(Wine-Searcher) - Craft beer is making an impression in Paris, as drinkers look for alternatives to wine.

A citrus-flavored blonde beer to go with foie gras or a peat-smoked brew perfect for whisky lovers: three decades after microbreweries faced near extinction in wine-dominated France, craft beer is finally taking off.

It might come as a surprise to find the spiritual home of wine being invaded by the comparatively humble beer, but it's just the latest step in a series of changes to French wine culture.

First the United States took France's mantle as the world's largest wine consumer; then figures came out just last week showing that more than 70 percent of French people considered themselves relatively clueless about wine. Perhaps it's no surprise that many French drinkers are turning from the grape to the grain.

With the number of small breweries nearly doubling since 2010, craft beers are even making it onto the menus of some of Paris's best restaurants.

Former photographer and beer enthusiast Bruno Torres didn't hesitate to try his hand at brewing when he found himself looking for a new career in 2012. The 42-year-old, whose La Baleine microbrewery opened last year in Paris, admits it might have seemed like a "mad" idea to some. Two years on, however, he has his own range of beers and finds himself part of a small but rapidly expanding industry.

"I love the creativity, the freedom which exists with beer," Torres told AFP, explaining that he deliberately set out to make beer that could accompany food.

In addition to his peat-smoked and citrus-flavored beers, he also produces two others – a dessert beer and a fruity one that goes well with meat or seafood.