This will be my first trip to Paris and I know we're going to do a lot of walking, trying to visit as many of the "biggies" as we can in six days. So, what could be more refreshing after a few hours of "guerilla sightseeing" than a nice, cool beer? First, will it be cool/cold or do they serve it room temp in France (not that it matters, honestly...I'm just curious)? And, what are the favorite brands there? I enjoy the Stella Artois we have in the states, but I'm sure it's different in Europe. I have also had a beer called "33" (I think it's French) that was very good, as well as Chimay which I believe is Belgian. I assume they'll have German beers (real Lowenbrau, maybe?) and other popular European brands that we get here in the U.S. (Heineken, Carlsberg, etc.), but if I'm going to be in Paris I want to try new things, so any recommendations would be appreciated!
BTW, sorry if these are really basic questions...in my 42 years, I've seen beautiful places and fun cities all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but I just haven't made it off the continent yet. I think it's about time, don't you?!
I'm really enjoying these forums...thanks so much for all your help, ideas, and conversation!

ask for a "pression" (sp?) for a draught beer from the keg or a 'bouteille' for a bottled beer. Most seem to drink pressions in cafes, served slightly cool but not cold IME.
You have the main French beers - Kronenberg, Pelforth (a darker stronger brew), etc. as well as major international brands and lots of things like Chimay and Belgian brews. Even Budweiser is now in cans in many cafes.

Dave when we stopped in a cafe for a beer, we would order "un pression" or draught beer. Often the cafes were smaller and they would only have a choice of 2 or 3 so making a choice was no big problem. It was always cool but not that frigid temperature that people say is used to disguise the taste of North American beer.

Yeah, it's about time and you'll love it.

The beer is cold and is good. I usually ask for a draft but don't remember the French right now -- I'm sure someone will. I've also had Stella Artois and some of the imports you mention. Kronenberg 1664 is good.

I'm sure there are more recommendations coming.

Dave,

I'm not a beer drinker but you might want to look at this site for ratings of various beers available in different parts of France:

http://www.ratebeer.com/BestInMyArea.asp?CountryID=72

Kronenbourg

Hi DB,

>What kind of beer to order in Paris...

German, Czech, Dutch, Danish or even Belgian.

Pression! Thank you! I knew I'd read that somewhere, but couldn't remember the word. Kronenbourg I've heard of, but did not realize it was French. And PalenQ, thanks for the tip, but there's not a chance I'm ordering Bud in Paris! Okay, unless they somehow have ESPN in the bar and there's a baseball game on, but probably not even then!
Incidentally, we're staying at the Renaissance Vendome and apparently there's an Irish Pub (Carr's?) right across the street...my first trip to Paris and my first stop will probably be an Irish pub! Well, it is a long flight, you know...

for the most part, a continental lager is a continental lager. not that they are bad...just that they are very similar. but some people do love to over-analyse them.

If French people want a draught beer, they usually ask for "un demi", literally a half, but actually a quarter of a litre. The commonest brands include Kronenbourg, Kanterbrau, Amstel and Heineken. If there is a choice the waiter will ask which one you want. Most big French breweries are in Alsace so have Germanic names.

Kronenbourg is French with a heavy German accent - it's brewed in Alsace, a part of France that Germany still has (legitimate IMO) claim to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace

Thanks, Robespierre...thought I remembered that whole "Alsace-Lorraine" think from my history classes. (Who says Americans don't study world history? Okay, many don't, but I do!) I went to the Wiki link...it looks like a really beautiful place. Maybe the wife and I should plan a visit there on our next trip!

Our favorite in Paris is Leffe -- either blonde or brune. Try it!

Robespierre,

I believe that Alsace has been part of France since Louis XIV, except for the period between 1870 and 1918. Germany would have as much claim to it as Mexico has to the American Southwest. Linguistic association is a very dangerous concept. Should France have rights to French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland? Or for that matter the Italian side of the Alps since that local dialect still has the influence of the language of the Gauls? And Catalonia should lay claims to the Roussillon, also French since Louis XIV.

It is "UNE pression" or "UN demi". Often the waiter will rattle off a short list of draft beers, one of the main ones being ENN-KEN (French pronunciation of Heineken). It is usually better to consult the menu when possible and give your choice before the waiter starts to confuse you. You will notice major differences in price on the list. In this case, you would order "une Kronenbourg pression," "une Mutzig pression," "une Kanterbrau pression" or whatever.

I asked an Alsatian whether he thought the cultural, culinary, and linguistic ties made Alsace part of Germany without regard to politics, and this was his answer: "woof."

The Alsatians belong to the alemanns, together with the German-speaking Swiss and the south-west Germans. The alemanns never formed a nation and were seperated by the borders and nation-states which came into being by historical incidence.

Hence, the Alsatian language is a German dialect. The written Alsatian language is German - like Kronenburg which was changed to Kronenbourg so that the French can pronounce it.

However, French government very consequently eradicates all native language in the territories which were conquered - like Brittany (the celtic language), Pays Basque, Catalan, and Alsace. Thirty years ago, in informal situations, nearly everybody in Alsace would chat in Alsatian language. Today, only the older people do while the young people talk in French. (Same happened in the territories which belonged to the Soviet Union.)

Sounds as if you could use a few cold ones yourself, Robes....and perhaps a few beers, too.

I sure didn't mean to start an international incident with my innocent post about beer! Beer is supposed to bring people together, as in, "Hey, let's go get a beer!"
Peace through beer, that's my motto!

>..Kronenbourg is French with a heavy German accent ...<

A friend once described this beer as having the heartiness of the French and the finesse of the Germans.