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Buy Full NotesMeet Laurent Cicurel, a Frenchman passionnate about beer and craft beer. Laurent is the co-owner of La Fine Mousse, a bar and a restaurant in Paris which specialises in the tasting of unique beers. The restaurant offers to match dishes with beers, just like you would do with a wine. By the way, in a country where wine and champagne are so renowned, how big is beer culture in France? Find out in this episode and learn many more, interesting facts such as what the main ingredients in a beer are, or why the number of breweries underwent such a dramatic change in number in the last century!
Episode Timeline
Part 1
A definition of craft beer
How many types of beers are there?
Part 2
What are the main ingredients in a beer?
What makes the “lambic” beer special
How important is the soil in the making of beer?
Part 3
Is there a big beer culture in France?
A dramatic change in the number of breweries
La Fine Mousse: the bar
Part 4
La Fine Mousse: the restaurant
How beers and dishes can be matched
Calculating the alcohol content in a beer
La Robe et la Mousse
Vocab List
accorder = to match
bière artisanale (nf) = craft beer
blé (nm) = wheat
brasser = to brew
brasserie (nf) = brewery
brasseur (nm) = brewer ; pub-restaurant owner
cave (nf) = cellar
charcuterie (nf) = cooked meats, cold meats ; delicatessen
fût (nm) = cask, barrel, keg
gustatif, -tive (adj) = gustatory, taste (noun as adj)
levure (nf) = yeast
orge (nm) = barley
réglisse (nf) = liquorice
robe (nf) = colour (wine)
sommelier (nm) = sommelier, wine waiter
terroir (nm) = soil, land
Questions:
- (Part 1) When did craft beer become more trendy again?
- (Part 2) True or false? The main ingredient in a beer is hop.
- (Part 2) Which 2 words refer to the science of beer?
- (Part 3) How many breweries were there:
– at the beginning of the 20th century?
– at the end of the 20th century?
Answers:
- About 30-40 years ago
- False. The main ingredient is water. Hop is the second last main ingredient (the last ingredient is yeast)
- la biérologie, la zytologie
- – at the beginning of the 20th century: several thousands
– at the end of the 20th century: only a few dozens
Links & Resources
- Website: lafinemousse.fr
- La Fine Mousse:
6 Avenue Jean Aicard, 75011 Paris, France
3 rue Mr Le Prince, 75006 Paris - Paris Beer Week: http://parisbeerweek.fr/
- Episode 52 “Champagne Producing with Tristan Hyest”: frenchvoicespodcast.com/episode52
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