Archive for the ‘beer’ Category

An Artisanal Beer and Chocolate Pairing during Paris Beer Week
By Monique Y. Wells

Sunday, June 7th, 2015
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Our favorite neighborhood chocolate boutique, Mococha, and favorite beer purveyor, Brewberry, teamed up for this year’s Paris Beer Week festivities to present a self-guided beer and chocolate pairing. It took place from 6 – 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27 at Brewberry. Reservations were required but there was no set time for participants to arrive.

The lovely proprietors, Marie Gantois of Mococha and Cécile Delorme-Thomas of Brewberry, worked together to select beer and chocolate pairings based on complementary or opposing notes between the products they carry. During this process, they found that most of the ganaches and pralinés that Marie stocks did not work well with Cécile’s beers.

Marie Gantois, Proprietor of Mococha

Marie Gantois, Proprietor of Mococha
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Cécile Delorme

Cécile Delorme, Proprietor of Brewberry
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Undeterred, Marie decided to test some of her chocolate bars with Cécile’s beers. She and Cécile were much happier with the resulting flavor combinations. In the end, they paired three artisanal beers with five artisanal chocolate bars and one ganache for the event.

Five Bars and One Ganache in Search of Three Beers

Five Bars and One Ganache in Search of Three Beers
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Participants received an fact sheet containing gustatory details of each beer and each chocolate presented during the evening. Each beer was paired with two chocolates, as follows:

• Beer #1 – Naparbier Barley Wine white wine BA (12°) with Kochi (Johann Dubois) and Cuba (François Pralus)

• Beer #2 – TOOL Black Maria (8.1°) with Mélissa (François Pralus) and Brésil (François Pralus)

• Beer #3 – Omnipollo Hypnopompa (10°) with Tonka (Benoit Nihant) and Lait d’amandes (Benoit Nihant)

I’m not a beer drinker but am always willing to try pairings organized by Marie because I find her taste in chocolate to be exquisite!

Three Beers Paired with Six Chocolates

Three Beers Paired with Six Chocolates
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The first pairing was my favorite, by far. I tasted the beer before the chocolate — and loved it! I learned that Barley Wine is a style of beer, like IPA or stout. It is aged for 15 months in oak barrels that were previously used to age white wine.

At 12°, Naparbier’s alcohol content is quite high for beer. With its notes of caramel and stewed fruit, it tasted like an after dinner drink. I would buy this beer to enjoy on its own, without chocolate!

I then sampled the chocolates, with and without tiny sips of beer. Kochi, by Johann Dubois, was the only ganache that “made the cut” for the Paris Beer Week tasting. It is made from milk chocolate (40%), hazelnuts and yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit). Cuba, a dark chocolate bar (75%) made from Cuban chocolate, was quite spicy and potent. The information sheet indicated that this bar, made by François Pralus, likely represents the last opportunity that Europeans will have to taste chocolate made from Cuban cocoa beans. No explanation was given as to why cocoa beans from Cuba would be banned in Europe.

Of the two chocolates, I liked the dark-chocolate Cuba bar the best — with and without the beer.

My next favorite pairing was the Omnipollo Hypnopompa beer with the Lait d’amandes bar. I described the aroma of this brown, Swedish beer as slightly funky and animal-like, though later, I could detect notes of coffee. I did not like it on its own but found that it accompanied both chocolates nicely.

I did not like the TOOL Black Maria at all, but loved both chocolates that were paired with it.

I found the format for this tasting to be quite agreeable — I much prefer being able to arrive at my convenience, then taste, take notes, and ask questions at my own pace.

I hope that Marie and Cécile will organize a tasting for Paris Beer Week next year!

Mococha
89, rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Tel: 01 47 07 13 66
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Metro: Place Monge, Censier Daubenton (Line 7)

Brewberry
18, rue de Pot-de-Fer
75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 36 53 92
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 2 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Metro: Place Monge (Line 7)

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Paris Beer Week – The Grand Final – Part II

Friday, June 5th, 2015
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Paris Beer Week Logo

Did I say in Part I that the greatest thing about Paris Beer Week is that only artisanal beers are featured? I didn’t fully comprehend this until I walked upstairs to the exhibition hall where thirty-one artisanal breweries from all over Europe had their stands. It was then that I realized that I would need a lot of tokens to taste them all!

