The Bar Towel

Well both Montreal and Paris have a relative abundance of great food, so that takes care of most people's gustatory craving regardless of beverage. In Toronto it is somewhat easier to go wrong food-wise, and it seems people are not even outraged about it so it doesn't change.

I was at Academie de Biere in spring 2001, an unusually warm and sunny off-season stay in Paris with basically no tourists. It was the Amelie Paris that doesn't really exist when you go to Montmartre or Rue Moufftard, the whole city was like a picture. The Academie was a good time, if you have more than a few days in the city.

Craig wrote: There's also a spot near Trois 8...Called La Fine Mousse that I didn't make it to, but...locals told me was their favourite beer joint.

Belgian wrote: I was at Academie de Biere in spring 2001...(it) was a good time if you have more than a few days in the city.

Awesome. Things are looking up. Thanks fellas.

I mean of course there's plenty better to see and do in old Paris than middling beer bars, but the Academie is decent if you have the extra time.

You can more easily find a hell of a lot of decent wine there of course, and nobody will mind if you open a bottle of something down by the Seine while some kids are playing their bongo drums nearby echoing their sounds across the water and back. Walking around at night (the otherwise overcrowded Notre Dame square especially) is amazing. It is a city of serendipity.

Craig wrote:
They also had bottles of DDC and a few Hopfenstark's, so I guess that's the impression Parisiens have of Canadian craft.

Hopfenstark was also the only Canadian brewer represented at Amsterdam's Beer Temple (American microbrew specialist bar) back in December.