Just in the nick of time to celebrate Oktoberfest...
Of course Paris has a divine wine reputation, to say nothing of her exquisite Champagnes, but she also has a hopping (see where we’re going here?) beer scene!
Let me start by saying, in no way was this post sponsored. This is our honest and unbiased feedback from what we felt was a unique, fun, and interesting night out on the Parisian town.
We were lucky enough to meet and spend time with Jonny, our guide extraordinaire from Le Bon Paris Food Tours. They offer other options if beer is not your thing.
We were surprised to hear that the macaron tour was more heavily booked, and we lucked out as our group was quite intimate, so we were able to really enjoy the chill Parisian vibe.
We met our guide Jonny and were ushered into a petit craft beer bar, where the mood was "Paris meets Brooklyn."
As someone continues to study the French language intensely, I was pumped to learn right away that the French word brasserie is also the same word used for brewery - in fact, French beer brewing predates its wine production by approximately 500 years. Who knew?!
We were offered sips of several different brews to taste before we decided which one we might like to get a larger glass of.
There were at least ten craft beers to choose from on tap, and we each settled on different blonde selections.
We paired them with some crunch-tastic baguette bites and a scrumptious Comté cheese, which definitely pairs quite well with blonde beers.
We also learned that annually, 64,000 tons of Comté cheese is produced - that is almost ten Eiffel Towers weight worth of cheesy goodness - oui, please!
Imagine our surprise to learn how prevalent beer breweries were in Paris for well over a century.
Pasteurization was also touched on as a brief lesson, as it's creator, Louis Pasteur was a famous French scientist. So into the hops was he that he published a book called "Etudes sur la Biere" (that's Beer Studies 101 to you and me)!
Pssst - if you are wondering why Golden Dream Barbie (Mattel Trademark) is attending our beer filled evening, as seen in this above photo, do subscribe to Parisian Niche as her glamorously gilded story is soon to be shared!
Now, back to the Brews...
After our initial beer goodness at the first hidden gem, we moved (via métro, and don't worry, the guide stayed with us the whole journey), and landed at a much more boisterous bar.
We learned that this vibe was definitely on point with the feelings and crowds that Paris sees at it's annual Craft Beer Festival (held each May, in case you wanted to add this to your Paris planning calendar)...
We fell into fruity beers in this second location - very raspberry forward - crisp, refreshing, and deliciously delightful. We even heard legend of a blue colored beer, but were not able to set eyes upon it. Next time...
We soon headed to our third and final location. If this seems quick to you, take note that we spent over an hour at each location. Our host made sure we did not feel rushed at all and we felt comfortable to relax during every enjoyable minute.
Oh, did someone say charcuterie board?!
We learned about various French breweries and brewing houses specific to Paris; their demise, and ultimate rise from the ashes (well, hops) for their rebirth and regeneration.
The pride that goes into the French craft beer industry is alive and well.
We went as far back in time as one can imagine in the history of beer - did you know St. Hildegard was a hop master?
And that's to say nothing of the Trappist monks and their impacts on our frothy drinks, with their brewery still churning out beer in France.
We came forward in time to the effect Brexit had on the French beer industry.
We also covered every age in between. As someone who is not typically a beer drinker, traveling with someone who is a true beer devotee, this tour offered something for everyone... including information on which beer glasses to use with various beers. You know P'Niche loves a good place setting / table scape!
It was made very clear during our beer flight and tastings that beer is not only for apéro, sports bars, and barbeques.
As my nephew (hi, Joes!) wisely noted, "Wine is certainly the French rock star with the great reputation to show for it, but French beers should certainly be added to foodie and beverage discussions."
We truly enjoyed our night out and were sad to see it come to an empty cup (well, many cups, to be honest), and, at the end of our fantastic night, Jonny did also hint to beer and food pairings that we did not try that evening - like CHOCOLATE! (Can I get an Amen, my cocoa loving P'Nichers?!) So, we feel we still have a lot to learn and cannot wait to try another fun food adventure soon...
I won't share the specific bars we went to on this tour, so that you can book to decide for yourself which is your favorite.
Some of my own personal faves when I am lucky enough to raise a glass in Paris are:
Hoppy Corner
34, rue des Petits Carreaux, 75002
Métro: Sentier (Line 3)
Bar Demory Paris
62, rue Quincampoix, 75004
Métro: Étienne Marcel (Line 4)
MONK La Tavern de Cluny
51, rue de la Harpe, 75005
Métro: Cluny La Sorbonne (Line 10)
How about you, P'Nichers? Where do you like to get your brewskie on in Paris? Let us know in the comments section below et à bientôt!
#Paris #iLoveParis #parisjetaime #Parisian #chic #ParisianChic #Beer #Biere #BeerFlight #Foam #Hops #Foodie #Tour #FoodAdventures #Sante #Cheers #BottomsUp #miammiam
Kommentare