Drinking Traditions of Reims: 6 Local Beverages That Define Champagne’s Capital

Reims sits atop chalk caves—crayères—that keep wines cool and constant, shaping the city’s drinking identity. The Montagne de Reims ring of vineyards surrounds the cathedral city, where a cool continental climate preserves acidity and finesse in local grapes.

From celebratory toasts to quiet digestifs, Reims drinks span sparkling wine, fortified must, and regional brandies. Many traditions still revolve around the harvest, cellar tours, and convivial aperitifs poured in cafés lining Place Drouet-d’Erlon.

Champagne is the city’s signature wine, made primarily from Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay, with small amounts of Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. Base wines undergo a second fermentation in bottle (méthode traditionnelle), then age on lees in the region’s chalk cellars—crayères—that hold stable temperatures year-round. After riddling and disgorgement, a dosage sets the final style, from Brut Nature to Demi-Sec. Most non-vintage bottlings sit around 12% ABV. The result is a fine-beaded sparkling wine whose precision reflects cool-climate fruit, chalky soils, and meticulous cellar work.

Expect aromas of citrus, green apple, white flowers, and brioche, with mineral line and brisk acidity. In Reims, Champagne is poured as an aperitif, at milestone celebrations, and throughout guided tastings at houses like Ruinart, Taittinger, Pommery, and Veuve Clicquot. Locals serve it well-chilled (8–10°C) in tulip-shaped glasses to preserve bubbles and bouquet. Visitors often day-trip to Epernay for Avenue de Champagne cellars, but Reims bars around Place Drouet-d’Erlon and tastings in Verzenay or Sillery highlight the drink’s everyday role in the city’s rhythm.

Ratafia champenois is the region’s traditional fortified wine (mistelle), created by stopping the fermentation of fresh grape must with neutral grape spirit or marc, preserving natural sweetness. Typically 16–18% ABV, it rests from months to several years in stainless steel or oak, deepening to amber hues and a silky texture. Made from Champagne grapes (often Pinot Noir or Meunier), it offers aromas of baked quince, apricot, candied citrus, and spice, with a gentle almond note from the grape pips and skins.

In Reims, ratafia is a convivial aperitif served slightly chilled, but it also shines alongside foie gras, terrines, washed-rind cheeses such as Langres, or the city’s iconic biscuits roses. Some pastry chefs glaze fruit tarts with it; bartenders use it as a lower-proof substitute for sweet vermouth. Its GI recognition has revived pride in this once-family-made drink, and you’ll find bottles at Champagne houses and wine shops across Reims, in villages like Bouzy and Ambonnay, and during harvest-season gatherings when grape aromas fill the streets.

Marc de Champagne is a grape-pomace brandy distilled from the skins, pips, and stalks left after pressing for sparkling wine. Distillers use pot or small column stills, then age the spirit in oak to 40–45% ABV. Aging tames raw grape notes into layers of dried fruits, hazelnut, cocoa, and subtle spice, often with a lingering grape-skin grip that marks it as marc rather than wine brandy. The spirit reflects resourcefulness in a wine region: nothing is wasted, and the chalk-rich terroir subtly imprints on the raw material.

Culturally, marc is a classic digestif in Reims, sipped neat at 16–18°C or with a splash of water to open the nose. You’ll encounter it in traditional brasseries and at countryside tables around Verzenay or Sillery after long meals. Local chocolatiers sometimes use marc in ganaches and pralines. While production is smaller than in past decades, many Champagne growers still distill or partner with regional distillers, keeping this rustic, aromatic eau-de-vie alive alongside the city’s polished sparkling wines.

Fine de la Marne is a regional wine brandy distilled from base wines rather than pomace, then aged in oak to around 40% ABV. It’s rounder and more fruit-forward than marc, with notes of baked apple, vanilla, light caramel, and toasted grain. The raw material—high-acid still wines destined for distillation—captures the cool-climate brightness of Champagne vineyards, while barrel time introduces gentle tannin and amber color. The category holds protected geographic status, historically produced by local houses and independent distillers who shaped a distinct Champenois take on French brandy.

In Reims, Fine de la Marne appears as a digestif in classic cafés and as a cook’s secret for deglazing pan sauces—“sauce au fine”—to accompany poultry or mushrooms from the nearby forests. Bartenders also riff on Sidecar- or Old Fashioned-style cocktails using fine in place of Cognac for a lighter, orchard-fruit profile. Seek it in cavistes near the cathedral and on menus in traditional bistros; it’s a window into how Champagne’s wine culture extends beyond bubbles.

Coteaux Champenois is the appellation for still wines made within the Champagne region, a rarity compared with sparkling production. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate, with reds like Bouzy Rouge or bottles from Ambonnay showing red cherry, wild strawberry, and a chalky, fine-grained tannin profile. Whites from villages such as Sillery lean on citrus, pear, and saline minerality. Fermentation often occurs in stainless steel or neutral oak, with total alcohol typically 11–12.5% ABV, reflecting the cool continental climate and long, slow ripening on chalk and sand-clay soils.

In and around Reims, these wines surface in wine bars and at growers’ tables, especially in years when conditions favor still wine. They pair naturally with charcuterie, roast chicken, or game terrines, offering a gastronomic counterpoint to Champagne’s sparkle. Quantities are small, so bottles are sought by curious drinkers visiting cellars in Bouzy, Ambonnay, or Ay-Champagne. If you spot a village-name bottling, it’s a chance to taste the region’s terroir without bubbles—an insider’s view of the vineyards surrounding the city.

Produced near Reims in Louvois on the Montagne de Reims, Guillon is a local malt whisky that channels regional know-how. Made from malted barley and spring water from the plateau, it’s distilled and matured in oak casks seasoned by wines from Champagne producers, yielding a spirit typically bottled around 43% ABV. Expect aromas of honeyed cereal, dried fruits, toasted oak, and a suggestion of pastry notes that feel at home in Champagne country. The cooler climate and forested setting favor slow, steady maturation.

While whisky is newer than wine in Reims, it has become a fixture in bars and as a post-meal sipper for locals who appreciate craftsmanship beyond the cellar. Distillery tours introduce visitors to cask finishes and the link between local wine barrels and the whisky’s texture. Enjoy it neat in a tulip glass or with a few drops of water to highlight malt sweetness and gentle spice. It’s a modern companion to the city’s heritage drinks, showing how Reims innovates while rooted in its landscape.