FV 074 : La Fine Mousse – the world of craft beer

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Meet 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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