La Fine Mousse

Larger Than Lager: Diving in to the Paris Beer Scene

La Fine Mousse

By Jessi Carr

Paris. The name evokes thoughts of sophistication, trend-setting, and mid-2000’s socialites. Yet there’s at least one field where the French are noticeably behind the times, especially in comparison to the usually less chic United States– craft beer. While almost every major city in the US can boast some amount of craft beer culture, the French attitude towards anything beyond Kronenbourg is usually some variation of “You like beer? I think Belgium makes good beer.” Luckily, times are changing. Beer in Paris used to be reserved for smoky PMUs or Irish pubs serving the oh-so-exotic Guinness and Smithwick’s, but recently craft beer bars, stores, events,and even breweries have begun to appear recently in the city and its surrounding neighborhoods. And while Paris isn’t quite yet the next San Diego, Portland, or Denver, beer-loving expats or progressive Parisians will have no problem finding something even slightly more palatable than the omnipresent 1664.

A small side street behind a children’s hospital might not seem like an idea location for a bar of any sort, let alone a frequently packed one, yet every night, Parisians and savvy tourists alike flood Avenue Jean Aicard to share stories, laughs, and of course, booze. Although it only opened in the summer of 2012, La Fine Mousse is already one of, if not the most, prominent bars in the Paris beer scene. Its 20 taps might seem like standard fare, or even lacking, for someone accustomed to craft bars back in the US, but here, it’s a city-wide- if not nationwide- record. And though some might be satisfied with 20 taps serving sub-par beer (I’m looking at you, Philadelphia airport bar), the men behind La Fine Mousse fill those taps with some of the best breweries in France and its neighbors- BrewDog, Mikkeller, Brasserie de Franches Montagnes, and the cult-classic Cantillon. For those who have no idea what the above names mean but are still looking for a respite from yet another 4€ glass of Rouge of The Month, have no fear. The staff are more than glad to walk you through the menu (in French or English) and recommend beers, even letting you try it before committing to a full glass. And for those of you who just drooled a bit after reading the above names, the bar frequently offers tap takeovers and other special themed nights with the above breweries and more, making it worth your while to stop in once in a while, or at least subscribe to their email list to stay in the loop.

And if you truly want to replace wine with beer in la vie quotidienne, La Fine Mousse also runs a restaurant next door where connoisseurs and beginners alike can enjoy 3 or 6 course meals, all designed to blend perfectly with their designated beer pairing. The selections change often, as the meals are based off of seasonal fare, and special menus are often planned to coincide with the aforementioned tap takeovers, so diners are able to experience new beer and food pairings year round. La Fine Mousse 6 Avenue Jean Aicard 75011 Paris Métro: Ménilmontant (Ligne 2), Rue Saint Maur (Line 3) Phone: +33 1 48 06 40 94

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