Fashion Conso: How IPA beer conquered France in five years!
Unknown to the battalion even five years ago, the IPA has since made its hole in France, to the point of becoming one of the most consumed beers.
For years, pint orders in France amounted almost exclusively to white, blonde or brown, the holy trinity of beer for generations (to be consumed in moderation).
Of course, there were sometimes a few fruity binouzes, ciders and other curiosities here and there (all tastes are in nature, after all).
But in very insufficient numbers to shake up this trio that we thought was immovable. And now, for a few years, a fourth type of beverage has been invited to the party and has conquered hearts and mugs. A bitter beer, a little strong and with a pronounced taste, recognizable among a thousand.
Fashion Conso
You recognized it if you skimmed the bars and parties a little, we are of course talking about the sensation of this beginning of the decade, the hype of the moment, the revelation 2017-2022: the India Pale Ale, aka the IPA.
It is impossible to miss this beer with high fermentation and heavily hopped as it conquered France in five years, Caesar style during the Gallic War. In the world of consumption and sales, we don't call it a Blitzkrieg (the name of an IPA beer, well, well) but a "mushroom market", describes Eric Marzec, director of liquid universes at Iri (Information Resources, Inc., sales data company). Understand: a non-existent market that suddenly began to grow everywhere. Aim a little at the numbers: in 2017, the French large distribution sold 14,000 hectoliters of IPA. In 2018, 27,000. In 2019, 45,000. And in 2020, 100,000 hectoliters, a figure equaled in 2021, informs Eric Marzec. A doubling of sales every year, just that.
So much for the numbers of the success story. Still, the IPA has been around since the eighteenth century, so why is it only popping up now? "Beer is generally experiencing a strong growth in France," says Jacques Bertin, deputy editor-in-chief of the specialized magazine Rayon Boissons. For the past decade, its sales have increased by 10% every year, driven by specialty beers, and in particular IPA. »
Fashion Conso success
With this growing success, the public tends to gain expertise. "In France, we have done a little bit of the classic lager, such as Heineken or Kronenbourg, and the consumer is becoming more demanding and curious, looking for new tastes". So no more Footix, it's time for connoisseurs.
A change that fits well with the great culinary tradition of the country, according to Magali Filhue, general delegate of the Brewers of France. Or "a people who like to test new products, in search of good food and curiosities", according to the expert. And because we must dare to compare it at one point: would beer be overshadowing wine, losing speed? "A bierological culture is being born in France," confirms the brewer.
The breweries, precisely, let's talk about them. From about thirty in the 1980s, France now has 2,500, with a clear acceleration in recent years. "For the past three or four years, a new brewery has been opening every day on average," enthuses Magali Filhue. The Hexagon has even become the first in Europe in terms of the number of breweries, and toc Germany and Belgium. "It's easier for brewers to test new tastes," says Fabrice Le Goff, from the Brasserie du Grand Paris. They work on much less volume, which makes a failure less serious. »
Fashion Conso trend
However, the two trends, breweries and IPAs, are self-feeding: brewers bring many consumers to this hoppy beer, while the IPA consumed in a bar or at a friend's house "can also push the public to look for a craft brewery, in search of new flavors and more refined beers", notes Jacques Bertin. A nice virtuous circle.
"Ten years ago, when you came to the bar, you asked for a pint. And that's it. Today you will ask what beer they have, choose a specific taste, " the deputy editor-in-chief supports. Because that's it, the hunt for "Biérix" has begun, and ordering a simple blonde is equivalent to a fashion faux pas worthy of a sandals-socks combo: "It immediately makes you look like a person without taste or personality. Even students don't turn to the 4-ball pint anymore. A beer must have taste and character, not be bland," confirms Mathias, crossed in afterwork, an IPA in hand. For Fabrice Le Goff, "the French were convinced that the beer necessarily revolved around 4 or 5 degrees, had a rather weak taste and a low fermentation. The IPA has opened a new path, into which many amateurs have jumped. »
Fashion Conso taste
We understood the search for taste, novelty, all that, all that. But why is it the IPA that is emerging, and not another one? Because it was unearthed in American breweries during the 1990s, before being exported worldwide. "It offers a wide variety of tastes and flavors depending on the dosage of the hops. There is something for everyone," says Magali Filhue. And indeed, the offer has diversified and increased tenfold in France: from less than 10 types of IPAs sold in supermarkets five years ago, we have grown to about thirty, says Eric Marzec.
A slightly less consensual answer for Mathias: "If you take a cider or a fruity beer, you risk passing for someone fragile. An IPA, it tastes quite bitter and it's usually over 7 degrees, it avoids easy mockery. Fabrice Le Goff resolves the debate: "Bitterness, characteristic of IPA, is the least exploited sense of our aromatic palate. So it's a rare taste, and once you get used to it, you tend to look for it again". Eh but besides, it's almost time for an aperitif…
