Frogging around in Paris

When you think of alcohol in Paris, beer is way down on the list. That’s why the FrogPubs are a
tiny slice of heaven for any beer lover. Great British craft beer in glorious Paris – it doesn’t get
better than that! Check out what the quirky microbrewery has to offer.

The FrogPubs Story

It’s not everyday that a homework project turns into a popular chain of pubs across France. As MBA students, Paul Chantler and his friend were set a task to develop a project which would result in the creation of a new business venture. They decided to evaluate the potential for an English pub and microbrewery in Paris. After a year and a half of struggling to raise funds, setting up a site and learning to brew craft beer, the first FrogPub ‘The Frog & Rosbif’ opened on rue St Denis in October 1993. Ten years later three more pubs were opened in Paris: ‘The Frog & Princess’, ‘The Frog at Bercy Village’, and ‘The Frog & British Library’ and Toulouse and Bordeaux welcomed their own ‘The Frog & Rosbif’ pubs. Today there are a total of seven FrogPubs across France. I’m not sure about the grade Paul received on his project but you only have to visit once to grant the FrogPubs an ‘A’.

WHAT’S YOUR FROG?

Frog Natural Blonde: Cold, fizzy and refreshing – this lager is brewed with German Hallertau hops and then matured for more than a month in FrogPubs cellars. This pint of lager is served fresh, unpasteurised, unfiltered and is a great improvement on its kegged competition! A.B.V. 4.2%

Maison Blanche: Maison Blanche is a light and refreshing citrusy wheat beer, of the Belgian style and is made with Czechoslovakian hops, coriander, curaçoa and orange peel. Served cold and packed with bubbles this beer tastes great on hot summer evenings and nights, but it’s a favourite all year round. A.B.V. 4.2%

Ginger Twist: What happens when you reduce the hop content and make up the difference with ginger, lemon & lime? A deliciously-refreshing cold amber beer with a fizzy twist! A.B.V. 4.4%

Inseine: FrogPubs longest-running beer: over 10 years of loving care have gone into making this clean, hoppy bitter. Styrian Goldings hops balance aroma and bitterness, making for a light, more-ish pint. Served cool with a creamy, tight head, over two million pints of this great beer have been drunk over the years. A.B.V. 4.4%

Dark de triomphe: A dry, full-bodied stout, served cold with a thick and creamy head. ‘Dark’ has slightly more bitterness than some other stouts you may know, and has become extremely popular! A.B.V. 5.0%

Parislytic: Strong, malty and hoppy, this beer is a great example of a strong bitter. Packed with British hops to balance out all the alcohol-producing malt, this dark, ruby-coloured drinks easily and avoids the fruity sweetness that often spoils strong ales. A strong beer that gets better by the pint! A.B.V. 5.2%

The Brews

Charles Board

Mike Gilmore is the head brewer behind FrogPubs’ six signature brews. From the lagers to the stout, every beer is brewed on-site in each pub and Gilmore and his fellow brewers ensure that they all taste great! Charles Board, the Frog Brewer gave us a taste of each variety that’s on offer. The Dark de triomphe stout was a clear favourite at the table and the Blonde and Blanche are extremely refreshing, especially on a hot day in Paris. I know one Guiness lover who was floored by Dark de triomphe and I personally loved the citrus and coriander flavour in the Blanche. When Charles told me that 2½ kgs of ginger goes into the Ginger Twist, I didn’t think I would like it, but the ginger taste strangely complemented the beer.

The Food

The entire menu is designed as an accompaniment to FrogPubs brews. Cheese nachos, crunchy chicken bites, chicken quesadillas, crispy chilli prawns, deep-fried mozzarella & basil balls, chicken wings in bbq sauce and even onion bhajis make for the ideal finger food. If you want something more filling choose from a whole different range like the ‘New York’ chicken & bacon club sandwich, smoked chicken Caesar wrap, crispy chicken burger, smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel or a tortilla wrap with falafels.

The Frog & Princess
The Frog & Princess is located in a beautiful part of Paris called St. Germaindes-prés. The pub is very trendy and a completely chilled-out bar. The Happy Hours from Monday to Friday draw in the crowd, with great discounts. You can be sure to catch your favourite sport there on a night out, or even enjoy the DJ’s tracks on weekends. FrogPubs organises all sorts of one-off events too, from party nights to old favourites, such as quizzes and even the odd darts match.

The Last Hurrah
It isn’t very easy to come by great craft beer in Paris, unless you’re headed to a FrogPub. Enjoy the range of brews they
offer and if you’re a first–timer, be sure to sample them all. You’d be surprised at what you’ll like!

via Ambrosia magazine