On Wednesday, February 8th, we will be tapping the reward keg of Heavy Seas Bourbon Oak Below Decks Barleywine.   This is of course Heavy Seas’ award winning English-style Barleywine that has been aged in wooden bourbon barrels.  The brewery describes the original Below Decks as “rich, malty and opulent”, and you can expect the barrel treatment to impart added notes of bourbon, caramel, and vanilla.  We are told this is a very limited release, so make sure you come out for a taste before it runs out.  After all, you earned it!

In addition to the Heavy Seas keg, we have another exciting keg in store for Wednesday.  We will be tapping a keg of Redstone Meadery’s Nectar of the Hops, and this will mark the first time The J. Clyde has ever poured mead (also known as honey wine) on draft! 

Redstone’s Nectars are lower alcohol meads (at 8%), medium in sweetness, and sparkling in feel.  They are lighter bodied meads that are meant to be light and refreshing.  Nectar of the Hops is a dry hopped version of their Nectar that marries the worlds of both beer and mead, and that sounds like a perfect addition to our draft wall.

We hope to see you at the pub on Wednesday to join us in giving these new and exciting offerings a taste!

Each person attending the dinner will be able to choose one of two sensual beer options to pair with their meal.  We think Valentine’s should have an air of seduction and surprise, so those options will be kept secret until you sit down to your meal.  For now, we will simply call them The J. Clyde Dark Ales, and there will be a high gravity and low gravity option for your choosing.

Cost of this dinner is $39 per person before tax and gratuity.  Reservations are not required, but they can be arranged by contacting the pub at info@jclyde.com or by calling 205.939.1312.

If you cannot make the Valentine’s dinner but are maybe looking for a pre-Valentine’s night out, we have another sweet and seductive option for you.  We recently tapped a keg of Boulevard Brewing Company’s Chocolate Ale, and it would make the perfect beer to pair with one of our delicious desserts during a romantic evening out with your sweetie. 

Boulevard describes Chocolate Ale as the following:

“Chocolate Ale is full of surprises, beginning with a glowing amber hue. The aroma is given over to earthy, fruity cocoa, with just a hint of hops. Smooth layers of dark chocolate intertwine with threads of caramel, vanilla, and nutty malt as the flavor warms and rounds to a bittersweet finish.”

Chocolate Ale is a seasonal from Boulevard and very limited on draft.  Join us at the pub soon to give this beer a taste before it disappears.

We hope you will come out to enjoy one or both of these decadent options and allow The J. Clyde to be your Valentine’s Day destination.

 Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu

First Course
Arugula Salad
Cranberries, walnuts, Alabama
goat cheese, & balsamic vinaigrette

~or~

Leek & Potato Soup
Creamy leek & potato soup topped with
house-made potato chips

Second Course
Duck Tagliatelle
Duck & Tagliatelle pasta in a creamy Wild Mushroom sauce & Truffle Oil

~or~

Puttanesca Rigatoni
Rustic olive oil sauce with tomatoes, olives, capers, & red pepper flakes

Third Course
Seduction Tiramisu
Ommegang Seduction Tiramisu with an infused chocolate whipped crème

~or~

Crème Brulee
Timmermans Strawberry Lambic Crème Brulee

A celebration is in order for this honor, so we figured why not do so on Firkin Friday with a special cask sent to us from our friends at Moylan’s Brewery?  On February 3rd at 5 pm, we will be tapping a cask of their Old Blarney Barleywine cask conditioned on French oak chips soaked in Patrón XO Cafe!

On its own, Old Blarney is a fantastic representation of the American Barleywine style and has won many awards over the years, but this treatment is sure to blow some minds.  Here is Moylan’s description of the original version:

“Our Barleywine Style Ale is a rich and heavy ale brewed to a high gravity. Massive body, mouthfeel and hoppiness. Barleywines are the “brandy” of the ale world. A great sipping ale, and a perfect finish to any meal.”

With this treatment of Old Blarney on the oak chips soaked in Patrón XO Cafe, you can expect added notes of vanilla, coffee, and light tequila bite.  This cask should prove to be a very complex beer with many layers of flavor and aroma.  It is bound to be unlike anything you have had before and is sure to go fast.

So, please join us at the pub on Friday to raise a glass of this special cask with us!

The J. Clyde Dark Ale
or
Ommegang Seduction

First Course
Arugula Salad
Cranberries, walnuts, Alabama
Goat cheese, & Balsamic Vinaigrette

or

Leek & Potato Soup
Creamy leek & potato soup topped with
house-made potato chips

Second Course
Duck Tagliatelle
Duck & Tagliatelle pasta in a creamy Wild Mushroom sauce & Truffle Oil

or

Puttanesca Rigatoni
Rustic Olive Oil sauce with tomatoes, olives, capers, & red pepper flakes

Third Course
Seduction Tiramisu
Ommegang Seduction Tiramisu with an infused chocolate whipped crème

or

Crème Brulee
Timmermans Strawberry Lambic Crème Brulee

$39 + tax and gratuity

Don’t forget to make your reservations at

jclyde.com or 205.939.1312

Freckle Belly IPA is one of Back Forty’s newest offerings, which was previously available only in very limited amounts last summer during beerfest season.  If you are unfamiliar with Freckle Belly, here is the Back Forty’s description of the beer:

“This full-bodied India Pale Ale is loaded with fresh hops for a powerful blend of citrus, pine and fruit aromas.  The firm malt backbone works well with the bold hop finish that everyone expects from an IPA.  BELLY UP HOP HEADS!”

