Today, we're taking you to the heights of Breitenbach to (re)discover the cooperative brewery L'Abreuvoir.
The Abreuvoir is an association-run brewery that relies on a core group of about fifteen volunteers who keep the business running (brewing, bottling, entertainment, demonstrations, etc.).
Each person brings their know-how, energy and good humor in order to produce 1000 liters of beer per month, under artisanal but nevertheless demanding conditions in terms of quality.
Hervé BESSOT, President and founder A representative from the association kindly agreed to answer our questions:
Can you tell us more about the association, its members, its origin?
After several years of homebrewing in a kitchen with Laurent Mourot, a friend with whom we did a long-term university internship in Boulder, Colorado in 1996 (Boulder being the city where the craft beer movement was born in the 1970s; it was a bit like sending a Catholic to Lourdes or a Muslim to Mecca…), we decided to move from our small 20-liter pot to slightly larger containers. This required us to formalize our brewing process to be compliant with regulations and able to sell a few bottles. Creating a brewery association quickly seemed to us to be the best and simplest solution.
Over the years and through various encounters, the association has seen its membership numbers increase.
You're a group of friends, can you introduce them to us? Also, tell us about each person's strengths and weaknesses?
The diversity and specialization of each member of the brewery is, in my opinion, its strength and creative power. It ranges from a young nurse to a retired train driver who now works as a cattle herder out of passion. Add to that a maltster, a graphic designer, a bookseller, a civil servant, a former social worker, a plastics technician, a professional firefighter, a business manager, a former road maintenance worker, and a few other professions, and there you have it: a wonderful mix capable of creating wonderful things! They all have only qualities; I won't list them all. Their only flaw is that they tend to get a bit big-headed…
You produce specific brews, notably the "watchman's cuvée." Do you respond to all requests?
Indeed, every year at the request of the organizers of the Albé en vêtements de lumière festival, we brew the "Viveur" (Watchman's Cuvée), a beer sold during the three evenings of their event. The unique aspect of this brew is that it's transported from Breitenbach to Albé using animal traction. This leads to a very pleasant aperitif and BBQ for all the participants upon arrival.
We naturally consider all requests from individuals, companies, or associations. However, as our time is limited and mixing is not our primary activity, we unfortunately sometimes have to decline requests.
Are you attending the Décibulles Festival? Since when?
Personally, I remember a ride on a moped from Stotzheim, my home village, with a friend to get to the festival, which was still based on the basketball court behind the village hall in Neuve-Eglise.
At the association level, we participated in the Décibulles festival in 2018 and 2019, notably showcasing one of our creations, Timut, a copper-colored beer brewed with Timut pepper from Nepal. This recipe was first brewed for a humanitarian organization based in Obernai, France, which works to bring running water to various parts of the world. Sales of the brew help fund some of their numerous projects.
We were also present in 2008, if memory serves, but on a much smaller scale, with only 3 barrels of 30 litres.
Have you ever considered taking the plunge and starting your own business?
The world of beer is a passion, so the fact that we don't have to make a living from it doesn't impose any limits on us… through the association we allow ourselves to create things, or organize events that wouldn't be possible with a commercial approach, this is our strength and we want to preserve it!
Proof: installing a beer tap by the roadside in front of the brewery and offering free beer at the end of the first lockdown in order to get people used to drinking again (in moderation), is really not the usual practice of a commercial brewery…
What is your favorite spot in the valley?
Without a doubt, the view from the paragliders above the village of Breitenbach is worth it…ever since I was a kid I've been amazed by paragliders taking off…if I weighed 60 kg less I would definitely try the adventure!
Where can I buy your beers?
Our beers are available in bottles directly from the brewery on brewing days, at Witz bakery in Breitenbach, at Fermes et Compagnie in Villé, at Délices de Chênesire and Ferme du Jodie in Steige, at Maison du distillateur in Chatenois, at the Au Plus Près grocery store in Diebolsheim, and on tap very regularly at the Au Raisin restaurant in Maisonsgoutte, at Restaurant Elisabeth in La Vancelle, at Bistrot du Barbu in Molsheim and even at La Cheneaudière in Colroy la Roche…
One last word…
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy (Benjamin Franklin)