La Cave à Bulles
Craft beer is slowly but surely making its way into the Parisian palate. This May, Paris Beer Week inundated the city’s craft beer bars with brews familiar and unknown, leading local beer geeks to rejoice and even converting a few skeptics.
A la bière comme à la bière
You can take the party home now, thanks to a growing number of craft beer stores popping up across the city. Check in with them regularly; they all host regular tastings and brewer nights.
Biérocratie
La Moustache Blanche
La Cave à Bulles
THE reference for regional French beer, La Cave à Bulles stocks over 100 French craft beers, as well as some tempting brews from around Europe and the world. Skip the Rogue and Brooklyn and try Brasserie Thiriez from northern France, La Goutte d’Or (up the street in Montmartre) or Northmaen for authentic Viking flavor from Normandy.
La Caves à Bulles
Owner Simon Thillou speaks English, so ask as many questions as you wish before buying a suitcase worth of beer to take home. Check the Facebook page for upcoming tastings or call and book for a private group event. The store also carries homebrew equipment for the ambitious beer fan.
A la bière comme à la bière
Bières Cultes
With four locations in Paris, Bières Cultes has been keeping Paris up on craft beer since 2007. Known for their selection of international beers, they also carry a nice range of glassware for the beer drinker who likes to do things right. For the impatient (or those who are rushing to a picnic), there’s a fridge with 33cl and 75cl beers ready for drinking. Knowledgeable staff and wallet-friendly prices make for an all-around good time. The Cardinal Lemoine location hosts a tasting once a month; personalized events are also possible to arrange.
La Cave à Bulles
A la bière comme à la bière
Part beer shop, part bar, part snackery, A La Bière is a funkalicious neighborhood hangout. Amble on down for a beer or three and chow down on some seriously good pâtés or homemade olive tapenade tartines while Jean-Baptiste or Clarel spin some tunes.
A la bière comme à la bière
There’s nothing uptight or elitist about this place, so be daring and try a Jurassian Imperial Stout from the Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes, which clocks in at precisely 10.276% ABV, or a Rhub’IPA, a tasty-tart collaboration from Page 24 and Nøgne. Regular tasting nights host local and international brewers.
La Moustache Blanche
La Moustache Blanche
Got beer? might be an appropriate tagline for this vintage-tinged shop near Bastille. “The White Moustache” has made a name for itself with an enormous selection of international beers, not to mention owner Guillaume Hebrard’s attentive service and spot-on recommendations.
La Moustache Blanche
Peek inside the London phone booth for English ales, grab a pack of Nøgne or try a Weizen Rauchbier from Schlenkerla. It might be easier to pronounce once you’ve had a couple. Tastings and brewer nights are friendly affairs that often showcase local breweries, so pull up a chair at the big wooden table and indulge your curiosity.
Biérocratie
Biérocratie
This chill little shop in the 13th is run by a friendly couple with good taste in beer. Hailing from Florida and France respectively, Jaclyn and Pierre are happy to help you choose from among their selection of European and American beers. In addition to hosting regular tastings with local brewers and those from further afield, Biérocratie co-curates “Hoppy Hour” at Les Trois 8, a craft beer bar in the Menilmontant neighborhood; for 20€, sample all eight beers on tap, plus a guest beer selected by Jaclyn and Pierre.
Bierissime
Bièrissime
Le marché Saint Quentin, set squarely between the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est in the 10th arrondissement, is the largest covered market in Paris. It’s also home to Bièrissime, a beer shop with a selection as eclectic as the neighborhood it serves. Local breweries are well represented, in addition to others from North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Regular tastings often feature brewers from Ile-de-France, and the shop’s location in the market makes for a unique tasting environment.
Bièrissime even proposes home delivery if you don’t have room in your caddy after making a round of the market’s cheese shops, butchers, African delis, and fresh fruit and vegetable stands. The market’s proximity to the Canal Saint-Martin and two train stations makes this beer store a prime pre- picnic or rail-journey stop as well.
La Moustache Blanche
- La Cave à Bulles – rue Quincampoix, 75004 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 40 29 03 69
- Biéres Cultes – 25 rue Legendre, 75017 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 42 27 03 19
- A la bière comme à la bière – 20 rue Custine, 75018 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)9 52 80 59 14
- La Moustache Blanche – 16 rue Tournelles, 75004 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 75 57 15 06
- Biérocratie – 32 rue de l’Espérance, 75013 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 53 80 16 10
- Bièrissime – 85 bis boulevard Magenta, 75010 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 44 79 02 97
Related Links
- For more on craft beer in Paris, be sure to check out Kate’s post on La Fine Mousse
- The Daily Beast details its favorite beer shops around Paris here
- Elise goes inside La Brasserie de la Goutte D’Or, a craft beer brewery in the 18th
Bierocratie
Written by Kate Robinson for the HiP Paris Blog. All images by Palmyre Roigt. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
WRITTEN BY
Kate Robinson
Kate Robinson is an American in Paris. When she’s not drinking craft beer or slathering baguettes with sheep cheese, she can be found planning her next outdoor adventure. Kate’s writing has also appeared in publications such as Modern Farmer and France Today.
A la bière comme à la bière has a second store in the 20th:
353, rue des Pyrenées * Paris 20e
It’s nice!