It was a traveler’s miracle. We’d been strolling, albeit with purpose, back to our hotel through the Latin Quarter after dinner. Once we had waded into the sixth block of student revelry, and after a few five-way-intersection-and-jetlag-inspired wrong turns, we realized that we were not in fact headed back to our hotel. We recharted our course and came upon a street name I recognized but couldn’t quite place: Rue du Pot de Fer. I had my answer when I peered down the street and saw Brewberry.

I’d read about the bar and beer cellar, somewhat longingly. It wasn’t too far from our hotel, but it was just that much not en route to any of our destinations. My very good friends had no choice but to humor me as I performed an odd little dance of excitement at the front door.

At first I didn’t even make it to our table because I got stuck in front of the beer list over the bar. Brewberry apparently specialized in beers I’d either never heard of, or had only heard rumors about, from France, Norway, Denmark, the United States, and the Netherlands. I had no choice but to order a flight.

The Hoppy Yuzu from La Micro-du Vieux-Lille – which I ordered because I wanted to say “Hoppy Yuzu” – is an IPA brewed with Chinook, Columbus, Citra, and Cascade hops, along with the Japanese citrus yuzu. The yuzu is a pithy fruit, and the brew delivered a hint of it, along with some pepper, lime, and grassy hop notes.

The Dark Horizon 5th Edition hailed from a Norwegian Brewery whose name I couldn’t pronounce, Nøgne Ø. A completely black, opaque brew, it tasted of coffee, chocolate, and sweet malts. This imperial stout was a boozy choice at 16% ABV, but it made for a good dessert.

Gammel Jo, also from Nøgne Ø, did not taste like a traditional old ale, but it was delicious. A tapestry of bready malts, dark fruit, caramel, and a sweet finish, this deep brown brew became our nightcap.

We walked back into the night, fortified and with new direction. Blocks away, I imagined Foucault’s Pendulum completing its prescribed clockwise rotation ever so faithfully as we resumed our own intended course.