What to Drink with Crepes: Cider, Coffee and French Hot Chocolate

In Brittany, where crepes come from, the answer is easy: cider. A cup of dry cider with a buckwheat galette is as standard as a glass of milk with cookies. But crepes are eaten all day, from breakfast to dessert, so there’s a drink for every kind. Here’s what to pour with sweet and savory crepes, plus a recipe for the thick French hot chocolate that cafés serve with them.

Cider: the Breton classic

Crêperies in Brittany serve cider in a bolée, a wide ceramic cup a little like a café au lait bowl. The pairing works for a simple reason: cider’s acidity and light fizz cut through butter, cheese and egg.

• Dry cider (brut) with savory galettes, such as ham, cheese and egg in Buckwheat Galettes, or the Ham and Cheese Crepes with Béchamel.
• Sweet cider (doux) with sweet crepes, especially anything with apples or caramel, like Apple Cinnamon Crepes.

Look for French cider from Brittany or Normandy. Many American craft ciders work too; the drier ones are closest to a Breton brut. For a non-alcoholic version, sparkling apple juice or sparkling cider fills the same role.

Coffee and tea

For breakfast and brunch crepes, coffee is hard to beat. A strong coffee or café au lait balances sweet fillings like Nutella Banana Crepes and Lemon Sugar Crepes.

Tea is lighter. Earl Grey suits lemon and berry crepes, a black breakfast tea stands up to chocolate, and a mint or herbal tea is a good choice after a savory dinner.

Hot chocolate

In Paris, a cup of thick chocolat chaud with a sweet crepe is a classic winter treat. It’s richer than American hot cocoa, made with real chocolate and a little cream, and it’s served in small cups. Pair it with plain or lemon sugar crepes, so the two don’t compete.

Wine

A dry white wine works with savory crepes, especially ones with cream sauces or seafood, such as Smoked Salmon Crepes or Chicken and Mushroom Crepes. A light red goes with Ratatouille Crepes. With dessert crepes, keep it simple: a sparkling wine with Crêpes Suzette feels festive.

Quick pairing guide

Crepe	Drink
Buckwheat galette with ham, cheese and egg	Dry cider, dry white wine
Smoked salmon or seafood	Dry white or sparkling wine
Vegetable or ratatouille	Light red wine, dry cider
Lemon sugar, butter sugar	Tea, coffee, hot chocolate
Nutella, chocolate	Coffee, cold milk
Apple, caramel	Sweet cider, coffee
Crêpes Suzette	Sparkling wine, coffee
Kids’ crepes	Milk, hot chocolate, sparkling apple juice

For the food side of the table, see What to Serve with Crepes for Dinner, and for a full spread, How to Host a Crepe Party.