The special dry hopping with Citra hops is going to give this cask an extra kick of tropical fruit flavors and makes this beer a must have for hop heads.  So, join us at the pub on Wednesday as we continue to celebrate the opening of Back Forty’s new brewery in Gadsden, and be one of the first folks to try their Freckle Belly IPA!

We at The J. Clyde have a very special treat for you this Firkin Friday.  On January 20th at 5 pm, we will be tapping the first cask ever produced by Back Forty Beer Company! Inside the firkin will be Kudzu Porter from the very first batch of beer brewed at Back Forty’s new brewery in Gadsden.  This is Alabama beer history!

If you are not familiar with Kudzu Porter, here is Back Forty’s description of the beer:

“This medium-bodied Porter is brewed with a unique blend of roasted malts and fresh hops.  Chocolate, smokey notes are abundant throughout and the citrus aroma provides a refreshing twist to this old world beer style.  Careful, it will grown on you!”

Folks from Back Forty will be present at the tapping for a meet and greet to discuss their beer and the new brewery.  The tapping of this cask starts a new chapter in Back Forty’s story, so come out to raise a glass of Kudzu to the brewery and great happenings in Alabama beer culture!

“Let other poets raise a fracas
‘Bout vines, an’ wines, an’ drucken Bacchus,
An’ crabbit names an’ stories wrack us,
An’ grate our lug:
I sing the juice Scotch bear can mak us,
In glass or jug.”

From Scotch Drink, Robert Burns

Join us at 6 pm on Wednesday, January 25th for Burns Nicht, a celebration of the life and work of Scottish poet Robert Burns.  In honor of his birthday, we will have a three course, Scottish dinner paired with Scottish ales and Scotch whisky (menu below).    Cost of the dinner is $39 per person before tax.  You can arrange reservations by contacting us at info@jclyde.com or by calling 205.939.1312.  So, come out to The J. Clyde to join us in recognition of one of the world’s greatest poets with a night of fine food, great drink, and good times.  Slainte!

Burns Nicht Dinner Menu

First Course

Scotch Egg – Pork sausage wrapped hard boiled egg deep fried with panko bread crumbs.  Paired with Good People Brewing Company’s Wee Heavy.

Second Course

Steak and Kidney Pie – braised lamb kidney and Rib-eye baked in a flaky shell.  Vegetarian option available.  Paired with Belhaven Scottish Ale.

Third Course

Oatmeal Apple “Haggis” Pie – Spiced apples and grains baked as a delectable pastry.  Paired with a carefully selected Scotch.

Our great city of Birmingham is in the running for Southern Living’s Tastiest Town competition, so come out to join us at The J. Clyde on Thursday, January 19th for a voting party.

Birmingham is one of ten cities in the running for the South’s greatest town to dine in according to the readership of Southern Living.  In order to raise some votes and awareness for Birmingham, we at The J. Clyde will have a voting station set up at the pub between 4 pm and 8 pm.  There will be a couple computers set up for your convenience, and folks from Southern Living Magazine will be present for a meet and greet. To sweeten the deal a bit, the first 100 people to come into the pub and log a vote for Birmingham will receive one of these delicious Goat Cheese Tart mini-appetizers compliments of the house:

In addition to the voting party, it will also be Thirsty Thursday here at The J. Clyde where all low gravity drafts will be priced half off.  So, come out to show your civic pride by casting a vote for Birmingham, and stick around for some great beers to enjoy with your Goat Cheese Tart.  Let’s show the country that Birmingham is a great place to visit, eat, and drink!

]]> http://jclyde.com/2012/01/voting-party-for-southern-livings-tastiest-town-thursday-january-19th/feed/ 0 http://jclyde.com/2011/12/microbrews-music-for-medical-fundraiser/ http://jclyde.com/2011/12/microbrews-music-for-medical-fundraiser/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:27:09 +0000 William http://jclyde.com/?p=1314 Join us to help raise funds to help a member of The J Clyde family with
medical bills and costs associated with her third battle with stage four
cancer. With the help of our great friends at Avondale Brewing Company, Good
People Brewing Company, Birmingham Beverage, and Renegades of Folk we’ll be
pouring two kegs of beer and playing some great tunes for you Friday
December 9th. Avondale and Good People have graciously donated kegs of
Vanilla Porter and Bret IPA, fine local beers for the support of this local
family. All proceeds go to help the Liner family’s financial burden. Local
artists, Renegades of Folk, are kindly donating their time to this warm and
happy event. For your participation, we’ll be offering our Fried Green
Tomato appetizer for $1 with the purchase of these special beers.