Editorial
Paris's craft beer scene is younger than its cocktail scene but growing fast. The 10 below show what serious beer drinkers visit.
Frog Pubs is the Paris brewpub group that has poured house-brewed ale since 1993, with taprooms near Bercy, the Bourse, and Saint-Michel. Expect British-style bitters and pale ales from the group's own brewery, big screens for rugby, and an expat crowd. Order the Inseine pale ale and a burger. Go on a match day for the noise, a weekday afternoon for a quiet pint and a seat at the bar.
La Fine Mousse off rue Oberkampf in the 11th is the Paris craft beer room locals send you to first. Around 20 rotating taps weighted to French microbreweries, plus a dedicated tasting menu across the street. Order a flight and let the staff walk you through it. Go on a weeknight for a stool; weekends the narrow bar fills and the worst seat is the sidewalk. Hops first, scene never.
BAPBAP brews in the 11th and opens its taproom so you drink the beer where it is made. Tours run, the tanks are right there, and the taps pour the core range fresh. This is a daytime-into-evening stop for people who want provenance with their pint. Order the Originale amber and watch the brewhouse. Go on a Saturday afternoon; the place gets loud and tight once the after-work crowd lands.
La Goutte d'Or brews in the 18th and leans Belgian: saisons, sours, and sharp IPAs with neighborhood names. The taproom is small and pours straight from the source on select days. Come for a sour and a chat with whoever is brewing. Check the open hours before you walk; this is a working brewery, not a late bar. The worst seat is still steps from the tanks.
Deck and Donohue brews across the ring road in Montreuil, and the taproom is worth the metro for hopheads. Founders Mike and Thomas have poured clean, modern beer since 2014, and the list runs fresh and local. Order the Mission pale ale and take the terrace in summer. Go on a Friday evening; it is a short ride from Paris and the room fills with people who came for the beer.
A la Bonne Biere on rue du Faubourg du Temple is a plain corner cafe that reopened after the 2015 attacks and became a neighborhood symbol. It is not a craft temple; it is a real Parisian bar where you drink a cold draft on the terrace and watch the 11th go by. Order a pression and a croque. Go for the sidewalk seats at golden hour, not for a deep tap list.
La Cave a Bulles in the 3rd is the bottle shop that put French craft beer on the map, run by Simon Thillou since 2008. This is a buy-to-take-away cave, not a bar with stools, so come to load up on small-producer bottles you will not find elsewhere. Ask Simon what is new; he knows every brewer in France. Go midday on a weekday; the tiny shop crowds fast on Saturdays.
Express de Lyon faces the Gare de Lyon and pours a long rotating tap list to commuters and beer hunters alike. It is a no-frills room built for a fast, good pint before a train, with French and Belgian taps that turn over quick. Order whatever IPA landed this week. Go off-peak; the after-work and pre-train rush takes every seat by 6 and the worst spot is standing by the door.
La Fine Mousse and Frog Pubs are essential. Most peak between 7 and 10 PM.
Spirits Specialist — craft beer, whisky, anything fermented or aged.