Month: June 2018

#1 in my favorite brews from the Paris region: La P’Tite Soeur

Let’s keep it in the family. ‘The Little Sister’ is my go-to beer of choice in the Paris region, if not the world. Even before you try it, it charms you. Let’s first look at the significance of the name. La petite soeur refers to your second beer. It’s like telling the barman ‘I’ll have another, just like the first one.’ I love that expression!

Second, the label: it’s so gosh-darn cute! All bottles have the same little rascal sticking out her tongue and making a face at you, but she may be blond, or red-headed, or brunette depending on the contents. How cool is that?

And what contents! Flavorful, with a thick head when poured into a mug. It just hits the spot every time. I have a penchant for la Rousse, which strikes the perfect combination of taste, smoothness and alcohol content. She may look like a pest, but it’s all a game, she’s nothing but fun!

Speaking of family, Father’s Day is coming soon. I really really like this beer. Yep, I can’t think of a better present to give a dad than some bottles of this beer. Pop one open with your poppa. Did I mention Father’s Day?

Go here to get some local suds:

La P’tite Soeur sells directly to the public Friday and Saturday

165 boulevard de la république, 78500 Sartrouville

http://laptitesoeur.com

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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We’re down to the Top 2 of my favorite craft brewers from the Paris region, and the ‘Beer from Vexin’ isn’t a secret for anyone anymore. They’ve won so many awards, they certainly don’t need my help.

If you’ve never tried it, you absolutely have to. Everything they do is so refined, with good flavor without being too rich. Their speciality is a beer mixed with honey, called the ‘Véliocasse’ which is simply lovely all year ’round, but especially now in hot weather. It has just the right touch of sweetness, but remains fully ‘beer’ flavored, and pleases monsieur and madame equally. I also adore their amber beer, ‘La Vexinoise.’

They brew on the premises of a farm that I’d highly recommend visiting. The barn has hops dangling from the awnings, and the entire place is imbued with beer culture. On the weekend, you can sit outside, and enjoy lunch and a beverage. Their beer is found in supermarkets all over the region, but the farm is the only place you can buy in bulk. You won’t want to take a chance that your local grocer is out of Vexin beer, so fill your trunk.

Go here to get some local suds:

Biere du Vexin

Croix des ruelles, 95450 THEMERICOURT

https://www.biere-du-vexin.com

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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La Gitane is the smokiest beer I’ve ever tasted and liked. A bit more smoke, and I’d a set down me glass. Still, very original, and something I’d turn to again once the weather got colder.

Brasserie La Baleine

17 Rue Henri Duvernois
75020 Paris, France

http://www.brasserie-la-baleine.com

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

 

Hard as it may be to believe, I don’t spend all of my time seeking out new beers to taste. There are still some craft breweries in the area I’ve yet to try.

Here are some from the Paris region that I haven’t yet tasted, but they’re on my wish list:

Volcelest  authentic non-fermented beer

brasserie de la vallée de Chevreuse

28 rue du Roseau
78610 Le Perray en Yvelines

www.brasseriechevreuse.com

 

Brasserie de la Reine

Rambouillet

https://www.facebook.com/labrasseriedelareine/

 

Sagesse

Maisons-Laffitte

www.biere-sagesse.fr

 

Brasserie BapBap

79 rue Saint-Maur,  Paris 75011

Métro : Rue Saint-Maur, ligne 3

http://www.bapbap.paris/bieres-artisanales-parisiennes-bapbap/

 

Brasserie La Goutte d’Or

28 rue de la Goutte d’Or, 75018 Paris

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK #biere

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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California is a theme chosen by the Brasserie de Grand Paris or BGP to attract attention to their brews. The cable car above reminds me of NorCal, and the one below of SoCal.

I preferred the latter, because a beer with smoky flavor is so original. Almost hickory aftertaste.

The BGP is almost as prolific as O’Clock in that they produce so many different kinds of beers. One or a dozen are likely to suit your taste.

Go here to get some local suds:

Brasserie de Grand Paris

103 rue Charles Michels
93200 Saint – Denis

https://www.bgp.paris/7/nos-bieres https://www.facebook.com/mybeer/

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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She’s refreshing, easygoing, the girl next door. Always pleasant, never bitter. Won’t hurt your head with deep conversation. Personally, I prefer my girl a bit more ‘chipie’ or fuller of flavor. But you can’t go wrong with Mademoiselle Versailles.

She’s the most bubble-headed of brews from Distrikt brasserie. I can’t wait to try their Clash beer, which is a triple. Give me the taste! They also have a couple other cool names with Groovy and Funky, but they’re IPAs, so I’ll stay away.

And give me the music. The brewery put out a special recipe and bottle in a collaboration with the Naïve New Beaters. I guess that electronic machine noise is what the kids are listening to nowadayz. Bring back the Clash, I say.

Go here to get some local suds:

BRASSERIE DISTRIKT
PLAINE DE VERSAILLES
FERME DE GRIGNON
ROUTE DE LA FERME
78850 THIVERVAL-GRIGNON
WWW.DISTRIKTBEER.COM  https://www.facebook.com/distriktbeer/  

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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Another in the series of my favorite craft breweries from the Paris region: La brasserie Toussaint. They are another IPA specialist, and even make their own ‘French’ version, called the FPA. I shy away from the bitters and go for their lighter easy-drinkin’ brews like La Lucienne, La Blanche (wittbier) or Le Miel. The latter is mixed with honey, which is a winning combination in my book. On Saturday, this honey bear will share his favorite honey beer.

Go here to get some suds:

La brasserie Toussaint

1 Chemin de Prunay
Louveciennes, France

www.brasserietoussaint.com https://www.facebook.com/brasserietoussaint/

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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In honor of Paris Beer Week, I’m starting a new series: my favorite brews from the region of Paris, aka ‘Ile-de-France’ or IDF. Most of the beers I’ll share are from one ‘département,’ the Yvelines.

People from other major metropolis areas are always amazed to find how much of the Paris region is rural farmland. I’m at an end of the line train station, only 45min from Paris, in a village of 4 000 people, surrounded by forests and wheat fields. Much of the outlying areas are like this, and so this is a huge producer of flour and grains, but also hops, barley and yeast. All the ingredients are in our backyard to make beer.

Recently, an explosion of micro-breweries have popped up, from only a handful a decade ago to 52 today. And now, craft beer even has its own festival. I haven’t been, but I have visited a number of these breweries in-person. The first I’d like to tell you about is O’Clock.

What time is it? It’s beer o’clock! It’s beer:30! We’ve all heard that expression many times, and now it’s official. The O’Clock Brewery must have the most eclectic and diverse brews in all of IDF. They make more than two dozen different beers, from light white to kick your ass flavorful Jamaica Sound Clash (really, you’ll have a hard time finishing one). The labels are playful and retro.

They specialize in IPA, which outright eliminates 20 of their beers for me. I can’t stand the bitterness of pale ales. However, they make some lovely stouts and darker beers. My favorites are Stout Toujours, Baden Baden, and the stout/cognac mix they produce. On a chillier day, nothing’s better to warm your insides. Later in the week, I’ll have some Summer brews to share. Meanwhile, go here to get some suds:

O’clock brewing

3 rue Georges Méliès, Bois-d’Arcy (next to Leroy Merlin)

http://www.oclockbrewing.fr  09.51.53.11.22 https://www.facebook.com/oclockbrewing/

You can taste this beermaker and many more at Paris Beer Week. Go to the website and check out the events through Sunday.

#Paris #Yvelines #tourism #travel #ParisBeerWeek #Paris_BeerWeeK

© 2018 Copyright Joe Start. All rights reserved.

 

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