French beer is a crapshoot.

[arturo7]

Thanks to someone else's scheduling problem, I've been in Paris for about a week. Finding a beer that isn't sweet is nearly impossilbe. The stuff that is in front of me now, Affligem, has a medium to heavy body. Unfortunately, they must have used sugar cane instead of hops. Tastes like cold medicine.

The good news is most of the bars have a Belgian or two. And speaking of Belgium, we go to Bruges tomorrow. I understand our hotel bar has 25 of the national treasures on tap!

On a side note, Paris kicks arse! The hospitality that I have recieved here has gone completely against the stereotype.

 

[GregR]

The hospitality that I have recieved here has gone completely against the stereotype.

I've found that statement to be true of almost everywhere I have been that is supposed to be "anti-american" or just not very welcoming to outsiders in general. most everyone I talked to, if the subject even came up, would say, "I don't hate Americans at all. it's the American government and their foreign policies I don't like." I was always viewed as a person, not an American.

 

[EdWort]

When in Paris, drink the wine. It can't get any better. Most of the beers will just disappoint you in my experience.

 

[Donasay]

don't go anywhere near the krononborg 1664!

 

[holden]

It's a pretty well known fact that French beer sucks. When I was living there we would always buy Belgian, German, or English beers. But if you like wine, you can get pretty good wines for between 2€ and 4€ (you can also get some terrible ones too).

Oh, there is one really good Brew Pub, which can be found in Paris (x4), Bordeaux, and Toulouse. It's called the Frog and Rosbif. It was started by an Englishman and a Frenchman (hence why the Beer is good).

 

[arturo7]

don't go anywhere near the krononborg 1664!

The club we were playing at last week had this on tap. It was gratis, not much different than a BMC.

 

[arturo7]

When in Paris, drink the wine. It can't get any better. Most of the beers will just disappoint you in my experience.

"Vin rouge, si vous plais!" I've been saying this quite a bit.

 

[olllllo]

Try and get a Jenlain Noel.

Jenlain Bière De Noël - Brasserie Duyck - BeerAdvocate

The spiciness they get from the yeast (no adjuncts0 is amazing.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

"Vin rouge, si vous plais!" I've been saying this quite a bit.

At one restaurant I frequented (Chez Denise, in the Les Halles area) when you make that request they fill a liter bottle from a huge cask behind the bar. Later, they estimate how much is left in the bottle after your meal and charge accordingly. In our case though, they usually were estimating how much was left in the second or third bottle!

It was decent table wine too, nothing spectacular but solid and quite enjoyable. I wish somebody's scheduling error would land ME in Paris!

 

[Jamo99]

Ask if they have any Biere de Gardes available.

 

[arturo7]

On a train now from Paris to Brussels. I found the bar car immedidiately. What's this? A Belgian in a can vs a Hienie? I'll take the Belgian.

I can now state that crap beer can be brewed in Belgium. It's called Jupiler. It should have a "beware BMC" sticker on it somewhere.

A guy just sat down next to me with a Leffe. Things are looking up!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I lived in the sticks in France for a few years, I never really bothered trying to find a decent beer. If I was thirsty I just asked for "un demi" (Pression) If I wanted something I would enjoy, I asked for a muscadet or a pastis. If I wanted to pee, I used a door in an alley. If I wanted a woman to see my penis I went to the restroom. Quite a good system really.

 

[GroovePuppy]

I lived in the sticks in France for a few years, I never really bothered trying to find a decent beer. If I was thirsty I just asked for "un demi" (Pression) If I wanted something I would enjoy, I asked for a muscadet or a pastis. If I wanted to pee, I used a door in an alley. If I wanted a woman to see my penis I went to the restroom. Quite a good system really.

I assume you were a foreign ambassador or something?

 

[holden]

I can now state that crap beer can be brewed in Belgium. It's called Jupiler. It should have a "beware BMC" sticker on it somewhere.

Jupiler is InBev's most popular beer in Belgium.... which shows you that a lot of Belgians don't have good taste either. I'd stay away from most of InBev's brands, which can be seen here. If you're gonna be in Belgium get some beers that you can't get outside of Belgium.

 

[arturo7]

Woo hoo! Happy Hour in the club car! Leffe's for 2E. Too bad the trip was only 90 mins.

Now in Bruges. First beer in hotel bar is Straffe Hendrik. Just back in production after 10 years.

 

[olllllo]

Make sure you go to de Garre and 't Brugs Beertje. I found Gambrinus to have a good selection but a little "corporate".

