History
In 2016, France ranked 12th in the world for average alcohol consumption per capita. Some historians link high alcohol consumption to the Middle Ages. At that time, alcoholic drinks formed a large part of he average worker's diet. It was drunk from the morning, up to 3 litres per person per day. Some scholars argue that alcohol played a role in the French Revolution, acting as "a catalyst and a lubricant" for the events of July 1789.
Types of alcohol
Alcohol has an enormous importance in French culture. It is produce almost everywhere in the country, and became a part of French gastronomy. Today, every region has its speciality, some of which are listed below.
Île-de-France
Île-de-France is the most urbanised region in France, making it unsuitable for vineyards. But this is the main and most populous region in France, so it has an essential role of point of distribution and consumption across the country.
Nouvelle Aquitaine
Located in southwest, it produces great variety of alcoholic drinks, including the very famous Vin de Bordeaux, a red wine. Others include :
Cognac
Pineau des Charentes
Vins de Bergerac
Floc de Gascogne
Armagnac
Occitanie
Next to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie also has many local alcoholic drinks. The most popular are Vins de Languedoc-Roussillon, which are a mix of white, red and rose wine. Others are :
Arrmagnac
Marc du Languedoc
Blanquette de Limoux
Clairette
Cartagène
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Situated in southeast of France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is well known for its rose wines, but mostly for its anis flower drinks, such as Pastis or Ricard.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
On the south of PACA region, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is significant place for alcohol production. Thanks to its mountain range, it produces alcohol that cannot be found somewhere else, especially Génépi and Chartreuse. But you can also find :
Côtes du Rhône
Beaujolais
Vins de Savoie
Artisanal beer
Marc de Savoie
Centre-Val de Loire
A dominant wine region in France, Centre-Val de Loire has 3 notable wines :
Vins de la Loire
Vouvray
Sauvignon de Touraine
Bourgogne-France-Comté
Bourgogne-France-Comté is maybe the most renowned wine region in France. It produces wines which are known worldwide like Romanée-Conti, the most expensive wine in the world. Other alcohol are :
Anis de Pontarlier
Marc de Bourgogne
Fine de Bourgogne
Grand Est
Grand Est region has many different types of alcoholic drinks:
Crément d'Alsace
Champagne
Mirabelle
Kirsch
Beer
Vin d'Alsace
Hauts-de-France
Located on the north of France, this region is a bit different from the others ; it doesn't really produce wines, but mostly beers. And it is famous for it. Hauts-de-France also produce Picon, which is often drunk with beer.
Pays de La Loire
This region has a celebrated drink, Cointreau, produced in downtown Angers. Other types of alcohol are :
Muscadet
Vins d'Anjou
Saumur
Normandie
Many alcoholic drinks produced in this region are apple-based, like cider, Calvados (apple brandy) Pommeau, Poiré or Bénédictine.
Bretagne
Bretagne has a very good reputation as alcohol producers. It is one of the regions that consume the most alcohol in France. Its specialities are :
Cider
Chouchen
Beer
Lambig
Corsica
Some examples of alcohol produced in Corsica include:
Vin Corse
Muscat du Cap Corse
Pietra
Myrte
Cap Corse Mattei
Acquavita
Health risk
7% of the deaths in France of people aged 15 years and over are attributable to alcohol. It kills 41,000 people each year.
Alcohol is a risk factor for many diseases. Some are only caused by alcohol, such as cirrhosis. Others increase the risk, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or cognitive disorders which may be irreversible.
Marketing
Promoting alcohol by advertising on TV or cinema is forbidden in France. However online advertising is not restricted. Alcohol advertisers use humor, seduction or promote feelings of empowerment, to promote their products. The goal is to show a positive image of consuming alcohol.