'Appenzellertag'
A chance to taste Appenzellertag, a herbaceous liquor from Switzerland, drew a crowd in New Glarus. Matt Streiff, right, fills a glass for Heinz Mattman and Nancy Streiff.
Appenzeller Alpenbitter, if you don’t know, is an herbaceous liquor from Switzerland that is not typically found in the United States.
Appenzellertag is a six-minute film centered around a community event hosted by New Glarus resident Matt Streiff to share his four-liter bottle of Appenzeller. The herby apertif tastes something like a better version of Jägermeister, says the film’s director, Steve Donovan.
Streiff, a descendent of the family that founded New Glarus, recalls in the film that when he was growing up you could still find Appenzeller at bars around town, a mark of the community’s Swiss heritage.
The liquor “hits the right chords,” says Donovan, who notes that you may be able to track down Appenzeller in some New Glarus establishments if you know the right people.
Donovan spent a number of years in the Madison area, where he cut his teeth in television and news production, before moving to New Glarus six years ago “sort of on a whim” and starting his own freelance production and editing operation. His interest in the community is evident: he’s running for county board in this April’s election.
A lot of people come to Donovan with video and film ideas. One was Streiff, who Donovan met at a party through mutual friends. Streiff began discussing his gigantic bottle of Appenzeller and his desire to share it with as many people as possible. The two kept in touch and Streiff organized an event at the historic New Glarus Hotel. Donovan showed up with his equipment, ready to capture the moment.
While Appenzeller was the catalyst for the film, its true subject is the community spirit of New Glarus. Publicized only via word of mouth, the event attracted dozens of New Glarus residents, a few even bringing their own bottles of Appenzeller from home. “It was like Appenzeller-con!” says Donovan.
Members of the New Glarus Männerchor and Jodlerklub (choir and yodeling club) also came out. Donovan decided to include their music as a soundtrack in the film after they spontaneously broke into song, an experience Donovan says you may encounter on any given night at New Glarus bars and restaurants.
Appenzellertag screens on April 11 at The Marquee at Union South as one of nine shorts that are part of the “Mixed Bag — Wisconsin’s Own Short Films” compilation. Donovan and Streiff will likely have a bottle of Appenzeller on hand so attendees can get a taste.
