Every time I am in France I end up drinking lager. And it is always Leffe. Now I like Leffe, but it isn’t ale. It is passable Belgian Beer.

I promised Enrico (my Italian friend) that – on my next trip to France – I would bring some English ale for him to try. So I did – 30+ varieties!

The French and Italians are not used to large quantities of beer. The British and the Scandanavian / Germanics are the masters here – so I eased him in gently during the England vs Ecuador football match.

I started him off with a reliable Old Speckled Hen – which he liked but wasn’t sure about the temperature. Your continentals are used to ice cold beer – well that is the only way you can drink Kronenbourg in my eyes !! – so anything slightly warmer than ice is unusual.

Second up was the master of the bottled ale – Timothy Taylor’s Landlord – which was a total success. He loved it – couldn’t fault it. Much better than Leffe he said (well obviously!!).

Third and finally we went for Adnam’s Broadside – probably one of my top 5 tap ales. Not as nice in his opinion – but you can’t really compare it to the Landlord.

Still, a serious victory for me in my ‘educate the Europeans in ale’. Two thumbs up and he is coming over tomorrow too for the Italy game. I think the ale is the lure! Theakston XB and Golden Pride awaits him.

Phase 2 – the rest of the French family!