brasser

To brew (beer: brasser de la bière), and figuratively, to handle large volumes of business or money (brasser des affaires, brasser des millions). The fixed idiom brasser de l'air means to make a lot of noise/effort for nothing — to be all talk, no substance.

• Cette brasserie brasse sa propre bière depuis 1990. — This brewery has brewed its own beer since 1990.
• Il brasse énormément d'argent dans ce secteur. — He handles enormous amounts of money in this sector.
• Ce politicien ne fait que brasser de l'air. — This politician is all talk and no action.

Brasser de l'air is a fixed negative idiom (empty, ineffective activity) — don't take it literally as 'to stir the air'; it always implies wasted effort or empty talk with nothing achieved.

• expression "Brasser de l'air" — A French idiom meaning to make a great show of effort or talk without any real result — from the medieval symbolism of wind/air representing vanity and emptiness.