Beer, Brats, & Beer Floats at Hops & Hocks Saturday

Come on out to the inaugural "Beer Bazaar" at Hops and Hocks featuring Shelton Brothers lagers and ales*, DJ Bocky, brats from Brooklyn Bangers, and Beer Floats (mmm....) courtesy of Jeni's Ice Cream! Free samples! It's this Saturday, August 9, from 3–7 p.m. at 2 Morgan Ave. in Bushwick (Morgan L-train stop).
*Featured beers (mmmmmmm!!!!...):
- Trois Dames L'Amoureuse Blanche - a wild/sour saison
- Bourganel Miel de Châtaignier - a chestnut blossom honey lager
- To Øl By Udder Means - a Scandinavian milk stout
- Kyritzer Mord & Totschlag - a smoky German schwarzbier
- Monarchy Münchhausen - a sour altbier- Konrad 14º - a classic Czech lager

Pure decadence...

Celebrate the Tour de France with French Beers

Our celebration of French beer continues! Many people don't realize that France has a very long brewing tradition, notably in the northern part of the country where the climate is too cold to grow grapes. Nowadays, beer is brewed anywhere that raw ingredients can be shipped so breweries have popped up all over France. Join us on Thursday and Sunday as we explore some of these breweries.

What:  Bières Françaises and French Disco
Where:  Brouwerij Lane, 78 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn
When:  Thursday, 24 July, from 6pm onwards

DJ Jim "Bock Monsieur" Barnes will be spinning the disco tunes while the following beers will be on draft for your sipping pleasure:

• Page 24 Barrel-Aged Brune - unique roasty brown bière de garde from the north of France aged in Burgundy barrels
• Bretagne Celtika - earthy Belgian-style tripel from Brittany
• Bourganel Miel de Châtaigner - lager brewed with chestnut flower honey from the Ardèche

What:  Tour de France Finish Party

Where:  Mission Dolores, 249 4th Avenue, Brooklyn

When:  Sunday, 27 July, 2-6pm

Celebrate the winner of the Tour de France (care to make a bet on Nibali?) with French beers on Sunday. DJ Jim "Bock Monsieur" Barnes will also be dj'ing and we won't be taking any bets as to whether or not he'll play "Tour de France" by Kraftwerk.

• Page 24 Barrel-Aged Brune - unique roasty brown bière de garde from the north of France aged in Burgundy barrels
• Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Blonde - modern blonde bière de garde with balancing hops in the finish
• Castelain Ch'ti Blonde - traditional, malt-forward bière de garde
• Bretagne Dremmwel Rousse - amber ale influenced by British brewing traditions as Brittany has a close affinity to the Celts

French Beer at Taproom 307

Now that you've recovered from storming the Bastille, why don't you join us at Taproom 307 (307 3rd Avenue) Wednesday evening, 16 July, for some fine French beer.

Les bières:

• Page 24 Barrel-Aged Brune - brown bière de garde aged in burgundy barrels (1 of 20 kegs in the US!)
• Page 24 Blonde - blonde bière de garde
• Castelain Maltesse - strong golden ale
• Bretagne Sant Erwann - 7 grain ale from Brittany
• Bourganel Nougat - the ever-popular nougat beer
• Bourganel Myrtilles - with wild blueberries

French Beer and Cassoulet

On Saturday, 11 January, from 1-4pm, why don't you drop on by Jimmy's No. 43 for 3 different varieties of cassoulet paired with different French and Quebecois beers and Norman ciders. Jim Barnes will be providing an informal guide to the beers.

Les bières:

• Thiriez Extra - Daniel Thiriez brews farmhouse ales in the small town of Esquelbecq, near the border with Belgium. Extra is an earthy, dry-hopped, 4.5% saison
• Au Baron Cuvée des Jonquilles - hybrid saison/bière de garde from a tiny farmhouse brewery in the north of France. Refreshing and effervescent
• Trou du Diable Grivoise de Noël - from our Francophone neighbors to the north, an award-winning subtly spiced strong Belgian dubbel with honey
• Trou du Diable Cholie Fraulein (draft) - malty dunkel from Shawinigan, Quebec
• Brasserie St. Germain Page 24 Brune - unique roasty, dark brown bière de garde from the North of France
• Bourganel Bière au Nougat - lager brewed with nougat from the Ardèche. Nutty, sweet aroma with dry finish
• Mont Blanc La Rousse - amber ale brewed with hibiscus and elderberry and water from the Mont Blanc glacier
• Pays Flamand/Nøgne Ø Prototype (draft) - Juniper porter. Kjetil from Nøgne Ø brought juniper berries with him from Norway to France to brew this collaboration.
• Cidrerie du Perche L'Hermetière Cidre Brut - Cidrerie du Perche makes traditional cider Normady from their own organically grown apples. Their ciders are unpasteurized, unfiltered, and naturally carbonated through bottle-conditioning.  The Brut is lively and complex with the delicate aroma of ripe apples, leather, and freshly mown hay.
• Cidrerie du Perche L'Hermetière Poiré - Perry made with pure pear juice. It has a fruity aroma with light lemon notes and a tart mouthfeel, like a dry white wine

Les cassoulets:

• Classic
• Kid - goat with merguez
• American - with kielbasa, chicken, pork, and bacon

Tickets are $45 and include the 3 different cassoulets and samples of the beers. They can be purchased here at Brown Paper Tickets or at the door.

