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 the Tour de France

With this heat, does your workout consist of sitting in front of the tv and watching the riders in the Tour de France sweat for you? Then you deserve a cold beer! And why not make it a French beer?

When:  Thursday, 18 July, 6-10 pm
Where:  Brouwerij Lane, 78 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn

Join Jim "Bocky" Barnes for another one of his installments of Soirées Disco. Starting at 6pm, he'll be spinning his selection of cosmic French disco and Brouwerij Lane will be pouring 4 French beers on draft.

Les bières:

• Ch'ti Blonde - a traditional bière de garde from the family-run Castelain brewery
• Ch'ti Triple - not a Belgian-style tripel but rather a stronger, maltier bière de garde
• Mont Blanc La Blonde - brewed with water from the Mont Blanc glacier, this blonde ale is delicately spiced with coriander and liquorice. Sorry, cold glacial water not available by the bucket
• Thiriez Blonde - earthy, hoppy farmhouse ale from the tiny Thiriez brewery in the north of France

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Rather stay in Manhattan? Jump on your bike and make your way to The Cannibal for their Tour de France Soirée. They'll be showing the re-broadcast of the day's stage on their flat screen tv and, after watching the 2 Alpe d'Huez climbs, you'll definitely need a beer. Free bike parking available in their back garden. 

When:  Thursday, 18 July, 7pm onwards

Where:  The Cannibal, 113 E. 29th Street

Les bières:

• Bretagne Celtika - a Belgian-style tripel with notes of fruit and spice and a hint of acidity
• Ch'ti Ambrée - amber bière de garde

French Beer Tasting at City Swiggers

It's July which, for Shelton Brothers, means French Beer. You've got Bastille Day and the Tour de France. French beers are good year-round but we like to highlight them during the month of July. 

Join us on Wednesday, July 10, at City Swiggers, 320 E. 86th Street from 6-9 pm for a free tasting of several French beers:

• Bretagne Celtika - Belgian-style tripel
• Bretagne Gwiniz Du - traditional buckwheat ale from Brittany
• Castelain Ch'ti Triple - not a Belgian tripel but a stronger blonde bière de garde
• Mont Blanc La Blonde - brewed with glacial water from Mont Blanc and subtly spiced with coriander and liquorice
• Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Ambrée - hoppy amber bière de garde

Tasting at City Swiggers

On Wednesday, 20 February, we'll be sampling some of our beers at City Swiggers on the Upper East Side. If you're not familiar with City Swiggers, it's been a welcome edition to the uptown beer scene for just over a year. Alan and Pamela run a great little shop where you can pick up bottles, get your growler filled, and stay for a pint from one of their 14 taps.

Come by to try beers from Jolly Pumpkin, Mikkeller, 8 Wired, Adnams, Bretagne, De Ranke, Freigeist, plus cider from Henney's.

City Swiggers is located at 320 E. 86th Street. The tasting starts around 5:30pm and runs until 9pm.

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.

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.

The French Connection

The French are known for their very civilized vacation policies. Pretty much the entire country shuts down for the whole month of August while everyone heads to the countryside, the beaches, or the mountains for les vacances. Assuming that you are not so lucky and are stuck in a hot New York City, why not pretend for a few hours that you are seated in charming café surrounded by hop fields, sipping a cool glass of beer. As we keep saying, the French do make very good beer which is sadly underappreciated in this country. Rattle n Hum will be putting on 10 kegs of some of the finest beers that France has to offer and cooking up some French-inspired food.

There is a reason that Manet did not title this painting The Wine Drinkers

When: Tuesday, 16 August, 4 pm-onwards
Where: Rattle n Hum, 14 E. 33rd St.
What: pay-as-you-go

Les bières:

Brasserie St-Germain Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Ambrée - an amber bière de garde, the traditional style from the north of France, generously hopped with the local Brewers Gold and Strisselspalt varieties and brewed with locally-sourced malt, 6.9% abv

Brasserie St-Germain Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Blonde - the blonde version of their bière de garde, 6.9% abv

Brasserie de Bretagne Sant Erwann - Brittany's St. Yves (Sant Erwann in Breton) was a 13th century ecclesiastical judge who was a champion of the poor. This 7-grain, 7% abv blonde ale made with barley, wheat, buckwheat, oats, rye, spelt, and millet is brewed in his honor.

