Normandy is more than just cider and calvados… there’s beer too! The region is home to a hundred craft breweries who put all their imagination and creativity into delighting beer drinkers.
Normandy beer: a long-standing tradition
You may not know, but we’ve been making beer in Normandy for longer than we’ve been making cider! The region’s signature apple-based tipple began being made in the 15th century whilst local beer production was first mentioned in writing in the 12th century. “There were a dozen breweries around Dieppe back then. It was the main regional port at the time and Normandy beer was exported from there,” says Jean-Luc Hanin, president of the Association des Amis de la Bière Normande (Normandy Beer Friends’ Association). The Trappist beer legacy also appeared around this time at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Trappe monastery (Orne).
Breweries in every département
Great brewery dynasties flourished in Normandy until the 20th century, including the famous Bière Paillette which employed 500 people in Le Havre. But the industrial revolution drowned out craft ale. 1987 was a dark year for pale ale: it was the first time in 800 years that not a single drop of beer was made! Fortunately, production picked up again in 1988 and consumer enthusiasm for local produce restored Normandy beer to its former glory… The region is now home to 130 craft breweries and microbreweries: 40 in Seine-Maritime, 25 in Calvados, 25 in Manche, 20 in Eure and 15 in Orne.
Artisanal and increasingly local
Until recently, not many regional brewers used Normandy grains to make beer because there weren’t any. But 100% Normandy beers are now appearing on the market with the revival of local hop growing (supported by the Normandy Chamber of Agriculture) and the first malthouse in Normandy opening in Bayeux in 2019. Some farmers have launched their own beer brands to diversify their barley business, such as La Godène brewed in Pays de Caux and La Trotteuse brewed in Orne.
We should mention that Normandy is the only region in France making real abbey beer: Benedictine monks at Saint-Wandrille Abbey (Seine-Maritime) have been making Wandrille since 2016. Rouen also sets the scene for the Ragnar brewery’s L’Église-Brasserie: a third place celebrating craftsmanship, heritage and local food & drink. It’s a first in France!
Flavour in all its forms
Wheat, lager, pale ale, IPA, triple: don’t try to find a classic Normandy beer because there isn’t one. Local beer is original to say the least! “Normandy brewers try to stand out from big brands with unique products and often limited editions,” says Jean-Luc Hanin. Just take Les deux Amants in Val-de-Reuil and Spore in Gravigny, two breweries that have made limited editions available for just a few months their signature.
Others like to celebrate the region and put real Normandy signatures into their beer. The Oyster Princess beer by Brasserie Sagesse (Le Breuil-en-Auge) is flavoured with Normandy oyster whilst local organic hay goes into La Domfrontaise by Château de la Bière (Lonlay-L’Abbaye). L’Arlipette by Brasserie de l’Enclos in Avranches is tinged with apple whilst Brassin de Sutter (Brasserie de Sutter in Gisors) is aged in Calvados barrels.
An association promoting Normandy beer
Fuelled by a passion for Normandy craft ale and its history, Jean-Luc Hanin founded the Association des Amis de la Bière Normande. Fifty-odd breweries from all over Normandy are part of the association recognised as a part of the regional brewery industry by the Chamber of Agriculture, alongside Normandie Malt and Houblons de Normandie. It hosts an annual convention for Normandy craft beer to introduce people to the local brewery heritage in all its diversity.
Thematics
