With its strong brewing tradition, the Hauts-de-France region has many breweries, 109 of which are open to visitors. If you want to meet inspired craftsmen and see up close how they mix water, malt, hops and yeast to give birth to unique products, the website Bières et Brasseries has specially concocted a friendly and gourmet road trip for you.
13 breweries, 7 distilleries and 12 hotel-restaurants (offering "malted moments") grouped together on an interactive map for an immersion in the different flavors of the region. A 520 km route is also available in a mobile application geolocating the different establishments and indicating the type of visit or animation offered by these men and women who have made their passion a profession.
Anecdotes, equipment and know-how are to be discovered in these micro breweries (less than 200 000 hl/year) which often produce original recipes to be tasted on the spot. The Ambiani brewery, for example, markets a range of 6 beers inspired by the thousand-year-old history of Amiens, "Mon Jules", which more specifically evokes the travels of the most famous Amiens citizen, Jules Verne. In a completely different spirit, the White Star brewery is inspired by the legend of the Titanic and brews Anglo-Saxon inspired beers.
If you are more of a spirits lover, the tour will invite you to visit the Persyn distillery which, since 1812, has been producing juniper, a grain brandy flavored with juniper berries. This ingredient is also used to make gin and whisky thanks to impressive traditional stills.
For even more conviviality, this Beer Route in the Hauts-de-France can be done in a Volkswagen Combi. For groups of 12 people, a customized route allows you to discover 1 to 3 breweries but also, if you have time, to enjoy a lunch break in an estaminet or to visit small local producers. To make this vintage excursion totally comfortable, a "Sam" can even accompany you: while playing the role of a guide, he will make sure that you can fully enjoy the different tastings proposed.
If you'd rather take to the road and walk at your own pace, there are also 40 hiking trails that allow you to discover the region while tasting local beers approved by a connoisseur along the way. As a reward for walking along the coast with its fine sandy beaches, or across the plains and slag heaps typical of the Hauts de France region, you can discover where the 1st cask of Anostéké (voted best beer in the world in 2021 and whose name, in flamingo phonetics, means "see you next time") was tapped.
In the 50 breweries along these 40 routes, you can also discover a recipe that, according to legend, escaped the Viking invasions, or meet a brewer... who doesn't like beer.
So, are you ready to discover all the mysteries surrounding the tasty hop drink?
Go to this website or, for itineraries outside the Hauts-de-France, to the Beers and Distilleries website where you can download the free guide "Breweries and Distilleries of our Regions".
Valérie from Comme des Français
To complete the immersion in this gourmet region
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink in moderation.
