Garçon, un Picon! — The Past and Future Success of Amer Bière in French Drinking Culture
Their drink earned a lot of attention at French beer festivals last year.After years of taking inspiration from North American brewing, mainly by focusing on really hoppy styles, it now seems like French brewers—and drinkers—are looking to embrace their own traditions, whether it’s by taking influences from French wine or by paying homage to institutions like Picon-Bière.Kévin Coudette, manager of the Lille craft beer bar La Capsule, believes Amer Bière conveys the sense of familiarity and conviviality that he wants to create at his venue—by throwing “Soirée Picon,” a recurring “Picon Evening” event where you can choose from various amer brands and flavors to blend with a craft beer.That’s also what led two breweries, Hôpi and La Débauche, to brew Homologué, a collaborative spiced beer with orange zest and gentian that attempts to recreate the taste of a Picon-Bière cocktail. Ludovic Hörlin, Hôpi’s founder, took it as a challenge to make a Picon-Bière without actually using Picon, but one that fits in with how he often finds inspiration “As a brewer, I don’t restrict myself to beer when it comes to creating new recipes I get lots of ideas through food, herbs I tasted in a meal, or our terroir,” he says