 

[DeathBrewer]

Thanks to someone else's scheduling problem, I've been in Paris for about a week. Finding a beer that isn't sweet is nearly impossilbe. The stuff that is in front of me now, Affligem, has a medium to heavy body. Unfortunately, they must have used sugar cane instead of hops. Tastes like cold medicine.

The good news is most of the bars have a Belgian or two. And speaking of Belgium, we go to Bruges tomorrow. I understand our hotel bar has 25 of the national treasures on tap!

On a side note, Paris kicks arse! The hospitality that I have recieved here has gone completely against the stereotype.

um...it's Affligem a belgian beer?

 

[arturo7]

Sampling as many as I can, but not really taking notes. A good number of these beers are sweet, must be the French influence. I think Belgium was the only country ever ruled by France...

Almost every bar has the Juliper, it is apparently very popular here. I guess the masses like crappy beer the world over.

Time for an Orval...

 

[holden]

Sampling as many as I can, but not really taking notes. A good number of these beers are sweet, must be the French influence. I think Belgium was the only country ever ruled by France...

They ruled quite a bit more than just Belgium.

You can see their empire streched in to Germany and Italy. Completely covering Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Almost every bar has the Juliper, it is apparently very popular here. I guess the masses like crappy beer the world over.

You must be ignoring me, as I already said "Jupiler is InBev's most popular beer in Belgium"

 

[arturo7]

They ruled quite a bit more than just Belgium.

You can see their empire streched in to Germany and Italy. Completely covering Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.



You must be ignoring me, as I already said "Jupiler is InBev's most popular beer in Belgium"

Not ignoring you my friend, just driving home the point.

Nice work with the map. I knew somebody would bust me on the reference.

 

[arturo7]

Another cool thing about drinking in Belgium...

They have a different style of glass for each style of beer.


"Uh, (hic) yea, I was uuhhh drinking the one beer in the big brandy snifter -ish glasssss."

 

[holden]

Not ignoring you my friend, just driving home the point.

Ah. I see.

Another cool thing about drinking in Belgium...

They have a different style of glass for each style of beer.

I love all the different styles of glasses they have. I wish breweries would do that here.

 

[arturo7]

The barman just gave the last call...

maybe an Orval?

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

You can see their empire streched in to Germany and Italy. Completely covering Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

I think I could pee and cover Luxembourg

 

[holden]

I think I could pee and cover Luxembourg

Well I know how you Texas folk are, but that'd still be quite a mighty pee! Seriously though, if you haven't been to Luxembourg City, you should go there sometime, it's one of my favourites.

 

[sudsmonkey]

Ahh, France! So many of our servicemen went there to give it back to them. Stll they hate us. My old Granddaddy enjoyed his time there in '18, though.

I once had a Fischer beer from France. It was made with a roasted malt and took some getting used to, but after the third one, they went down smooth. Came in a flip top bottle ala Grolsch. I still use them as sample bottles to pass out to the curious.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[holden]

Ahh, France! So many of our servicemen went there to give it back to them. Stll they hate us.

That is quite a common myth, and not at all true. I've never met a French person that hates Americans, but I have met quite a lot of American's that hate the French. Now, I do know a lot of French that hate US Government policies, but I know a lot of Americans that do as well.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Ahh, France! So many of our servicemen went there to give it back to them. Stll they hate us. My old Granddaddy enjoyed his time there in '18, though.

I once had a Fischer beer from France. It was made with a roasted malt and took some getting used to, but after the third one, they went down smooth. Came in a flip top bottle ala Grolsch. I still use them as sample bottles to pass out to the curious.

Enjoy your trip!

Ever seen an allied graveyard in France? They still keep the graves more than immaculate. I used to live next door to a guy in France that was obsessed with his collection of American WWII vehicles. Oncce a year he would have all his buddies around with their collections too. I'd get woke up by their damn bugle, and look out to see them all camping out with over 50 vehicles (Including tanks) in his field. They still remember all right.

 

[s3n8]

um...it's Affligem a belgian beer?

Yes it is. I have only had it in the Netherlands, and found it sweet as well.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

That is quite a common myth, and not at all true. I've never met a French person that hates Americans, but I have met quite a lot of American's that hate the French. Now, I do know a lot of French that hate US Government policies, but I know a lot of Americans that do as well.

I was only there a week, but I met a LOT of nice people in restaurants and bars. I felt quite welcome everywhere I went. A few expressed displeasure with Bush's policies, but only after I hinted about my own disappointment in W.

Just about everybody seemed delighted when we made even the most rudimentary effort to communicate in French. It didn't seem to matter that we were butchering their language, they just appreciated the effort.