Morlaix sits in a dramatic valley up a coastal inlet and its pretty docks and quaysides show its links to the sea. Still a fishing town, the population has grown to the point that the town has now expanded up and over the valley slopes. A dominant feature of the town is the colossal railway viaduct which takes trains high above on their way along the north Brittany coast. On the valley floor, the old town consists of narrow streets which has meant traffic (and especially parking) has become a major problem in high season.

The town is at the confluence of the rivers Jarlot and Queffleuth and it is from these that the brewery took its name. The original brewery of Deux Rivières was situated in the heart of the old town, but a gradual expansion through increased sales necessitated a move to larger premises. A suitable site was eventually found atop the steep valley slopes, and the unusual proportions give away the building's previous identity as a rope factory. It is quite narrow, but seems to go on forever through a series of different rooms.

There is a characterful brewery tap at the front of the building which has glass panels looking in on the mash tun and kettle - the ideal place to try your first hand-pumped draught Coreff beer. The owners, Christian Blanchard and Jean-François Malgorn, looked to British brewing consultant Peter Austin for advice and were trained by him at the Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire, UK, prior to going it alone in Morlaix in 1985. Much of the plant is secondhand British equipment which was also found and bought through Peter Austin - the mash tun, for instance, was originally at Archers Brewery, Swindon, UK. As you would expect for a brewery producing cask-conditioned beers, Deux Rivières uses a process similar to that used by real ale producers in Britain. The brewplant is on two levels and, although currently using just four, it has six large open fermenters giving some indication that it expects annual output to increase further still.

Although draught beer accounts for the vast majority of their turnover, they also bottle their beers - but bottling a beer which normally conditions itself in the cask requires an extra process. This is done by refermenting the beer, this time in a sealed fermenter. Once enough CO2 has been absorbed the beer is cooled to allow it to clear and is then pumped over to the bottling line. This process enables Deux Rivières to offer its bottled beer unfiltered and unpasteurised.

Deux Rivières pioneered the use of handpumps to serve beer in France (years before the British-owned Firkin pubs and the Paris Real Ale Company started up in Paris), and any bar/cafe serving draught Coreff beers is supplied the pump with the beer, along with bar towels, which gives many bars a British feel. With the number of outlets increasing by the month, the brewery is now a major force in the area and is considered by most to be the trailblazing company and is admired as such by beer buffs throughout Brittany. Coreff has now been taken up as something of a pseudo-regional beer style and is widely available throughout Brittany where it is identified as a true Breton product..

Commendably, Deux Rivières has made a success of marketing its products to bars and cafes in the face of the strict supplier ties which tend to hold back new breweries in terms of outlets. This has been achieved by obtaining an agreement to supply Coreff beers to newly-opened outlets prior to the owners negotiating brewery loans with one of the big brewing concerns

Confusingly, its dark beer is sold as Etiquette Noir (Black Label) in bottles but is often called Vin d'Orge (Barley Wine, which it isn't!) in its draught form.

In 1999 Deux Rivières launched a Stout after a lengthy development period in which an Irish brewing consultant was brought over to supervise the production and method of dispense. In the summer of 1999 the beer was available in only a select few outlets, but is expected to be more widely available from 2000 onwards.

British real ale enthusiasts will find the easy-drinking beers of Deux Rivières very accessible - although we would recommend trying it on draught rather than in bottles due to the loss of much of its fresh in-cask character (much like the bottled products of real ale brewers in the UK).

THE BEER RANGE

Coreff

5% Alc/Vol. Available in 50cl bottles and draught.

A smooth textured beer with a full red fruitiness that is surprising easy to drink on draught. Has a tendency to be a little tart when bottled.

Coreff Etiquette Noire

6.5% Alc/vol. Available in 50cl bottles and on draught

Fairly complex, fruity, malty, resiny ale with a tart edge that grows with age.

Coreff de Noël

5.5% Alc/Vol. Available only on draught.