Brasserie de Bretagne Celtika - golden triple, 8.8% abv

Brasserie de Bretagne Gwiniz Du - Gwiniz Du means "black wheat" in Breton and this amber ale is brewed with roasted wheat, giving the beer a hint of spice, 5.4% abv

Jenlain Ambrée - Brasserie Duyck, brewer of Jenlain, is credited with reviving the bière de garde style, a malty farmhouse ale brewed in the cooler months and then stored for consumption in the summer in the days before refrigeration. Their amber version is full of malt sweetness, with notes of caramel and dried fruits, 7.5% abv

Jenlain St-Druon - a blonde bière de garde brewed with a little bit of wheat and 3 varieties of Alsatian hops, 6% abv

Pietra - an amber ale brewed with chestnut flour, from the island of Corsica, 6% abv

Pietra Colomba - a Belgian-style wheat beer, hazy and refreshing, but brewed with the local wild herbes du maquis which give the beer a more herbal note, rather than the typical citrus and spice, 5% abv

Thiriez Extra - Daniel Thiriez brews farmhouse ales in the tiny town of Esquelbecq, close to the Belgian border, and his beers tend to blur the lines between French bières de garde and Belgian saisons. The Extra is a very hoppy, effervescent saison-like beer that is extremely refreshing and easy to drink at only 4.5% abv

Beer for the 4th of July Weekend

At first glance, this might seem like an unpatriotic suggestion: this July 3rd why not try some beer from France? Well, while we're celebrating our Independence this weekend, why not give a tip of the chapeau to nos amis across the ocean who helped us during the Revolution. Merci, Général Lafayette! I'm sure that the Marquis enjoyed some of George Washington's Porter while he was at Mount Vernon so let's return the favor and drink a few beers from his home country. Then, on the 4th, go ahead and celebrate with an American brew!

Martha Washington Pours Tea Whilst Generals Lafayette and Washington Debate Which Fine Ale to Drink

When:  Sunday, 3 July, 3pm onwards
Where:  Blind Tiger Ale House, 281 Bleecker St.
What:  pay-as-you-go

Blind Tiger will be holding one of their Sunday afternoon Beer Exhibitions, featuring the following 4 drafts from France:

Brasserie St-Germain Page 24 Réserve Hildegarde Ambrée - an amber bière de garde, the traditional farmhouse style from the north of France. The young brewers at St-Germain find many modern bières de garde to be too sweet so, inspired by the hop fields that surround the brewery, they brewed a hoppier version, generously hopped with the local Brewers Gold and Strisselspalt varieties and brewed with locally-sourced malt.

Brasserie de Bretagne Sant Erwann - Brittany's St. Yves (Sant Erwann in Breton) was a 13th century ecclesiastical judge who was a champion of the poor. He was glorified in the saying, "A lawyer and not a thief, a wonderful thing for the people" and the brewery decided to honor their local boy, the patron saint of Brittany's lawyers, with this 7-grain, 7% abv blonde ale brewed with barley, wheat, buckwheat, oats, rye, spelt, and millet.

Pietra Colomba - moving south, the Pietra brewery is located on the Mediterranean island of Corsica (birthplace of Napoleon). Colomba is a Belgian-style wheat beer, hazy and refreshing, but brewed with the local wild herbes du maquis which give the beer a more herbal note, rather than the typical citrus and spice.

Thiriez Extra - Daniel Thiriez brews farmhouse ales in the tiny town of Esquelbecq, close to the Belgian border, and his beers tend to blur the lines between French bières de garde and Belgian saisons. The Extra is a very hoppy, effervescent saison-like beer that is extremely refreshing and easy to drink at only 4.5% abv.

Blind Tiger will also be serving brunch and lunch and I've been told that they've just gotten in a killer maple syrup from Vermont that's been aged in bourbon barrels. Go ahead and pour some of that all-American sweetener on your French crêpes! And if you just can't bear to drink foreign beer on a patriotic holiday weekend, there will also be a rare keg of our friend Sean Hill's Hill Farmstead beer from Vermont.