhn recommends a cigar large enough to pair with multiple drams. Try a Partagas Lusitanias with a Kilchoman 8 year old Mezcal Cask Finish ($35/1.25 oz.), followed by Bushmills 21 year old Madeira Finish ($60/1.25 oz.), and, last but not least, Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17 year old ($45/1.25 oz.).
HOTEL CHESA ROSATCH
Via S. Gian 7, 7505 Celerina/Schlarigna
rosatsch.ch
Hotel Chesa Rosatch’s InnBar evokes the era of Prohibition speakeasies and jazz clubs. Restaurant manager Annelie Bidlingmaier recommends a Davidoff Yamasa Toro with Noah’s Mill bourbon ($45/1.25 oz.), or a Romeo y Julieta Cedros de Luxe accompanied by Auchentoshan Three Wood ($18/1.25 oz.).
HOTEL STORCHEN ZURICH
Weinpl. 2, 8001 Zürich
storchen.ch
At Hotel Storchen’s Cigar Bar, several cigar pairings are on the menu, with one option including cognac and caviar. For whisky, nab an Auchentoshan 18 year old with a Davidoff Short Perfecto.
Best Whisky Bars in Switzerland
BAUR’S
Talstrasse 1, 8001 Zurich
baurs-zurich.com
Touted for its fine dining, Baur’s also has a spirits lounge with a whisky lineup centered on scotch, alongside a cigar selection with a dozen offerings from Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
THE DEVIL’S PLACE
Via Dimlej 6, 7500 St. Moritz
waldhaus-am-see.ch
With more than 2,500 whiskies, The Devil’s Place was once cited by the Guinness Book of Records as having the world’s largest selection available at a bar.
EDEN CIGAR LOUNGE
Rte de Lausanne 301, 1293 Bellevue
lareserve-zurich.com
Found at La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich Hotel, the Philippe Starck-designed lounge and its adjoining bar are idyllic. It offers three dozen whiskies with an emphasis on single malts and a lineup of about 20 cigars.
HINZ AND KUNS BAR
Steinentorberg 20, 4051 Basel
hinzandkunz.bar
The city of Basel’s spirituous hot spot boasts 958 bottles on its backbar, including 480 whiskies. Go big with pours like Caol Ila 35 year old ($215/1.25 oz.) or a 1975 Benriach 40 year old ($150/1.25 oz.), or enjoy an extensive collection from independent bottlers.
KRONENHALLE BAR
Rämistrasse 4, 8001 Zurich
kronenhalle.com
Known for its regional culinary fare, don’t skip the bar program showcasing five pages of whisky that includes a few dozen bourbons and ryes, and a collection of rare Macallan, such as a 1997 ($593/1.25 oz.) and 2001 Exceptional Single Cask ($313/1.25 oz.).
OLD CROW
Schwanengasse 4, 8001 Zurich
oldcrow.ch
With more than 1,600 spirits, over half of which are whiskies, Old Crow is a must-visit in Zurich. Do verticals of rare Ardbeg or Bowmore, with six pages of Islay whisky alone. Japan and Kentucky are also well represented.
SMALLEST WHISKY BAR ON EARTH
Plaz 71, 7536 Santa Maria Val Müstair
swboe.com
It’s not just a name, it’s another Guinness World Record holder. The five-seat bar has more than 300 whiskies on offer, with an emphasis on single malt scotch, as well as malts from the proprietor’s own HighGlen Distillery.
WHISKIES HORS STANDARDS
Rue Ancienne 66, 1227 Carouge
bardunord.ch
This low-key pub is a fine choice for a casual beer, and just happens to offer a world-class whisky selection, highlighted by hard-tofind independent bottlings and a selection of Swiss whisky.
WIDDER BAR
Widdergasse 6, 8001 Zurich
widderhotel.com
The Widder Hotel’s bar has several hundred whiskies in its lineup. Most intriguing may be their dozen whisky flights, centered on an assortment of themes and price ranges, like an Islay flight with Bruichladdich Black Art 23 year old ($55/three .33 oz. pours; $110/ three .66 oz. pours) or a flight of 18 year old single malts, ($27/three .33 oz. pours; $50/ three .66 oz. pours).
