Discovering the French drinking culture: delicious traditional beverages and customs

  • Le kir
  • Le French Martini
  • Le chocolat viennois (it’s a hot drink)
Drink in French

  • Le vin
  • The best-known wines are made in the Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Alsace regions.

  • Le Champagne
  • A sparkling wine produced only in the Champagne region. A bottle of Champagne is shared to celebrate events large and small.

  • Le cidre
  • An apple-based alcoholic beverage popular in Normandy and Brittany. There are several types of cider: sweet and dry.

  • Le Calvados
  • An apple or pear brandy from the Normandy region. It is aged in oak barrels, giving it a distinctive flavor.

  • Le Pastis
  • An aniseed-flavored drink widely consumed in the south of France. It needs to be mixed with water to be drinkable.

  • Le Chartreuse
  • A liqueur produced by Carthusian monks since the 18th century. It is produced in two versions, green and yellow, both with different tastes.

  • L’Armagnac et le Cognac
  • Two types of aged French brandy, produced in the Gascony and Cognac regions.

  • Le kir
  • Dry white wine is added to crème de cassis. There are several variations, such as the Kir Royal with champagne.

  • Le vin chaud (it’s a hot drink)
  • Warm red wine mixed with spices, often consumed during the winter.

  • L’absinthe
  • An alcoholic drink made from the plant of the same name.



  • Greetings
  • It’s customary to greet persons as you enter the bar, the staff of course, but also customers, depending on where they’re seated.

  • Waiting at the table
  • In many bars in France, especially in the evening, you’ll be served at your table, so you don’t have to order at the bar. In general, you wait for the waiter to show you to your table.

  • Ordering
  • If you’re at a table, the waiter or waitress will take your order. If you’re at the bar, either the bartender comes to you, or you tell him or her what you want.

  • Tipping
  • It’s not customary to tip in France, but a tip of around 5-10% is generally appreciated.

  • Taking the time
  • It’s part of French culture to take the time to appreciate a drink, and sometimes to socialize.

  • Cultural exchange
  • Chatting to regulars or bar staff is a great way to find out more about the city.

  • Respect for others
  • Respect other customers and don’t make too much noise. In general, personns like to be able to talk easily, so in a quiet environment.

    Exercise
    If you already have tried some of them, I suggest you to choose one and to write in the comments why you like it. I’ll correct your French.

  • ……………………………………………

  • ……………………………………………

  • ……………………………………………

  • To remember
    I invite you to do your own list of favorite French beverages.

    I give you here a list of my three favorite ones
  • Le cidre
  • Le kir
  • Le vin chaud
  • French cafés: drinks and social life
  • Social gatherings
  • Friends, family and work colleagues often meet in cafés to relax and chat.

  • Cultivating the art of living
  • People sometimes stay for hours, taking the time to appreciate their coffee or hot chocolate. They read or enjoy the passing of time.

  • Outdoor terraces
  • Many cafés have outdoor terraces. Here, people can enjoy the sunshine and warm temperatures of spring and summer.

  • Observing city life
  • People like to sit in cafés to watch passers-by and observe how the city lives.

  • Les café-philo
  • Some cafés organize café-philo events, where subjects are discussed from a philosophical point of view. The French attach great importance to intellectual activity.

  • Cultural events
  • Some cafés organize cultural events
    • art exhibitions
    • poetry readings
    • concerts
  • Business meetings
  • In cafés, business meetings are more relaxed.

  • Chess and board games
  • In some cafés you can play board games or chess.

  • Coffee break
  • It’s part of French tradition. Employees often take a coffee break to relax and chat.

  • Cultural heritage
  • Cafés are part of our cultural heritage. Artists, writers and intellectuals used to meet there. In Paris, for example, Jeau-Paul Sartre often went to the Café de Flore.

    Vous voulez boire quelque chose ? / Aimeriez-vous boire quelque chose ?
    Do you want to drink something?