Exhibition Hall at La Bellevilloise

The Exhibition Hall at La Bellevilloise
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The hall is vast and because I arrived fairly early, there was lots of room in which to move around. The brewers’ stands had been set up all around the periphery. The first thing that I did was to look to see which brewer was pouring the black beer that had elicited so much enthusiasm down on the terrace.

Cécile Thomas Serves Aupa Tovarisch from Laugar Brewery in Spain

Cécile Thomas Serves Aupa Tovarisch from the Laugar Brewery in Spain
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I quickly found it. The beer is called Aupa Tovarisch and it is brewed by the Laugar Brewery in Spain. The lovely Cécile Thomas, whom I have blogged about before, was pouring. She told me that the beer is aged for one year in 18-year-old barrels that once contained Lagavulin whisky.

Aupa Tovarisch from the Laugar Brewery in Spain

Aupa Tovarisch from the Laugar Brewery in Spain
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Aupa Tovarisch is an opaque beer with strong, bitter flavor of coffee and chocolate. I enjoyed its taste at first, but as I continued to drink it, I began to think that it was like drinking cold, bitter coffee left over from the day before.

Cécile told me that the price of a glass of this brew was two tokens, not one. That left me with only one token.

Which would be the last beer that I would choose? As I looked around, I asked myself, “Why not try an English beer?”

Sam Pouring Siren Craft Brew's Life is a Peach

Sam Pouring Siren Craft Brew’s Life is a Peach
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I found Sam pouring Life is a Peach, brewed by Siren Craft. He told me that the brewery is located near Reading, about 30 miles from London.

Life is a Peach by Siren Craft Brewery

Life is a Peach by Siren Craft Brewery
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

This golden beer tasted somewhat bitter, with the mild flavor of peach. Nice!

Alix and Her Sketch of Me

Alix and Her Sketch of Me
Photograph of Alix by www.DiscoverParis.net

I spotted sketch artist Alix Maubrey across the room. She captured my image in five minutes and made me look 50 years younger. Thanks, Alix!

It had been a good day, tasting craft beers and meeting people. I look forward to next year’s Paris Beer Week!

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Paris Beer Week – The Grand Final – Part I

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015
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Paris Beer Week poster

The Grand Final of Paris Beer Week is over and is nothing but a sudsy memory. But what a good time it was!

The day-long event was held at La Bellevilloise, a concert and exposition hall located in eastern Paris.

La Bellevilloise - Originally Founded as a Workers' Collective, Now a Place to Party

La Bellevilloise – Originally Founded as a Workers’ Collective, Now a Place to Party
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I purchased my entry pass over the Internet three weeks in advance. For only 30.99€, I got an entry ticket, a “Paris Beer Week” T-shirt, a “Paris Beer Week” drinking glass, and four tokens for beer. This was a pretty good deal, I thought, considering that I was in need of a new T-shirt for beer drinking.

André and Martin Collecting Tickets at the Door

André and Martin Collecting Tickets at the Door
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

André (left) and Martin (right), both sporting orange “Paris Beer Week” T-shirts, collected tickets at the door and distributed T-shirts, beer glasses, and tokens. I told André that I was alone, that my wife didn’t like beer and wouldn’t come with me. He replied, “That’s alright. All the more beer for you!” He also told me that my glass was called a galopin, a glass that holds 12.5cl of beer. I was satisfied with this quantity. After all, how much beer can one purchase with only four tokens?

People Enjoying the Terrace

People Enjoying a Beautiful Day on the Terrace
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A Beautiful Day in Paris for Drinking Beer

A Beautiful Day in Paris for Drinking Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I passed through the reception hall and walked out of the back door onto the terrace. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for enjoying a beer in the sun or shade!

Joan Serving La Onze Beer

Joan Serving La Onze Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I spent one token to purchase a glass of La Onze beer from Joan, who was serving at a bar off to the side of the terrace. La Onze is not just any beer, but is specially brewed for the occasion by a cooperative of local craft-beer brewers. Cloudy, light-rust in color, not too bitter, it had a fruity flavor. This was a beer that I could stay with all day, but there were so many beers, so little time.

Antipasti Sandwich

Antipasti Sandwich
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I purchased an antipasti sandwich (mozzarella, yellow and red peppers, and salad leaves in a baguette) to accompany the beer. It was a perfect gustatory match! What a day this was turning out to be!