French Disco Party - Brouwerij Lane

On Thursday night, 7 February, Jim "Bocky" Barnes will be spinning the tunes from 7-10 pm while the taps flow with beer from the French Craft Brewers at Brouwerij Lane - 78 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn.


The drafts:

• Bretagne Celtika - Belgian-style tripel
• Bourganel Bière aux Marrons - chestnut beer
• Castelain Maltesse - strong golden ale
• Mont Blanc La Rousse - amber ale with hibiscus and elderberry
• St. Germain/Page 24 Brune - roasty brown bière de garde, limited draft-only beer

Enjoy une bière at the bar or grab some growlers to go if Daft Punk is playing at your house.

Belgian Beer & Cheese and French Beer & Food

Of course you like beer. And there's a very good chance that you like cheese. So why not join me on Monday, 20 August at 6:30 pm at Murray's Cheese for a beer and cheese class. I'll be talking about 6 of our Belgian beers and Murray's has chosen 6 cheeses to pair with those beers. It's a great way to learn about beer and cheesemaking. Or simply a great way to sample your way through a variety of beers and cheeses.

Tickets are $75 and are available on the Murray's website. Murray's is located at 254 Bleecker Street.

Also on Monday, 20 August, there will be a special event at Taproom 307 (307 3rd Avenue) featuring the beers of Brasserie Bourganel from France. Chef Stephen Durley will create 4 small dishes to pair with 4 Bourganel drafts. The Bourganel brewery, from the Ardèche region of France, is inspired by the rich agriculture of the region and uses local products in the beers, including chestnuts, honey, bilberries, and nougat. Hubert Pommier, a representative of the brewery has come all the way from France and will be there to talk about the beers.

From 6:30-9:30 pm, a flight of 4 beers and 4 small plates will be $20.

It's Bastille Day - Let Them Drink Beer!

Like we ever need an excuse to drink beer...


The 4th of July has passed which means that it's time to celebrate Bastille Day and all things French. And by all things French, we mean beer.


Many people, even many in France, don't realize that France - particularly in the north, along the border with Belgium - has a long-standing brewing tradition. Unfortunately, the brewing industry was almost completely decimated by the two World Wars while the tradition of farmhouse ales was also adversely affected by the rise in popularity of clean lagers. Fortunately, some of the brewers were able to hold out or returned after a hiatus while other new breweries have been popping up all around the country.

There are several opportunities to drink French beer this weekend. Come out to Café d'Alsace or Blind Tiger this weekend or pick up a few bottles at your local good beer shop.


Roast Pig Dinner
When:  Saturday, 14 July - Monday, 16 July, 6-10 pm
Where:  Café d'Alsace, 1695 2nd Avenue (at E. 88th St.)
What:  $49.95 for a 3-course dinner paired with French beers

All weekend long, Café d'Alsace will be celebrating Bastille Day with French beer. They're offering a 3-course roast suckling pig dinner available each night and paired with 3 different French beers. Come see why we think that the varied flavors and styles of beer can hold up to the robust character of the meal better than wine can. 

In addition to the beer dinner, Café d'Alsace will also be offering flights of 4 different French beers for $12.

The choice of breweries includes: 

• Au Baron - tiny family-run brewery near Belgium making refreshing saison/bière de garde hybrids 
• Bourganel - located in the Ardèche, in southeast France, they use local products like chestnuts and honey to flavor their beers 
• Bretagne - from Brittany, Brasserie de Bretagne takes inspiration from both Belgian and Anglo-Saxon styles but puts their own unique twist on them 
• Castelain - traditional bière de garde brewery in the north of France. Their Ch'ti line of beers are the ones you'll find in France and are named for the local dialect and nickname for the inhabitants of French Flanders. Hé, Biloute!  
• La Choulette - another bière de garde brewery. Monsieur Dhaussy comes from a long line of brewers and is an expert on French brewing history 
• Mont Blanc - their beers are brewed with pure glacier water from Mont Blanc in the Alps  
• St.Germain/Page 24 - new bière de garde brewery making modern versions that are hoppier than their traditional malty counterparts 
• Theillier - the Theillier brewery has been making 100% malt bière de garde at their small brewery in Bavay since the 1850s 
• Thiriez - Daniel Thiriez brews earthy farmhouse ales with a Belgian inspiration 

Liberty Leading the People (to a glass of good French beer)

Beer Brunch

When:  Sunday, 15 July, 11:30 am onwards
Where:  Blind Tiger Ale House, 281 Bleecker Street
What:  pay-as-you-go 

On Sunday, the Blind Tiger will be putting up 4 French drafts in honor of Bastille Day. Come for a special French-ified brunch menu created by Chef Tommy (crêpes!) and enjoy the following beers:

Brasserie de Bretagne Gwiniz Du - dark ale brewed with Brittany's famous buckwheat (known as "gwiniz du" in the Breton language).

Brasserie Castelain Ch'ti Ambrée - a malty amber bière de garde, conditioned - or "guarded" - for 6 weeks before being bottled. Full of roast and caramel flavors.

Brasserie Castelain Ch'ti Triple - a stronger version of their blonde bière de garde, hopped with French-grown hops:  Magnum, Strisselspalt, Spater Select, and Saaz.
Brasserie du Mont Blanc La Rousse - the low mineral content of the water from a glacial spring gives a clean taste to this amber ale brewed with hibiscus and elderberry.