French trend to drink more beer

[wessie]

Over the last few years I have noticed a much wider range of beer in France. Local micro-brewery stuff and chains like Delirium from Belgium with bars in places like La Rochelle and Reims. Most hotels seem to have Affligem or Leffe on tap rather than Kronenburg or Heineken as in the past.

What surprised me was that just around the corner from our hotel in Troyes, capital of Champagne, we found a Flemish style brasserie with its own brewery on site. Lille based with dozens of franchises across France. https://restaurants.3brasseurs.com/fr/france-FR/885/3-brasseurs-troyes/details

They had a happy 2 hours from 5-7pm with 5 euro "pints" including the 8% tripel. We enjoyed a few of those before dinner of an evening, although I preferred the 6% ambrée. Food was okay with some regional dishes like andouillette but a heavy Flemish influence with carbonade, gaufre and Potjevleesch. It was very busy.

Seems to be a few articles in the press about this

Du pain, de la bière, du Boursin? Why the French are now drinking more beer than wine

For the first time ever, beer has overtaken wine as the drink of choice in France. Bad news for national identity, but potentially good news in terms of alcohol consumption

www.theguardian.com

Paywalled https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/18/french-beer-wine-what-else-learn-britain-alcohol/

Hopefully I will find some proper French food and wine in the Pyrenees later in the year in the Logis places I have booked half board. I will be on my own, not with someone who lived in Germany for a few decades like last month!

 

[glenn2926]

Over the last few years I have noticed a much wider range of beer in France. Local micro-brewery stuff and chains like Delirium from Belgium with bars in places like La Rochelle and Reims. Most hotels seem to have Affligem or Leffe on tap rather than Kronenburg or Heineken as in the past.

What surprised me was that just around the corner from our hotel in Troyes, capital of Champagne, we found a Flemish style brasserie with its own brewery on site. Lille based with dozens of franchises across France. https://restaurants.3brasseurs.com/fr/france-FR/885/3-brasseurs-troyes/details

They had a happy 2 hours from 5-7pm with 5 euro "pints" including the 8% tripel. We enjoyed a few of those before dinner of an evening, although I preferred the 6% ambrée. Food was okay with some regional dishes like andouillette but a heavy Flemish influence with carbonade, gaufre and Potjevleesch. It was very busy.

Seems to be a few articles in the press about this

Du pain, de la bière, du Boursin? Why the French are now drinking more beer than wine

For the first time ever, beer has overtaken wine as the drink of choice in France. Bad news for national identity, but potentially good news in terms of alcohol consumption

www.theguardian.com

Paywalled https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/18/french-beer-wine-what-else-learn-britain-alcohol/

Hopefully I will find some proper French food and wine in the Pyrenees later in the year in the Logis places I have booked half board. I will be on my own, not with someone who lived in Germany for a few decades like last month!

I was just this evening having this same conversation with my son who has a brewery in Chamonix. We’re now in Italy but have been in France for over a week and finding a good beer is certainly much easier than a few years ago. As you say there are far more local breweries making some great traditional beers as well as the modern west coast IPAs. Long may it continue.

 

[SBD]

Brittany also has a wide range of locally produced beers, and not only typical blondes. Some excellent stouts, ambrees & wheat beers. And I recently sampled a 12% imperial stout that was most enjoyable. I wouldn’t want a skinful…

 

[leadfarmer]

I think young people have moved away from traditional wine and pastis etc and are drinking more beer nowadays

 

[Thejoybringer]

When we were in Brittany, we had a great micro brewery close to us. It was called Les Fous and we enjoyed many an happy evening sampling their craft beers. They also did a fantastic stout that was out of this world and very reasonably priced. The last Sunday of every month was musical evening, bring your guitar, violin, harp etc and join in. Happy days.

 

[leadfarmer]

When we were in Brittany, we had a great micro brewery close to us. It was called Les Fous and we enjoyed many an happy evening sampling their craft beers. They also did a fantastic stout that was out of this world and very reasonably priced. The last Sunday of every month was musical evening, bring your guitar, violin, harp etc and join in. Happy days.