At the table next to mine, I overheard some guys exclaiming about a black beer that one of them brought down to the terrace from the exhibition hall upstairs. “That’s the next beer that I’m going to try,” I told myself. I finished off my sandwich and headed upstairs.

Next…the serious beer-drinking begins.

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Tasting Three Craft Beers and a Burning Pig Burger at Brewberry Bar

Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
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Cécile Thomas Serving Brewberry Beer N° 3

Cécile Thomas Serving Brewberry Beer N° 3
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Cécile Thomas, proprietor of Brewberry Bar, invited journalists and bloggers to her beer bar last night. I had the opportunity to taste three craft beers while listening to the funky music of James Brown over the sound system.

Laugarepa
The slightly bitter taste of this blonde beer, brewed by Laugar Brewery near Bilbao, Spain, was offset with a note of honey. Alcohol content: 5.4%

Brewberry Beer N° 3
This is an American Strong Ale created especially for Brewberry Bar by a Danish company called To Øl. Brewed with two different hops, Mandarina and Mosiac, an aggressive flavor akin to bitter grapefruit or dark mountain honey comes through. Alcohol content: 9.8%.

Black is Beautiful
An oatmeal stout brewed by To Øl, Black is Beautiful did not taste as bitter as I initially thought it would — the flavor of blackstrap molasses predominated. Opaque and dark, it is truly a black beer. Alcohol content: 6.8%.

Burning Pig Burger
Cécile came by with a tray of Burning Pig burgers, a sandwich made from pulled pork and Burning Dog beer served on a hamburger bun. It’s barbeque flavor was a perfect accompaniment to the beers that I tasted that night.

Brewberry Bar serves twenty-four craft beers on tap. In my mind, this place should be the first stop for beer lovers who come to Paris. Leave the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre for another day! English is spoken here.

Brewberry Bar
11, rue du Pot de Fer
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.43.36.53.92

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Le Guide Hachette des Bières – A Book Review

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014
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Elisabeth Pierre and Her Book <i>Guide Hachette des Bières</i>

Elisabeth Pierre and Her Book Le Guide Hachette des Bières

Elisabeth Pierre, who calls herself a zythologue (zythologist, or connoisseur of beer, in English), has just written an encyclopedic book called Le Guide Hachette des Bières. Breathtaking in scope, this 360-page, French-language tome (Hachette, 2014) covers just about every topic that an aficionado of French beer could hope for in a guide—from the origins of the beverage to the names of specific breweries, ratings of their beers, and specific suggestions of foods that would best accompany the beers that she rates.

Elisabeth hails from the Franche Compté region of France, where she had the occasion to visit a local brewery as a child. The wonderful aroma of malt and hops that she experienced there influenced her profoundly. Years later, with a university diploma in classics, she abandoned a teaching profession to take a position with the Brasseurs de France, a federation of French brewers.

From the start, she organized beer-and-food-paring dinners and had the occasion to meet top chefs with whom she explored different ways to pair beer with food.

She has been in the industry about twenty-eight years and now works as a consultant. While a consultant, she became interested in the revival of microbreweries in France that began about eighteen years ago. Her guide reflects this interest.

The first section of the book is titled “Connaître les bières.” It is devoted to the place beer holds in the history of civilization. Among the topics covered are beer ingredients and the process of fabrication.

In this section, we learn that the transformation of cereals into beer can be traced back 7000 years B.C. in China, and 6000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. While we now accept hops as an essential ingredient in beer, it wasn’t generally adapted until around the 15th century. Beer today is now recognized as a beverage that consists of four essential ingredients: water, barley, hops, and yeast. To transform beer into its many different varieties, brewers substitute different cereals for barley, roast the cereals to different degrees of darkness, use different varieties of hops and yeast, and add different flavorings, such as honey, orange zest, and spices. The process of transformation is complex and the resulting beverages are infinitely varied in color, texture, aroma, and taste.

“Connaître les bières” also provides suggestions on how to read a beer label, where to purchase beer, how to store it, and how to appreciate its visual, gustative, and olfactory qualities.

The second section of the book is titled “La sélection du guide Hachette des bières – 800 bières à découvrir.” Here, French artisanal beers take center stage.

