The final stage of our Tour de France, and by no means the least indulgent: we head to Normandy and the new wave of French brewers. Here, we leave the vineyard for the apple, juniper and hop — proof that French alcohol-free drinks are far more than just wine.
Normandy, a land of cider and distillation, has proved to be a remarkable laboratory for 0% drinks. And across France, a generation of brewers has decided that great alcohol-free beer no longer needs to come from abroad. Five houses to prove it, from the Norman orchard to the Pilat mountains.
Normandy & the French brewers — in brief: Maison Sassy reinvents 0% cider, JNPR distils the alcohol-free, sugar-free aperitif, and three breweries — De Sutter (Gisors), Penrose (Angers) and Edmond (Pilat) — prove that alcohol-free beer can be organic, craft-brewed and made in France. Five independent houses, genuine expertise. Delivered within 72h anywhere in France, and now across Europe.
Maison Sassy — the Norman cider that no longer needs alcohol
A true terroir cider, dealcoholised without losing its soul
Born in Normandy around the cider of Château de Sassy (a family estate belonging to one of the founders), Maison Sassy was launched by two childhood friends, Pierre-Emmanuel and Xavier, with one idea: to take cider out of the crêperie and bring it to the aperitif table. Their organic 0.0% alcohol-free cider is dealcoholised by nano-filtration from a real cider made with five varieties of bittersweet apples. The result: a lively demi-sec with fine bubbles and the true tangy tension of the Norman apple. Nothing like a lemonade.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: serve very cold (8 °C) in a wine glass rather than a bolée — it plays in the same league as table wines.
The perfect pairing: grilled meats, burgers, galettes, honey-roasted camembert.
→ Discover the organic alcohol-free cider from Maison Sassy
JNPR — Norman distillation, without alcohol or sugar
A complete cocktail bar, conceived in Normandy
Founded in 2019 by Valérie de Sutter, near Yvetot, JNPR distils alcohol-free and sugar-free alternatives — the name is pronounced "juniper" (genièvre in French), and the founder even planted juniper bushes on the family farm in Normandy. Around its iconic n°1 juniper expression (currently being restocked), the house has built a true bar collection: the BTTR n°1 (bitter orange, gentian, liquorice, created with mixologist Flavio Angiolillo), the RHHM n°1 in a rum style, and the VRMH n°1 in a vermouth style. Everything you need to make spritzes, gin tonics and cocktails without a drop of alcohol.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: the BTTR n°1 lengthened with sparkling water and a slice of orange is your evening bitter aperitif in thirty seconds. The RHHM n°1 works wonders in an alcohol-free "mojito" or "ti-punch".
The perfect pairing: roasted almonds, olives, tapas — everything that calls for a dry, structured glass.
→ Discover the BTTR n°1 and the RHHM n°1 by JNPR
brasserie de sutter — the Norman beer "à la cool"
Two brothers, an independent brewery in Gisors
In Gisors, in the Eure, brasserie de sutter was founded in 2008 by two brothers, Antoine and Frédéric, agronomist engineers turned brewers (and, as a fun aside, cousins of JNPR's founder). Known for its offbeat humour and its "mad cow" mascot, the house crafts with "À la cool" an organic alcohol-free beer brewed with French barley and hops, with lovely notes of black tea and grapefruit (Cascade hops). A true brewer's beer, with no industrial pasteurisation.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: serve chilled (5–6 °C) as an aperitif. Its citrus notes make it an ideal thirst-quenching beer for summer.
The perfect pairing: aperitif, sharing boards, light spiced dishes.
→ Discover the "À la cool" beer from brasserie de sutter
Penrose — the brewing cooperative of Angers
An organic Oatmeal Pale Ale, locally sourced
In Angers, Penrose is a cooperative microbrewery that brews organically and locally. Its alcohol-free Oatmeal Pale Ale is a little marvel of texture: oats give it a silky mouthfeel, and the dry-hopping (Cascade, Citra, Mosaic) delivers a citrusy, resinous palette. This is the beer that proves wrong everyone who still thinks a 0% must be flat and flavourless.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: serve at around 6–8 °C, slightly less cold than a classic blonde, to let the oats and hops express themselves.
The perfect pairing: as an aperitif, with a savoury tart or a hard cheese.
→ Discover the Penrose Oatmeal Pale Ale
Edmond — the organic beer from the Pilat mountains
A complete range, from the blonde to the mango IPA
Founded in 2017 by Émilie and Sébastien, Edmond is one of the first French brands that is 100% alcohol-free. Its organic beers are brewed at the Brasserie du Pilat, using spring water from the Pilat mountains. The range is broad and indulgent: a malty blonde, a lemon-ginger wheat beer, a toasted amber, and a mango-purée IPA that is more than capable of winning over hop lovers.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: start with the blonde at aperitif time; move on to the mango IPA with a spiced dish or a burger.
The perfect pairing: the blonde with tapas; the IPA with spiced food (Tex-Mex, mild curry).
→ Discover Edmond's IPA and the lemon-ginger wheat beer
A final word — a Tour de France in a glass
From Bordeaux to the Pilat, from Languedoc to Normandy, our Tour de France of alcohol-free drinks is drawing to a close. What it tells us is simple: all across France, real winemakers, cider makers, distillers and brewers have decided to make alcohol-free an area of excellence, not a fallback. You have everything you need to raise a glass all year round, region by region. Fancy tasting the best of the vineyard in one go? Our Vigneron Gift Box — Tour de France in 6 bottles brings together French estates from Bordeaux to Alsace.
Also worth reading
- Tour de France #3 — Loire, Alsace & the East: the freshness of whites
- Tour de France #2 — Languedoc & Provence: the great South
- Tour de France #1 — Bordeaux & the South-West
Frequently asked questions
Is there such a thing as a real alcohol-free cider?
Yes. Maison Sassy, in Normandy, dealcoholises a real cider made from five apple varieties by nano-filtration (reverse osmosis), which preserves the flavour of the original cider. The result is an organic demi-sec at 0.0%, far removed from a simple apple lemonade.
Can you make real cocktails without alcohol?
Absolutely. JNPR's alcohol-free spirits (BTTR, RHHM, VRMH) are designed as bar bases: they allow you to recreate spritzes, gin tonics, "mojitos" or "negronis" without alcohol or added sugar.
Are there alcohol-free beers brewed in France?
Yes, and increasingly so. brasserie de sutter (Gisors), Penrose (Angers) and Edmond (Pilat) all brew alcohol-free beers, often organic and locally sourced. The French craft brewing sector is growing fast.
Where to buy these alcohol-free drinks?
All these references are available on our website, delivered within 72h anywhere in France — and now across Europe.
Gueule de Joie — France's first alcohol-free wine merchant since 2019. Over 500 references selected for taste, available with 72h delivery anywhere in France.
