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Drink

How to locate free drinking water fountains near you in France

Paris even has some points which offer sparkling water

Anger as French government mulls raising alcohol taxes

France’s health minister said the move would help fight alcohol addiction. But critics say it is just another way for the government to make money

‘Sudden fall’: Concern over people drinking less wine in France

Winegrowers should export more to cope with a trend of young people turning to beer and spirits, a leading national cooperative has said

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Did you know? Queen’s favourite French tipple was cure for malaria

Trendy advertising, sales in Colombia and a famous royal fan have kept Dubonnet on the ‘apéro’ list

Map: our tour of France by local apéritif

Apéritifs actually started out as medical drinks and were popular in the 19th century among soldiers struggling with malaria in Africa

Briton jailed for causing crash in south of France while drink driving

The collision, in July 2019, resulted in life-threatening injuries to a motorbike rider and his passenger

French driver found seven times over legal alcohol limit

The 58-year-old man had drunk 12 litres of beer, a bottle of pastis, and a bottle of rosé - and did not have a licence

Quoi de neuf - French shopping in June 2020

New products, designs and ideas from around France

French seawater a tonic for Asian health market

Water taken from 300 metres has few of the bacteria and marine organisms found in seawater nearer the surface

Extra chlorine in tap water in France due to Covid-19

If you think you have noticed a change in the taste of your tap water in France recently, you are almost certainly right, as some water suppliers have increased the chlorine levels recently. We explain why...

Cheers! No-alcohol gin wins over French drinks giant

France’s sweet cordial success

French kids and adults alike love a drop of squash... The Connexion talks to a sirop maker on the drink’s boom

Cocktail hour, Paris-style

We are in 1920s Paris and the spirit of partying and indulging in cocktails is in full swing, under the influence of American style bars. Author of a new book on the subject, Franck Audoux raises a glass to good times and picks three great tipples from the era to try at home

Coca-Cola may disappear from some French supermarkets

World famous soft drink Coca-Cola could disappear from some supermarket shelves in France in the next few days, after a dispute erupted over “new healthier trends” and delivery problems.

Drivers in France no longer need breathalyser kits

Drivers in France will no longer be obliged to carry breathalysers in their vehicles at all times, as the discredited and ignored law that required it has finally been formally scrapped.

Man in French town pays for everyone’s food

An unknown man in Grenoble (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) surprised staff in a sandwich shop this week after he paid for all of the remaining food stock, so that all future customers that day would eat for free.

Doctors call for higher alcohol taxes in France

Doctors in France have called on health minister Agnès Buzyn to raise taxes on alcohol and spend the funds on more awareness campaigns against addiction and excess alcohol consumption.

French festival friends brew cassoulet-flavoured beer

Two friends in Toulouse (Occitanie) - who are founders of a local beer festival - have combined the region’s local dish with their favourite drink, and created a cassoulet beer.

Bordeaux: Restaurants with no local wine denounced

The Bordeaux director of tourism has condemned restaurants in the region that do not sell a single local wine, and called on them to pay as much attention to their wine lists as to their food.

French pastis producers aim to raise spirit popularity

One of the only remaining 100% Marseille manufacturers of the alcoholic spirit pastis is aiming to revive its flagging popularity by exporting most of its production under a “Made in France” banner.

Sugary drinks tax in France already making impact

The tax on sugary fizzy drinks that has been in place in France since July 1 is already having a positive effect on the amount of sugar found in the drinks, an MP has said.

French NGO lists ‘veg’ foods with animal ingredients

A French consumer NGO has announced a list of 12 apparently-vegetarian products that do, in fact, contain “hidden” animal ingredients, such as gelatine in yoghurt and cochineal in fizzy drinks.

Minister wants larger ‘no alcohol when pregnant’ logo

Health minister Agnès Buzyn has called for a larger “no alcohol when pregnant” warning logo on alcohol bottles in France, sparking criticism from producers who say it gives a bad impression of their products.

French cognac exports at record high in 2018

French cognac exports were at a record high for the fourth consecutive year in 2018, with the drink now making up one quarter of the country’s entire wine and spirit exports, to the value of €3.2 billion.

Jail for four-times limit lorry driver in Occitanie

A truck driver in Occitanie has been jailed for 10 months after being caught driving while more than four times over the legal blood alcohol limit, while also talking on his mobile phone.

Normandy city takes hard line on public drunkenness

€120 cost of transport to drunk tank will be added to €150 fine

French support alcohol price rise to boost health

The majority of the French people are in favour of raising the price of alcohol in a bid to improve public health, a new report has found.

Cognac’s growing pains distil into vine war

Sales are booming but success brings a whole raft of new dilemmas, writes Brian McCulloch

French would most like to ‘have a beer’ with Macron

Forget his policies or political movements; President Emmanuel Macron has just topped a poll as the politician most French people would like to “have a beer with”.

Drivers warned on safety as 90% plan to drink on NYE

Almost 90% of French people expect to drink alcohol this New Year’s Eve (NYE), but only a fraction of them have plans in place to avoid a drink-driving accident, according to a new study.

Ancient distillery skills for new French whisky makers

France is the world’s second-largest whisky market, but has no whisky world leader of its own, unlike cognac. Ken Seaton looks at what its distilleries are doing to catch up

Added alcohol immobiliser penalty for drink drivers

Trial that allows authorities to force drivers convicted of drink-driving to install specialised immobilisers on their vehicles extended to a fourth department

Yoko sour over lemon drink

A Normandy trader has had to stop selling imported John Lemon drinks after the late Beatle’s widow, Yoko Ono, won a court order banning the name as it infringed the Lennon trademark.

Nantes entrepreneur creates live algae breakfast drink

An entrepreneur from Nantes has launched a green breakfast drink made with a rather unusual ingredient: live freshwater algae.

Woman thanks Morlaix police for helping her find love

It’s not often that anything good comes from drinking and driving, but a woman who had her driving licence confiscated two years ago has written to police in Morlaix (Brittany) thanking them for helping her find love.

Drunk ‘missing’ man spent night at bottom of a well

A drunk man who spent the night at the bottom of a well and in a nearby forest in Vaucluse has been found safe and well after friends reported him missing.

French music festival bans all alcohol on-site

An eco-friendly music festival taking place this weekend in the west of France has banned alcohol, as organisers maintain it improves the atmosphere of the event, and makes it more family-friendly.

Taking a cork out early does little for wine

A lot of effort goes into making a great bottle of wine but the final stage of its journey before we drink it is often overlooked: the serving.

Sommeliers en cafe know their beans and their new crus

Over the past few years, France has seen the growth of elite sommeliers en café, coffee experts in the same way that sommeliers are experts on fine wine. Emily Commander meets one of the pioneers