To present the French beers, Elisabeth divides France into five beer-producing regions, each with several sub-regions. For each sub-region she describes and rates beers of the microbreweries that are found there. Her rating system is straightforward: only beers that she determines are “successful” (no star), “very successful” (one star), “remarkable” (two stars), “exceptional” (three stars), or “favorites” (three stars plus ♥) get a mention. Beers that only scored “with a default” or “average” by her standards don’t get mentioned at all.

I found this part of the book to be fascinating, because the descriptions of each of the beers are quite detailed. We learn, for example, that the one-star beer La Loroyse (produced by a microbrewery called Les Brasseurs de Lorraine) has sweet flavors at the start that become spicy and fruity, and finishes with a persistent and pronounced herbal bitterness. Furthermore, we learn that this beer would go well with a pepper steak and a Saint-Nectaire or Ossau Iraty cheese. While the information that is conveyed here might not be immediately useful to readers who can’t readily purchase a bottle of La Loroyse, it teaches us that good beers are complex and that each has different structures of flavor that we should seek out the next time we open a bottle. We also learn that certain beers go well with certain foods, and that care should be taken to match them when we sit down to have a beer with our meal.

The final parts of this section are devoted to Belgium, Quebecois, and foreign beers. Only three American microbreweries are mentioned: Left Hand Brewing Company in Colorado, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Nevada, and Brooklyn Brewery in New York. Elisabeth is particularly enthusiastic about the beers from this latter company— she rates four of their beers as three star (one of which is a “favorite”) and two as two star.

At the back of the book is a helpful glossary and two indexes, one that lists beers by name and one that lists breweries by name.

A very good knowledge of French is required to read this book. It is probably the best source of information on the extensive variety of French, Belgium, and Quebecois artisanal beers that is on the market today.

Le Guide Hachette des Bières is available in North America from Amazon.ca.

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Suddenly a Whole New Reason for Going to Paris

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014
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Until just yesterday, all that Paris had going for it was…the Eiffel Tower…the Arc de Triomphe…the Champs-Elysées…the Luxembourg Garden…Napoleon’s Tomb… Not much to shout about. But then a new day dawned and now the City of Light has a whole new reason for going there…the Brewberry Bar!

Cécile Thomas, Proprietor of Brewberry Bar

Cécile Thomas, Proprietor of Brewberry Bar
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Yes, folks. You don’t have to be a craft beer lover to make tracks to the Brewberry Bar when you get to Paris, but it helps! Imagine a congenial drinking spot located on a narrow, picturesque 16th century street in the Latin Quarter. Imagine a place where the bilingual wait staff is friendly and, more importantly, where twenty-four (count ’em) craft beers are served on tap!

Flying Dog on Tap

Flying Dog on Tap
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Craft beers with names such as “Bible Belt” (13% alcohol – Hallelujah!), “Wooden Leg” (8%), “Stalin’s Organ” (probably named after the famous rocket launcher, not the organ that immediately comes to mind – 6%), and “Molotov Cocktail” (an explosive 13%).

Flying Dog K-9 Amber Pale 4pc

Flying Dog K-9 Amber Pale 7.4%
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I bellied up to the bar and Cécile, the owner (whom I blogged about back in March 2012), poured me a Flying Dog K-9 Amber Pale (7.4%). It had a thick, frothy head that maintained its stature to the very end. None of this wispy foam that disappears before you take your very first sip! A slightly-sweet honey-like flavor greeted my palate, followed by a slightly-bitter aftertaste. Nice!

Charles and Morgane

Charles and Morgane
Bilingual Wait Staff

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Cécile told me that Brewberry Bar will be open six days a week: Tuesday to Thursday from noon to 1:00 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon to 2:00 a.m. As well as beer on tap and a selection of spirits, she serves snacks, salads, main courses, cheeses, and desserts.

Brewberry Bar…a whole new reason for making that next vacation a trip to Paris!

Brewberry Bar
11, rue du Pot de Fer
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.43.36.53.92

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How to Find a Party in Paris

Friday, May 16th, 2014
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Party People

Finding a party in Paris can be as easy as walking down the street. Take me, for example. Yesterday afternoon I was walking up boulevard Saint-Michel towards place Edmond-Rostand. All of a sudden I saw a huge cloud of thick white smoke rise up. A fire? I asked myself. An explosion? No! It was a party!

