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 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

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.