One of the aspects of travel that I enjoy the most is the opportunity to try new foods and drinks. During our recent port of call in Marseille, France, I had the opportunity to take part in this tradition as I picked up a few local beers from La Cagole de Marseille.
Upon arriving in the Vieux Port district of Marseille, we started to wander along the quai looking at all of the cafes and restaurants lining the street. Nestled in between the cafes were the occasional souvenir shops, many of which sported a similar sign outside, and pictured on much of the merchandise inside the shop. A bright yellow background catches the eye, and draws you towards the image of a striking French woman holding a beer on a tray. How can anyone turn away from such beauty…a beer on a tray!
La Cagole is a local word from the Marseille region to describe a beautiful woman who, well, based on one French definition run through Google translate, “is led to bed without problems.” This would explain the branding, and why the La Cagole logo can be seen so prominently around the city.
On our visit to Marseille, I came across three different beer offerings from La Cagole:
La Bière du Cabanon – La Cagole de Marseille (5.5%)
This is the flagship beer of La Cagole. A standard Czech-style pilsner.
La Bière de Légende – Recette Antique (6.5%)
Made from an ancient recipe from herbalist monks that gives it its unique color.
Bière Blanche – À l’ancienne (4.5%)
A white beer made in the traditional way. Fresh and sweet.
The Recette Antique was my favorite of the three La Cagole offerings, followed by the Bière Blanche. The standard pilsner was OK, but nothing special. Definitely worthwhile as a souvenir though!
Have you tried these, or any of the other beers from La Cagole? What did you think? Feel free to let us know in the comments how you liked any of these.