I rushed to place Edmond-Rostand and arrived just in time to see a caravan of vehicles emerging from rue Sufflot and turning left onto rue Gay-Lussac. Pressing forward through the crowd, I was able to make my way to the lead vehicle, which happened to be a beer truck…the most important element of a party! The truck emitted loud, pulse-pounding music while young men busied themselves serving draught beer to the crown. I got mine!

Surfing

Party for the Fun of It

Party for the Fun of It
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

This blowout was organized by the students of the Ecole Polytechnique to announce the annual Point Gamma extravaganza, “the biggest student event in France.” It was, in other words, a party to announce a party. What a great idea!

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Why I Didn’t Eat a Single Bite of Food at the Paris Street Food Festival

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
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Super-Barquette

Entrance to the Super Barquette

Entrance to the Super Barquette
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I learned about the Paris Street Food Festival several days in advance of the event and was all a-twitter with excitement as I made my way along quai Austerlitz to find the stands that were selling street food there:
Fish and Chips by The Sunken Chip
Super BBQ by My Food Montreuil
Burgers by Le Camion qui Fume
…and mouth-wateringly more!

Woman with Brochure

Woman with Brochure
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Tombola Ticket 708

A lovely young woman was distributing brochures that listed the names of the food stands and the types of street food that they were serving. She invited me to purchase a raffle ticket for 1€; otherwise the entrance to the event was free.

People Feasting at the Street Food Festival

People Feasting at the Street Food Festival
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I walked onto a deck overlooking the Seine and saw that a lot of people had gotten there before me. I arrived at 12:30 p.m., which I thought was early enough to permit me to get some food and sit down for lunch. But I was wrong…

Standing in Line for BBQ

Standing in Line for BBQ
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

There were long lines everywhere. For the BBQ…

Serving up Fish and Chips

Serving up Fish and Chips
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

…for the fish and chips…

This Way to the Beer

This Way to the Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

…but, surprisingly, not for the beer!

Alexandre Bournonville of Distrikt Beer

Alexandre Bournonville of Distrikt Beer
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

So I purchased a bottle of amber beer brewed locally in the town of Thiverval-Grignon, not too far from Paris. That’s all that I had at the street food festival!

BBQ Cooker - My Food Montreuil

BBQ Cooker – My Food Montreuil
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Monstrously Long Line for BBQ

The Monstrously Long Line for BBQ
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The food stand for BBQ was the most popular. How did it measure up to Texas BBQ? I’ll never know, because I didn’t want to wait in the monstrously long line.

But I enjoyed the Distrikt amber beer!

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Christmas Beer and Cheese Paring with Elisabeth Pierre

Sunday, December 8th, 2013
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Elizabeth Pierre with Mandrin Bière de Noël

Elizabeth Pierre with Mandrin Bière de Noël
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Just in time for the holiday season, I was recently invited to a Christmas beer and cheese paring organized by French bièreologue Elisabeth Pierre.

Christmas beers used to be brewed from the cereals that were left over in the granary at the end of the harvest season. Today, they are specially concocted for beer aficionados at Christmastime. At the tasting, which took place at Tempero restaurant in the 13th arrondissement, Elisabeth presented five different French artisanal Christmas beers and a selection of French and Swiss cheeses.

We tasted Mandrin Bière de Noël (pictured above), a cloudy, light-amber, fruity-tasting beer with no bitterness with Vacherin Mont d’Or, a soft, smooth, creamy, cow’s-milk cheese from Switzerland. The beer is brewed by Brasserie Artisanale Dauphiné located in the Rhône-Alpes region.

La Joyeuse - Bière Bellon - with La Fourme de Montbrison

La Joyeuse
Pictured here with La Fourme de Montbrison

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

La Joyeuse, a triple-fermented beer from Le Berry (a province under the Ancient Regime), is brewed from regional malts. An amber beer, it almost has the flavor of light molasses. I learned that it had been brewed with liquorice, which must have accounted for the flavor that I tasted. It was served with Gruyere cheese from Switzerland (not pictured), a mild cheese with delightfully crunchy Tyrosine clusters (tiny protein clusters that form as cheese ages).

