• One year and eight months after the passage of storm Alex and the destruction of its premises, the County brewery will once again be able to brew with its new facilities and equipment.

  • In addition to its return, the brewery has plenty of projects it wants to develop in the Vésubie valley.

  • While waiting to be able to drink it in bottles, cans or otherwise, the tasting room will open its doors to the public this summer with a shop and guided tours.

They were starting “from a blank sheet”.

After the passage of storm Alex in October 2020, Edwards Dilly, associate general manager of the Comté brewery created in 2012 in Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in the high country of Nice, and his team had "nothing left".

This week, a first test brewing must be carried out in new premises still in the village.

And by mid-August, the first “renaissance” beers should see the light of day after twenty months of reconstruction which have not been easy.

“We had planned a first brewing three months ago but we had several delays on equipment and installations.

We thought we would relaunch this season but we will wait for the next one, ”says the general manager who has learned to be patient.

A “momentum of solidarity” to go up

For more than a year and a half, the activity of the brewery has been maintained with “a surge of solidarity from everyone and everywhere, describes Edwards Dilly.

We held on thanks to our consumers, institutions and professionals like BlueCoast, Les Ligures and Page24 in the North, where we were able to brew Mounta Cala [which means up and down in Nissart] while waiting for our return.

We haven't done it for three months, but that means it's the last straight line before returning to Comté beer with the six references, the 75 cl, the barrels and the development of pressure.

»

All this in a new establishment whose building has been completely fitted out by the production team.

And to “meet demand”, the volumes produced could be much larger.

Before the storm, the County brewery was producing 6,000 liters per week in its 220 m2 building.

Today, she plans to make 15,000 l of beer per week in 1,380 m2.

The team has also grown and has doubled in size since the natural disaster, going from 7 to 14 employees.

Create a “brewing universe in the valley”

Edwards Dilly continues: “Despite all these hardships, we continued to develop and our growth too.

Now, we want to resume to devote ourselves to other projects.

“Among other things, creating a diploma training center, an alcohol-free beer, a gluten-free one, a distillery, and developing cans.

“We also planted citrus stalks, which we use in our recipes, and also hop stalks to create an organic hop factory in Saint-Martin-Vésubie.

We are also thinking about recycling our waste.

We really have this desire to create a brewing universe in the valley.

»

It was then unthinkable for the team of the County brewery to imagine a reconstruction elsewhere.

“We are children of the country.

In addition, our spring water comes to us with a perfect pH and without limestone, says the general manager.

It is magic for beer.

» To wait until its release in bottles, cans or others, it is possible to taste it from July directly at the brewery, route de la Pinio at a place called « Pra dou Majou ».

Guided tours are scheduled throughout the summer.

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