Over the Christmas break I was lucky enough to spend 4 days in Toulouse. While I prepared for the trip, I realised that I had no idea where, in a place famous for its wine, I would be able to get a good beer.
As an additional challenge, I was travelling with my wife who has little to no interest in beer, but a world of patience. Before panic could set in, I took a breath and decided that I would have to be selective and choose the bars which had the best selections and that best represented Toulouse´s beer culture.
Belgian delight on a cold night
The bright neon lighting inside reminded me immediately of Amsterdam's coffee shops, but when I turned around and saw the impressive selection of Belgian beers that covered an entire wall, I knew that while I wouldn't find any French beer there, I had definitely come to the right place.
All of the usual Belgians were served here, as we're many I´d never heard of. It would be impossible to sample them all, but I knew that the stunning range of strong Belgian ales would go a long way towards helping this sober Australian cope with the January wind blowing across the river.
I had tried most of the tap selection, but was easily tempted by a crisp Cuvée des Trolls, from Dubuisson, on tap. I took in the mind boggling selection while the lactic and caramel flavours blended perfectly together and when my mind turned to darker, and more alcoholic delights, I asked the bartender for a suggestion in very broken French. In slightly better English, he turned me onto Abbaye des Rocs Brune from Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs. The higher alcohol content and the coffee and chocolate notes warmed me up nicely and got me in just the right mood to take on the cold night air with a spring in my step.
Cette bière est magnifique!
After day tripping to historic Albi the next day, I took my lovely wife for a stroll down the banks of the historic and lovely Canal du Midi, conveniently located next to some of the best bars in the city.
I had a suspicion that I would be able to sample some local beers at Kraken Paradise, a metal-inspired, beer geek’s dream of a bar. When I asked the friendly staff about what they had on offer I found out that not only did they speak my language, they spoke wonderful English too!
These guys really know their stuff and, while they only had a small selection of locally produced beers amongst their killer range, what they had was fantastic!
On tap there was the Brasserie l’Excuse’s l’Exocet. A Rye IPA with a difference, made from ecologically sourced ingredients and sun-filtered (I have no idea what that means, but the results were stunning). Rather than the exaggerated bitterness that seems be the trend with so many IPAs, this was an explosion of citrus flavours that was balanced perfectly with a resiny finish. As a beer drinker who is not particularly fond of overly bitter IPA’s, I’ll be keeping an eye out for this one.
Albi´s own Brasserie Margot showed up serendipitously in the fridges. La Petite Apocalypse came right out of left field. This rye IPA’s notes of grassy hops and bread crust quickly descended into a chaos of caramel and rye, and resolved itself just as quickly into a lovely smoky finish and a peppery afterthought.
All in all, my experience at the Kraken Paradise was one I would love to repeat, and with regular happy hours and themed nights, I get the feeling that no two visits would be the same.
Fly me to the Moon
Just around the corner from the Kraken Paradise, was a more intimate bar perfect for a little aperitif before dinner. Le Bar de la Lune is perfect for a smoky rendez-vous and is a far cry from a stainless steel and glass bars.
Its interior is something from another time and the friendly landlord, while not speaking a word of English, was very familiar with the large, hastily scribbled board of Belgian beers that they serve. After an exchange in which at least one of us spoke French, I was given a severely enjoyable Trappistes Rochefort 10 and enjoyed the floral hops and resiny bitterness, with just enough sweetness and strength to carry me through to dinner.
Bittersweet Symphony
With thirty minutes till we left for the airport, I decided it was time for a quick beer at ¡Mucho!, the spot next to my apartment. Up till now I hadn't given it a second thought, but upon closer inspection I was surprised to find that they not only served Heineken's own Cruzcampo, but they also served one of my all time favourites, Paulaner Salvator, on tap! I sat on the terrace and enjoyed the afternoon sun along with a fruity sweetness that was complimented well by Toasted grain and a dark, bitter aftertaste. A perfect farewell to this wonderful city and a great beer tour.
And so, au revoir Toulouse. Keep an eye out for my next beer adventure, when I go on pilgrammage to Belgium next month!
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