[phillamb168]

I will be in paris this summer if all goes as planned on our family euro trip. Look forward to checking out the new brewing scene.

Look me up when you get out here, I'd be happy to take you guys out and see the beery sights.

[homoeccentricus]

Then they must have been well hidden last time I was there, which was in July, between Belgium an Bretagne

Did you visit Paris at all? The boonies are not particularly well-served at this time - Lyon has some interesting stuff now as well, but not as much.

Not this time, but being Belgian I've been to Paris many times, obviously. I find most French pubs depressing with biere a la menthe an absolute low but I did go to cidrerie Dupont in Normandy, which is absolutely awesome. From Bretagne I do remember the Cervoise, a beer with seven herbs and honey, which is ""interesting"".  And of course there is the ubiquitous Leffe, an export product that almost makes me feel ashamed to be Belgian.

[HoosierBrew]

And of course there is the ubiquitous Leffe, an export product that almost makes me feel ashamed to be Belgian.

Yeah, not a fan either.

[gspot]

Glad to hear things have changed because I lived in Paris for a year in 2004-5,and I do not have fond memories of French beer. I mostly drank this swill called 1668 or something which was reminiscent of American mass-produced lager. I hung out with some British ex-pats, and there were quite a few decent Irish pubs with decent beer, one in particular called The Frog and Something over by the Bibliotheque National (sp?).

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[b-hoppy]

Simon is the godfather to one of our kids, actually - and I am quite familiar with your hop candy, they're great!

Wow, that's just nuts?  Small world~

[Joe Sr.]

Kronenburg. You must have it at least once. Probably never again.


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[coastsidemike]

Hi Phil.  Could you recommend any breweries or neighborhoods with breweries to visit?  I'll also be visiting this year; am fired up to wander around Paris and have some fun.

[phillamb168]

Hi Phil.  Could you recommend any breweries or neighborhoods with breweries to visit?  I'll also be visiting this year; am fired up to wander around Paris and have some fun.

For the most part, breweries here don't do visits or have taprooms in the way US breweries do - there are a couple but you need to check in advance: Deck & Donohue and Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or are two that I know have tastings on Saturdays(?).

Otherwise good bars to visit, in no particular order:

La Fine Mousse
A L'Express du Lyon
Brewberry
Paname Brewing Company
Le Trois Huit (888)
Supercoin
There are a number of Frog pubs, they're the oldest brewpubs in Paris, IMO the best one is Frog and Princess, better quality control there and a nice English pub atmosphere.

Also April 29- May 8 it's Paris Beer Week: https://www.facebook.com/parisbeerweek lots of stuff going on.

[phillamb168]

Then they must have been well hidden last time I was there, which was in July, between Belgium an Bretagne

Did you visit Paris at all? The boonies are not particularly well-served at this time - Lyon has some interesting stuff now as well, but not as much.

Not this time, but being Belgian I've been to Paris many times, obviously. I find most French pubs depressing with biere a la menthe an absolute low but I did go to cidrerie Dupont in Normandy, which is absolutely awesome. From Bretagne I do remember the Cervoise, a beer with seven herbs and honey, which is ""interesting"".  And of course there is the ubiquitous Leffe, an export product that almost makes me feel ashamed to be Belgian.

See my list above for the 'good' pubs. And if you're in Lille, go to La Capsule.

[phillamb168]

Glad to hear things have changed because I lived in Paris for a year in 2004-5,and I do not have fond memories of French beer. I mostly drank this swill called 1668 or something which was reminiscent of American mass-produced lager. I hung out with some British ex-pats, and there were quite a few decent Irish pubs with decent beer, one in particular called The Frog and Something over by the Bibliotheque National (sp?).

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Frog and British Library next to Bibliotheque François Mitterand, yep. It's on my way home when I take the train, so whenever strikes happen, it's the first place I go. Has much improved over the last few years.

[homoeccentricus]

See my list above for the 'good' pubs. And if you're in Lille, go to La Capsule.

Indeed, La Capsule looks very good: https://www.facebook.com/La-Capsule-120976054751869/ - Cantillon, 3F, Struise, Dolle, To Ol, etc. On my to-visit list!

[theoman]

Hey look! Phil's here! Now go brew some beer, young man.

[unclebrazzie]

Reportin' for duty.

I got acquainted with a French couple who quit their respectable daytime jobs to open a beerstore. In Nîmes, of all places.
Yes, France has a beer scene, but it's so much grassrooted you practically need a lawnmower to find evidence of it.

What there is, is either
a) boring, bland and forgettable (the ubiquitous "blonde, ambrée, brune" which invariably won silver at some concours régionalour other). You'll also find the bières de garde here, which, frankly, are underwhelming to the extent of being depressing.
b) inspired and somewhat interesting, but eventually same-ish and unsurpassing
c) stellar. Yes, I'm talking about Brasserie de Mont Salève.

I posted a blog entry about France about a year ago; pretty sure not much has changed, except maybe the momentum's increased somewhat.

France is a country to watch. Slow to wake to the craft/indie scene, they've enough ambition to make a ripple.