Gaillard de Noël

Gaillard de Noël
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Gaillarde de Noël, a blond, cloudy beer from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, had a sweet-honey aroma and tasted bitter and fruity at the same time. The brewery was opened only 20 months ago in the little town of Gignac by husband-and-wife team Elisabeth and Benjamin Moinet.

La Rouget de Lisle with Mimolette

La Rouget de Lisle with Mimolette
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Elisabeth poured a cervoise brewed by La Rouget de Lisle in the town of Bletterans in the Franche-Comté region. She said that cervoise is a beer that is brewed without hops, the flavoring agent that gives beer its distinctive bitter taste. The beer had a sweet honeysuckle aroma and a honey-like flavor. We tasted it with La Fourme de Montbrison (pictured with La Joyeuse), a cow’s-milk blue cheese made in the Auvergne region in southern France. The Fourme de Montbrison is perhaps the mildest blue cheese that I have ever tasted, and I thought that it went well the mildly-sweet cervoise

Entre 2 Mondes

Merry Chrismouss by Entre 2 Mondes
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Merry Chrismouss, a Christmas beer brewed by Entre 2 Monde in the Vallée de la Loue in Franche-Comté, had an aggressive, bitter-coffee flavor. All of the beers produced by this company are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and re-fermented in the bottle. It was the beer that I liked the least, and as far as I could tell, it didn’t go with any of the cheeses.

Elisabeth’s beer and cheese tasting was a great occasion to learn more about the world of beer, and I was happy that I had the chance to attend.

Have a very Merry Chrismouss sampling the Christmas beers that you find at your favorite beer supplier!

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An Evening of Beer and Food Pairing with Elisabeth Pierre

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013
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Elisabeth Pierre

Elisabeth Pierre, Bièreologue
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I’ve had the occasion to blog about Elisabeth Pierre, bièreologue, before. Apart from her work as a consultant in the beer industry, she organizes tastings of artisanal beer around different gastronomic themes. On a recent Thursday evening I got a chance to attend her first-ever beer and food-pairing dinner. Called “Diner – Bières et Mets,” it took place at Tempero, a restaurant that I recently reviewed for the Discover Paris! newsletter Paris Insights.

Alessandra Montagne

Chef Alessandra Montagne (left) in the Kitchen
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

While Alessandra Montagne and her husband Olivier (not pictured) were in the kitchen preparing a great four-course meal, Elisabeth was in the dining room explaining that we would get to taste five beers that evening, each one specially selected to accompany the dishes that we would enjoy. Why five beers when there were only four courses? Because the main course was a pork dish that was prepared three different ways. Two different beers would be served with it.

Here is how the dishes and the beers were presented:

Starter – Velouté de moules (velouté of mussles) paired with Le Tournemine Real Ale du Berry.
Main course – Porc en 3 façons (pork prepared three ways) paired with La Yote Ale Blonde du Berrye and Combe aux Loups, a brown lager.
Cheese plate – Chèvre et Bleu (goat and blue cheeses) paired with L’Inquiète Stout du Berry
Dessert Royal au chocolat, glace au malte (rich chocolate dessert with a scoop of malt-flavored ice cream) paired with Griottines Cervoise.

Royal au chocolat, glace au malte

Royal au chocolat, glace au malte
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I enjoyed all the dishes and all the beers and thought that the pairings had been well conceived. But if I had to choose a favorite pairing it would be the Royal au chocolat, glace au malte paired with the Griottines Cervoise, a wheat beer flavored with Morello cherry. The chocolate was smooth and rich, the ice cream had a surprising malt flavor, and the beer had a wonderful not-too-sweet cherry taste.

Jean-Simon Landry

Jean-Simon Landry
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Two other beer industry professionals were present at the dinner. Jean-Simon Landry represents a microbrewery in Quebec called Le Naufrageur. He passed through Paris after having attended the Festival Mondiale de Bière Europe, held in Mulhouse, France in mid-September.

Johann Villedieu

Johann Villedieu
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Johann Villedieu of Plaisirs et Qualité announced that his company will soon begin distributing artisanal beer to Parisian restaurants. This was indeed good news, because I have often tried to order craft beers in restaurants only to be told that they were not served there.

A good time was had by all!

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Visit Elisabeth Pierre’s Web site La Fille de l’Orge for information (in French) about her upcoming activities centered around the appreciation of beer.

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