France is primarily associated with fashion, cheese and, of course, wine. In the north of the country you can taste white wine, while in the south, red is more popular. If you want to try delicious French alcohols, you should go to Alsace, a land in the north-eastern part of the country.
The Alsatian wine route is 170 kilometers long - it leads through numerous villages, towns, valleys and vineyards. It has existed since 1953 and is divided into five regions: Pays de Wissembourg, Vignoble de Strasbourg, Cœur d'Alsace, Terre et Vins au Pays de Colmar and La Route des Vins Sud-Alsace.
It can be explored on foot, by bike or by car. Apart from the possibility of tasting the highest-quality liquors, the picturesque landscapes are of course an additional advantage. Alsace is definitely a must stop for wine lovers visiting France.
What is France famous for? - popular alcohol
But France is not only wine - it is a liquor-flowing country from which many specialties are derived. Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Cognac - some of the largest cognac distilleries - should definitely be mentioned. The process of its formation is quite complex. It is usually made from ungi blanc grapes from one of six counties: Grand Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois and Bois Ordinaire. The distillation process produces water which is then aged for several years, sometimes even decades in barrels. After this time, everything is carefully mixed and then bottled. You cannot forget about armagnac, the oldest natural grape vodka in Europe, produced in Gascony.
Producers of alcoholic beverages from Upper Normandy are famous for producing Benedictine (herbal tincture). There is an extremely interesting fact related to this drink. It is said that it is created according to a top secret recipe, unchanged for years, known only to three people in the world.
Another herbal product of note is the Chartreuse liqueur, named after the La Grande Chartreuse Carthusian Monastery near Grenoble, where it is produced. There are two basic types of this alcohol - yellow (weaker - 43% alcohol and slightly sweeter in taste) and green (stronger - 55% alcohol). Both are made in the same way and with the same ingredients, but in slightly different proportions. They are based on wine distillate and extracts from as many as 130 different herbs, so their color is obtained in a completely natural way.
Liqueurs in France are quite popular. Burgundy produces the delicious Blackcurrant La creme de cassis, which is the basis of many alcoholic cocktails.
Another alcohol that cannot be ignored is Cidre de Normandie, i.e. French cider. It is produced in the northern part of the country, where the temperature rarely exceeds 20 degrees Celsius, so there are ideal conditions there. The drink is made as a result of the apple juice fermentation process, hence its common name - Normandy Apple Pie. In this case, we can also distinguish two types, dry with a sour taste and sweet.
As you can see, France is a country not only for wine lovers. People who like other types of alcohol will surely find something for themselves.