How the French drink

A highly subjective (and probably inaccurate) outsider's guide to the beverages that people in France consume

Rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre (Photo by William Sidnam)

I've written a couple of articles about the everyday eating habits of French people (that I've come across). So today I thought I'd write about their drinking habits.

Once again, my views are entirely subjective and probably not very accurate, but everything here is at least an accurate account of what I think is true. Enjoy (or don't)!

Alcohol

While France is known for its wine, most young people prefer to socialise over beers. With that said, knowledge of wine is seen as form of cultural capital, and I get the impression that those who don’t know much about it can be seen as a little uneducated.

While Cider is usually drunk with crêpes, as is tradition in Brittany, champagne is only considered champagne if it comes from the Champagne region. As France is big on AOP, or appellation d’origine protégée (Protected designation of Origin), the use of the word ‘champagne’ for sparkling wine that doesn’t come from Champagne is seen as deceptive and wrong. What’s interesting is that while most French people associate the drink with the region from which it derives its name, most people overseas think of ‘champagne’ as simply a…