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This past weekend we held two dinners of very different themes. On Saturday, we used our Wine v. Beer template and paired rare beef with roasted parsnips, which we paired to a Rhone red and a Trappist strong ale. Both brought out unique flavors in the meat, and it was a treat to enjoy wine during “liquid lent.”

Then last night, we held a five-course, five-beer pairing modeled on Game of Thrones, which returned to HBO for its fourth season. Interestingly, owner Jimmy Carbone has never seen the series but has read the books.

The dinner allowed us to launch Ommegang’s latest GoT beer, Fire and Blood (which we still have on tap this week for as long as it lasts). Among the pairings were:

• Cheese and Honey paired with Bell’s Oberon, a wheat/saison-style beer
• A “Dragon Egg” Omelette: a frittata that we paired with Le Trou Diable’s “Saison du Tongka” a traditional saison from Quebec
• “Pigeon pie,” which we actually made with ground lamb, roots and served with Ommegang’s Abbey Dubbel
• Bloody Duck: Hudson Valley-raised duck breast served over farro grain and kale and paired with Fire and Blood
• “Sweets” for dessert: baked apple crisp with oatmeal topping and Ronnybrook whipped cream paired with Grado Plato San Felice chestnut ale

These pairings show the best of Jimmy’s No. 43’s food and beer/wine offerings. We hope you will join us this week, as many of these items are available on our spring menu. And be sure to come to our Belgian beer tasting this weekend or to our next dinner featuring pork dished paired with sour beers on April 28th.

The weather finally seems to have given way to spring, and we’re celebrating this afternoon by bringing in a very special keg of Bell’s Oberon, a wheat ale fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic seasonal beer. Plus, at only 5.8% ABV, it’s perfect for our Liquid Lent.

Jimmy’s No. 43 owner Jimmy Carbone recently had the pleasure of talking to Larry Bell on the 200th episode of Beer Sessions Radio, so we’re thrilled to have one of the kegs of his latest brews. Join us from 5 p.m. on, while supplies last. And, as always, our regular beer/restaurant service is available!

We hope you have been following us for Liquid Lent! For 40 days, Jimmy Carbone has been documenting his efforts to “drink like a monk” with simple foods and great beers. So which are some of his favorite beers thus far?

Other Half’s Lembeek 86 blonde: This beer will be featured as part of our April Sours theme, which we have every year at Jimmy’s No. 43. We think spring is a great time to celebrate the sours (and we’ll culminate this month in our annual April Sours beer dinner). Lembeck is the town in Belgium that “lambic” comes from. Classic sours. Other Half, Brooklyn’s newest brewery, created a classic sour with some hoppiness to it but all brettanomyces in the forward notes.

KelSo’s Rhubarb Gose: Another classic sour style, gose originated in Germany. Rhubarb is a beautiful sour spring vegetable, so this pairs well with our spring menu that features duck and early greens.

Finback Brewerys Double Sess: This is a spin on a traditional wit bier, with ginger, camomile, and Szechuan peppercorns. The name is a play on sessions beers, and it fits the bill, weighing in at 4.7% ABV.

Speaking of session beers, we love Evil Twin’s Bikini: a 2.7% ABV (!! – that’s lower than traditional kombucha) and a hop profile reminiscent of Carton’s Boat Beer.

Finally, we have spring’s favorite style, the saison. We’ll be featuring several saisons this month, including Ommegang’s Glimmerglass, which we’ll be featuring on Saturday April 12th, during our “Walk the Monk’s Trail” tasting event. This will be a two-hour walk-around tasting with beer reps and owners pouring their favorites. If you’ve attended our Battle of the Belgians in December, you will want to get your ticket for one of the two tastings we’ll have featuring Belgians and Belgian-style beers paired with brunch food items.

As we continue on our Liquid Lent journey, tonight we’ll be having a “Meatless Monday” dinner, pairing Belgian-style beers to the following menu:

• Assorted cheese toasts with cheese from Saxelby Cheesemongers
• Carrots cooked in milk, over NY grits
• “Mad for Turnips” – turnips three ways: pickled, roasted, au gratin
• Wild mushroom ragout over polenta
• And for dessert: Elvis tea sandwich bread pudding with peanut butter and honey

Exact beer match-ups tonight from these beers:

• Crooked Stave, Vieille Artisanal Saison
• Ommegang, Glimmerglass seasonal Saison
• The Commons Brewery (from Portland, OR, and new to NYC), Urban Farmhouse Ale
• Westmalle, Triple
• Het Nest, Quadruppel

It’s not too late to join us: Tickets are still on sale online (here) or may be available at the door.

And if you’d like your Belgians with a more educational tone, tomorrow night’s $20 Tuesday Tasting will feature B. United leading a Belgian Beer 101 tasting. Beers to sample with complimentary cheese plates will include:

• Ichetegem’s Grand Cru
• Hansens Gueze
• Glazen Toren Saison d’Erpe Mer
• Baladin Noel
• Cuvee Freddy
• Barley Friska