    Nous voudrions trois tasses de thé vert, s’il vous plaît.
    We’d like three cups of green tea, please.
    Un verre d’eau pour moi.
    A glass of water for me.
    • Le café (Coffee)
      • Un café (un espresso): a strong, short espresso.
      • Un café allongé: an espresso diluted with more water.
      • Un café crème: an espresso with hot milk.
    • Le thé
      • Un thé noir (a black tea)
      • Un thé vert (a green tea)
      • Un thé à la menthe: a green tea with sugar and fresh mint.
  • Un café au lait: a milk coffee.
  • Un cappuccino
  • Un noisette (it means hazelnut): an espresso with a small amount of milk or cream.
  • Un chocolat chaud (a hot chocolate)
  • Un chocolat viennois: a thick hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
  • Un sirop d’orgeat (orgeat syrup)
  • Un diabolo: lemonade + syrup.
  • De l’eau plate ou pétillante (still or sparkling water)
  • Des jus de fruits frais (fresh fruit juices)
  • Exercise
    If you already have tried some of them, I suggest you to choose one and to write in the comments why you like it. I’ll correct your French.

  • ……………………………………………

  • ……………………………………………

  • ……………………………………………

  • To remember
    I invite you to do your own list of favorite French beverages.

    I give you here a list of my three favorite ones
  • Le thé à la menthe
  • Le chocolat viennois
  • Le sirop d’orgeat
  • Celebrations with alcoholic and fizzy drinks
  • Heritage and tradition
  • Champagne has been around for centuries and is made using traditional skills. This contributes to its prestige.

  • Celebrations and victories
  • It’s often associated with success: a wedding, in the workplace, winning a sporting competition, etc.

  • Cultural associations
  • Not only is it deeply rooted in French culture, but it’s also well known the world over. For example, it is associated with cultural events such as New Year’s Eve.

  • Elegance
  • It is carefully presented in flutes (specific glass for the champagne).

  • Sabrage ritual
  • The bottle can be opened with a saber. It’s a tradition: the neck is cut with a sword. It reinforces the majestic, festive aspect of the event.

    Regional festivities and their signature drinks

  • La fête de la musique (June 21rst) – Drinks: beer and wine.
  • It takes place all over France on the day of the summer solstice. Concerts are held in the streets.

  • La fête nationale (July 14th) – Drinks: champagne and aperitifs.
  • To commemorate the French Revolution. People leave their homes to watch the fireworks and sometimes the parades.

  • Menton lemon festival (February-March) – Drink: limoncello (a lemon liqueur).
  • The town of Menton celebrates citrus fruits with float parades and citrus sculptures.

  • La fête de la bière à Strasbourg (August-September) – Drink: local beer.
  • You can discover a variety of local beers brewed in Alsace.

  • Les vendanges (September) – Drink: le vin nouveau.
  • During the harvest period, festivals are held to celebrate the grape harvest. People drink the wine that has just been pressed.

  • La fête de la lavande à Sault (August) – Drink: lavender lemonade.
  • To celebrate lavender. Lavender drinks are available.

  • La fête du vin à Bordeaux (June) – Drink: Bordeaux wines.
  • Bordeaux wines only. There are concerts and entertainment throughout the city.

    To remember
    The two most famous events in France are
  • La fête de la musique
  • La fête natioanle
  • French cocktails and fizzy drinks
  • Le Mimosa
  • Champagne (or sparkling wine) mixed with fresh orange juice.

  • Le French 75
  • Made with gin, champagne, sugar syrup and lemon juice.

  • Le Negroni blanc
  • Made with white vermouth, gin and Americano.

  • Le Picon bière
  • Made with Picon, lager and a slice of orange.

  • Le Boulevardier
  • Similar to Negroni, the difference is that bourbon or whisky is used instead of gin.

  • Le French Martini
  • Made with vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice.



  • Lulu White Drinking Club (Paris)
  • inspired by the Paris of the early 20th century. Enjoy drinks in chic surroundings.

  • Le Syndicat (Paris)
  • Offers a wide range of French spirits. They are made with local ingredients.

  • Candelaria (Paris)
  • Known for its innovative creations.

  • Gravity Bar (Nantes)
  • Innovative and regularly changing drinks.

  • Bespoke (Paris)
  • You can create your own cocktails. Mixologists ask customers for their preferences in terms of flavors and ingredients.

  • Sherry Butt (Paris)
  • Offers a wide range of cocktails and spirits.

  • Danico (Paris)
  • Offers high-end cocktails with unique creations.

  • Combat (Paris)
  • They are made with local ingredients.

    Exercise
    In the comments, list the ingredients of what would be your best cockctail ever! I’ll correct the language.

  • ……………………………………………

  • ……………………………………………

  • ……………………………………………
  • FAQ for alcoholic drinks

    FAQ

    How do you say ‘cheers’ in French?



    Resources

    https://www.cosmopolitan.com/cosmopolitan-cocktails/

    https://cooking.nytimes.com/topics/cocktail-recipes