Mr & Mrs. Warrior have just returned from a short
visit to St. Barthélemy, a lovely quiet village in Brittany.
Our hosts were Mike and Lynda Carrie, Newark branch CAMRA
members, who moved out there about two years since and now
try to earn a few Euros by letting out rooms.
Mike was a perfect host, showing us the sights around the
area and introducing us to the culture, especially the bars!
The traditional drink in Brittany is cider, either still and
cloudy similar to those made here or, more commonly,
slightly sparkling and clear, although the sediment remains
in the bottle.
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Available either dry (brut) or sweeter (doux),
they are made on the farms where the apples are grown, the
flavour obviously differing with type of apple, growing
conditions and the way in which the juice is treated after
pressing. Cider, or ‘cidre’ was available in every bar, café
and supermarket we visited, although it was much more fun
visiting the farms where they are made and purchasing them
directly from the farmer. I won’t bore you with tasting
notes; suffice to say all those sampled were very drinkable.
The Bretons are fiercely proud of their product and
apparently some Breton cider-producing areas are even
pressing for their own Appelation D'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)
to guarantee authentic, high-quality local production, as
with French wines.
Not so easy to find, but made from the same apples is ‘Eau
de Vie’ or ‘Water of Life’, a throat-ripping poteen-type
brew still made by some farmers. Not sure whether this was
legal, but we were served some from under the bar. I was
assured that it was a really ‘smooth’ sample. If it was, I
would hate to try the rough stuff! |
A lot of Brittany’s cider history can be seen at the farm
at Pleudihen whose outbuildings house the Musée de la Pomme
et du Cidre (Apple and Cider Museum), which we also visited
and where we pictured the antique still that was used to
make the Eau de Vie.
We also found some very good bottle-conditioned Breton
beers, but I’ll save that for another day. Our short stay in
Brittany was very enjoyable, big thanks to Mike and Lynda.
If you fancy a visit, see
www.brittanycider.com or give them a call on 0033 (0)
297 271 241
BoldBelvoir
Aug '05 |
