Sant! the beer-drinking habit taking hold in France. Photograph: SolStock/Getty Images (Posed by models)
Name: French beer

Age: About 11,700 years.

Appearance: Bright, golden and everywhere.

I thought French people drank wine, not beer. That is an absurd national caricature. I suppose you think they also cycle everywhere with strings of onions around their necks too.

Well thats obviously nonsense. Exactly. Plus, they drink more beer than wine now.

Sacr bleu! Its true. According to figures just released by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, the French drank 10m litres more beer than wine last year.

What, each? No, nationally. But it is significant, because this is the first time that beer has overtaken wine as Frances drink of choice.

So France is now a nation of lagered-up boozehounds? No, quite the opposite. Younger generations are generally drinking less and less across the board. Its just that, on the rare occasions they do, theyre eschewing the stuffiness of wine.

Anything else to blame for the shift? In France, wine has always been drunk with meals, but people are eating less formally these days. Its hard to justify cracking open a bottle of red when youve just Deliverooed yourself a Big Mac.

Thats sad. But it happens everywhere. Beer is the ideal drink to insert into modern life. Unlike wine C or vodka in Russia, or baijiu in China C there isnt any real ceremony or formality to it. When you want a beer, you just go and get a beer.

I might go and get one now. Plus, theres the strength of the stuff too. As successive generations drink less, a 330ml bottle of 5% beer (1.7 units of alcohol) is going to be far more attractive than a 250ml (large) glass of 12% red wine (1.5 units).

I cant work out if this is good news or bad news. That depends who you are. If youre a public health official, then the fact that France is lowering its average alcohol intake has to be something to celebrate.

But? But if wine is literally part of your national identity, then its a different matter. Still, at least wine isnt everything. They have their baguettes, after all.

Last year it was reported that the national consumption of bread in France has fallen by 86% over the past 80 years . Touche.

Do say: Un petit verre de bire, sil vous pla06t.

Dont say: Gars! Gars! Gars! Gars! Pintes! Pintes! Pintes!

名称：法国啤酒

距今约11700年。

外观：明亮、金黄，无处不在。

我原以为法国人只喝葡萄酒而不喝啤酒。这种刻板印象实在荒谬。想必你还觉得他们会骑着自行车四处转悠，脖子上还挂着一串洋葱吧。

这显然是无稽之谈。确实如此。而且，他们现在喝啤酒比喝葡萄酒更多。

天哪！这是真的。根据国际葡萄与葡萄酒组织最新发布的数据，去年法国人喝掉的啤酒比葡萄酒多出1000万升。

什么，人均消费吗？不，是全国总量。但这意义重大，因为这是啤酒首次超越葡萄酒，成为法国人最青睐的饮品。

那么法国如今已沦为啤酒酗酒者的国度了吗？恰恰相反。年轻一代总体上饮酒量正全面减少。只不过在少数饮酒场合，他们刻意避开了葡萄酒的刻板氛围。

这种转变还能归咎于什么其他原因呢？在法国，葡萄酒历来是佐餐饮品，但如今人们的饮食方式日趋随意。当你刚用Deliveroo点了一份巨无霸时，实在很难有理由再开一瓶红酒。

这令人遗憾，但这种情况随处可见。啤酒是融入现代生活的理想饮品。与葡萄酒（俄罗斯的伏特加或中国的白酒）不同，饮用啤酒没有任何真正的仪式或礼节。想喝啤酒时，直接去拿一瓶就行。

我现在可能要去买一瓶。此外，酒精度也是关键因素。随着几代人饮酒量逐渐减少，一瓶330毫升、酒精度5%（含1.7单位酒精）的啤酒，会比一杯250毫升（大杯）、酒精度12%（含1.5单位酒精）的红酒更具吸引力。

我无法确定这到底是好消息还是坏消息。答案取决于你的身份——如果你是公共卫生官员，那么法国人均酒精摄入量下降这一事实绝对值得庆贺。

然而？如果葡萄酒确实构成了你们民族认同的一部分，那情况就另当别论了。不过至少葡萄酒并非全部——毕竟，他们还有法棍面包呢。

据报道，去年法国全国面包消费量在过去80年间下降了86%。确实如此。

请说：“请给我一小杯啤酒。”

不要说：“伙计！伙计！伙计！伙计！品脱！品脱！品脱！”