I’m really looking forward to attending a beer-tasting workshop with my friends today! We haven’t been able to go out for so long, so I can’t wait to see what this new workshop, organised by the Tourist Office, will be like! How about trying something other than wine in Dijon? Let me tell you about my experience!
Before we get started, “beerology” is the scientific term used to describe the study of beer, but there is an even more scientific term: “zythology”. Like me, did you just learn something new? I’m pleased to hear it! New experiences are all about learning new things.
I don’t usually drink much beer, only really with friends and it’s not always my first choice, I prefer a “kir” cocktail. However, I decided to go along with my friends and take part in this fun, enjoyable experience with them. And so off we went, to the micro-brewery “Un Singe en Hiver”!
An added bonus was that the bar is very close to the future Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, so we could also explore this new area that is going to be a great, lively place! Un Singe en Hiver is an atypical place because you will actually be greeted by the owners inside a very unique setting, a former flour mill. Two brothers, Pierre-Elie and Quentin, make up the passionate team who take care of the daily running of this innovative, family business. Quentin has been a master-brewer for over 10 years and has worked on perfecting his art both in France and on the African continent, meaning that he can now produce beers with a certain character. The two brothers produce their beers directly on-site at this micro-brewery and only sell their own creations here. An opportunity to taste some local creations and to really experience the treasures of Burgundian terroir! This was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to come here!
If, like me, you are a fan of beautifully decorated places, you’ll instantly fall in love with this place. The brewers have created a warm and tropical atmosphere that really makes you want to stop off and enjoy yourselves.
As soon as you arrive, your curiosity will be instantly satisfied with a brief tour from the owner. It is not just a bar and micro-brewery, this place is also a venue devoted to contemporary art. Upstairs, there is for example a space used for hosting cultural events.
After exploring the premises, we move on to seeing how the beer is made… We delve straight into the specifics and learn how beer is produced on-site. We even had the chance to smell and taste the various cereals used to make each beer (malted wheat, barley, etc.). Then we continued the tour underneath the skylight for the much-awaited moment: the tasting, directly from the barrel of course!
After this intimate moment, we headed to the bar to continue our tasting session of the two brothers’ creations. But this time, we were offered the chance to participate in beer & food pairing. After collecting our samples of three beers and our platter of three regional products from the bar, we got down to the “real” tasting session (in order which is very important), seated around a table that had been reserved for us. The presentation was particularly impressive and we really liked the personalised glasses decorated with the little monkey! Yet another little detail that caught my eye.
So we tasted the first beer with comté cheese! And it was… delicious! Personally, I never would have imagined that cheese or deli meats could be so well matched with beer. It was a great discovery and I would be happy to try this experience again!
If you would also like to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, don’t hesitate to participate in this tasting workshop. It is perfectly adapted to those who are passionate about beer or complete newcomers to the world of beer, like me 🙂
As an added bonus, this workshop is organised on Mondays, what could be better than an after-work tasting session to begin your week?
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