Brassefort Brewery in Chinon

We’ve discovered a number of local breweries on our travels and one of my favourites is the new Brassefort Brewery (Brasserie) in Chinon.

The brewery is located right in the old part of Chinon, at 21 Rue Voltaire, so it’s easy to find. Or perhaps you’ll just stumble across it when exploring the historic part of the town. It’s located in one of those old buildings that one can imagine has seen many different uses over the centuries. It has a pretty facade and it’s ideal for its current use.

The owner and brewer is Simon Armstrong, an Englishman with a passion for beer and brewing. He opened the brewery just a few months before our first visit in the Spring of 2019. His enthusiasm was clear to see. Although he’s been brewing beer for many years, this is his first commercial venture, and he combines it with time spent editing technical books.

The brewery produces at least three regular beers as well as the occasional one-off. They are all very tasty – I’ve tried them all – although slightly stronger than a traditional UK “real ale”. They are perhaps more in line with the current craft ale trend towards slightly stronger ABVs.

Like many of the newer breweries, the Brassefort is definitely in the “micro” category. Visitors can see how everything works because all the equipment is on the ground floor. Simon lives upstairs with his family and he’s quite often in the brewery talking to customers, friends and passers-by. He’s always willing to discuss the beers and offer a “degustation”.

It would be rude to pass by without calling in to say hello and trying out one or two beers. All of the beers are available in bottles and Simon offers a three-bottle gift pack in a handy carry box.