From Lille to large

That Lille was once a part of the Belgian Flanders region is not the reason you should visit it — today, the French city enjoys a unique identity and culture that should be experienced for its own sake — but this history does make its beer culture one that should be taken seriously. Against the backdrop of redrawn borders, usurped rulers, and changing nationalities, Lille remained a hub of trade and industry throughout the middle ages by producing textiles and dye, eventually becoming France’s “first factory”, in the 19^th century. Where there’s industry, there’s factory workers, and where there’s factory workers, there’s beer; a correlation that has made brewing an integral part of life and culture in the Lille region for more than 1,000 years. 

While Lille’s initial pivot from an industrial to service economy in the 1980s saw the number of active breweries in the city decline, a resurgence has been brewing for the last 20 years. A major player in this revival has been L’Échappée Bière, the first beer tourism agency in France and Belgium, which was founded in the region in 2013 to advocate and promote local beer culture and heritage. This organisation, made up of local enthusiasts, played no small part in launching Bière à Lille festival in 2017, a week-long beer festival that’s now one of the largest in France, featuring an average of 70 breweries from around the world per year, and attracting over 15,000 visitors. 

Building on L’Échappée Bière’s efforts, and the success of Bière à Lille festival, the first tourism certification scheme for breweries in France — Héritage Bière — was launched in Lille, in 2023. This label raises the profile of the breweries that hold it and offers visitors a guarantee of high-quality service: a warm welcome, reliability and expertise. Today, 17 of the 35 breweries based in the Lille metropolitan area carry the Héritage Bière accreditation, though all of them offer their own unique interpretations of what beer can be, brewing craft, traditional and international styles alike. 

While these breweries can be experienced and enjoyed at any time of year, catching them together at Bière à Lille festival offers a unique perspective of the city’s beer landscape. This year, the festival falls between 2-8 November, and offers attendees the opportunity to experience Lille’s legendary hospitality, incredible pub scene, and a unique fusion of French and Belgian cuisines, while attending tastings, tours and talks, enjoying the city’s beer trail at its best.