Sounds cool

 

[wessie]

I think young people have moved away from traditional wine and pastis etc and are drinking more beer nowadays

Inbev (now part of Annheuser Busch), Carlsberg and Heineken have done a lot of harm to the UK beer and pub trade. They seem to have done the reverse in France, getting rid of that weak piss you all used to drink for beers like Leffe, Grimbergen and Affligem available nationwide, as well as the locally produced beers that actually have some flavour.

 

[SBD]

Yes, but beware Leffe in the UK, it’s brewed in fucking Northampton. It’s labelled Leffe, and it’s not bad but it’s not the same.

 

[leadfarmer]

Inbev (now part of Annheuser Busch), Carlsberg and Heineken have done a lot of harm to the UK beer and pub trade. They seem to have done the reverse in France, getting rid of that weak piss you all used to drink for beers like Leffe, Grimbergen and Affligem available nationwide, as well as the locally produced beers that actually have some flavour.

To be honest I’m not a fan of any of those three

In England I always drank bitter, notably Marston’s Pedigree or Boddingtons and the likes

Over here I’ve turned into a lager drinker, with a preference for German beers

 

[wessie]

To be honest I’m not a fan of any of those three

In England I always drank bitter, notably Marston’s Pedigree or Boddingtons and the likes

yes, my preference is brown British beer, although Boddingtons is shit since the original brewery closed. Usually on nitrokeg now. Pedigree remains a favourite of the national brands, but my "local" is a proper ale & cider house that will not stock any national brands. They have an excellent beer from Oswestry's Stonehouse Brewery as the main staple, Station Bitter. A classic English Best Bitter.

Over here I’ve turned into a lager drinker, with a preference for German beers

I've never been a big fan of lager, even German stuff. I prefer the wheat beers, especially dunkel.

Maybe one day, the French will embrace proper British Bitter when their palate adjusts from those relatively, sweet and malty Belgian styles.

 

[J biker]

Personal tastes. I’m not that excited about most of the stuff from micro-breweries. Some of it is rank.
Very happy with a nicely chilled Leffe if I can find one.
Otherwise, prefer a good red wine with food anyway. A cold rosé maybe early doors.

Cant beat a good British beer tbh. Not served ice cold either…

 

[timeandtide]

yes, my preference is brown British beer, although Boddingtons is shit since the original brewery closed. Usually on nitrokeg now. Pedigree remains a favourite of the national brands, but my "local" is a proper ale & cider house that will not stock any national brands. They have an excellent beer from Oswestry's Stonehouse Brewery as the main staple, Station Bitter. A classic English Best Bitter.



I've never been a big fan of lager, even German stuff. I prefer the wheat beers, especially dunkel.

Maybe one day, the French will embrace proper British Bitter when their palate adjusts from those relatively, sweet and malty Belgian styles.

Never been keen on Boddingtons, ditto Robinsons and John Smiths.
Morlands, Shepherd & Neames, Fullers and Wards, amongst others, all brewed some excellent beers.

 

[wessie]

Never been keen on Boddingtons, ditto Robinsons and John Smiths.
Morlands, Shepherd & Neames, Fullers and Wards, amongst others, all brewed some excellent beers.

I see Morland Old Speckled Hen has been sold to the Spanish brewery Damm. Maybe we will see more brown beers in Spain!

 

[Wapping]

I’m not that excited about most of the stuff from micro-breweries. Some of it is rank.

A sentiment I share.

Much of it is overly citrus in nature or simply banged up on the specific gravity front, just so the pub can scrawl 7.5% or 9% onto their chalk board.

 

[Wapping]

Never been keen on Boddingtons, ditto Robinsons and John Smiths.
Morlands, Shepherd & Neames, Fullers and Wards, amongst others, all brewed some excellent beers.

The great thing about the traditional and / or regional British brewers (those that remain) is the variety of taste in the bitters they offer. Do we all like all of them? No, I guess not…. But there’s no harm in finding out.

 

[Wapping]

To give the French brewer their due, they did produce a classic: