Listed in the French cultural heritage, beer is part of the identity of the North and is even a tourist asset for the region. Indeed, the Hauts-de-France is the 2nd brewing region in France behind Alsace.
Listed in the French cultural heritage, beer is part of the identity of the North and is even a tourist asset for the region. Indeed, the Hauts-de-France is the 2nd brewing region in France behind Alsace.
It was manufactured in the northern countryside by brewers and consumed near the manufacturing sites.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were nearly 2000 breweries in the region. Their numbers dropped after the destruction of many breweries during the First World War. After the Second World War, the concentration of the population accelerated and tastes standardised. The industrialization of breweries in the 1980s led in particular to the introduction of low-temperature fermented beers and led to the disappearance of small brewers.
But in the North, some breweries have managed to maintain their independence. These family-owned businesses distinguish themselves from the industry by choosing to produce high-temperature fermented beer, which gives a more aromatic drink with more bitterness.
This is the case of the Saint Sylvestre Cappel Brewery, which produces the "3 Monts" beer, or the Duyck brewery that produces the "Jenlain" beer, in the village of the same name. No less than 350 beer brands are brewed in the region, 27 of them were awarded at the General Agricultural Competition and 7 won a gold medal.
Today, with the rise of craft breweries, hops are in demand again. In the Destination Coeur de Flandre, seven hop growers who have resisted from the industrialization of the sector, form the Coophounord cooperative.
They offer ten varieties of hops, and sell to 70 brewers. Thanks to the micro breweries that are opening up everywhere, the activity is thriving, to the point that hop growers must increase their production!
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Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health, consume in moderation.
