Jimmys No. 43

Jimmy’s No. 43 has always been a place that visitors to NYC like to check out (or Orphans & Expats, when it comes to our Christmas-Day lunch!), so we love it when new folks come to town. This evening, we’ll be chatting with fermentor Eli Cayer of Urban Farm Fermentory in Portland, Maine. Eli is doing very cool things with mead and wild-fermented ciders (not to mention that mysterious concoction known as Kombucha). He’ll be dropping by for a meet-and-greet at the bar.

Then on Saturday, we’re bringing back the cask! We’ll have an amazing beer from England: J.W. Lees Harvest Ale. This classic English-style Barleywine (weighing in at a whopping 11.5% ABV) is brewed only once a year with the new harvest’s fresh floor malted Maris Otter malts and the classic English East Kent Goldings hops . Sure, we know it’s going to be a warmer-than-usual 12-12, but we’re still digging this beer and hope you’ll drop by to try it.

And don’t forget, we have New Year’s Eve packages and a party room available for your private celebrate (inquire here). We’re going out with a bang this 2015 (in the non-building exploding sense!), and we look forward to seeing friends both near and far in the closing weeks heading into 2016.

We had a great turn out for this year’s Battle of the Belgians (full beer list – many still available for purchase – is here), beginning Friday night with a blind tasting panel of judges that included Gregg Glaser (Publisher, Modern Distillery Age), Paul Zocco (Zok’s Homebrew Supply in CT), brewer Heather McReynolds (Sixpoint), Cat wolinski (Ale Street News) and Jonathan White (cheesemaker at Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse).

From 25+ Belgian and Belgian-style beers, the judges awarded the following:

• First Place: Oude Quetsche Tilquin à L’Ancienne – Plum Lambic Gueuze
• Second Place: Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge – Flanders Red Ale
• Third Place: Saison Dupont

On Saturday, it was on to the People’s Choice awards as the 6th Annual Battle of the Belgians was underway. Their favorites (by popular vote):

• Best American Belgian-Style: Trigger Rye by LIC Beer Project
• Best Belgian: Triporteur Full Moon
• “Best in Show”L De Dolle “Teve” 10 Triple

And, of course, bar owner Jimmy Carbone had his own personal favorites:

• Hitachino Saison du Japan
• Crooked Stave Wild Sage Lambic (on draught; sadly, it went very quickly)

This being the sixth year of the event, we were once again trying to decide who makes the best “Belgian.” Our first year, we wanted to prove that American Belgian-style beers would kick Belgian beers’ butts! However, we met many Belgian beer importers like Wendy Littlefield of Vanberg and DeWulf and Matthias Neidhart of B. United, with an inventory of beers that continue to win every year. So big cheers to the Belgian beer importers!!

The dark cold days of winter may not be most people’s favorites, but we love this time of year as we usher in several months of great Belgian beers. Beginning this week, you’ll find an expanded menu of Belgians and Belgian-style American (plus Asian and European) beers. If you want to try them all, come out for this Saturday’s 6th Annual Battle of the Belgians! Our favorite Belgian beer event will bring together brewers and distributors from around the globe to test the best of Belgium alongside American-made Belgian-style beers. From 1-4 p.m., there will be unlimited samples of 20+ bottled beers expected to be included from the following (final availability subject to change):

• Tilquin Gueuze
• Westmalle Dubble
• Westmalle Tripel
• Rochefort 8
• Rochefort 10
• Orval
• Saison du Pont
• Triporteur Kinky Berry
• Triporteur Full Moon
• Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge
• Affligem Blonde
• De Dolle Stille Nacht (on draught: We’ll be tapping Friday night!)
• De Dolle “Teve” 10 Triple
• Fantome Hiver Saison
• Strubbe Ichtegems
• Alvinne Wild West Sour
• Kerkom “Reuss” blended Lambic

• Crooked Stave Wild Sage Lambic (on draught)
• Jolly Pumpkin  Oro de Calabaza
• Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire dark farmhouse ale
• Stillwater – TBA
• LIC Beer Project‎ (on draught TBA)
• Fol‎ksbier Abigale (on draught)
• The Bruery Oude Tart
• Allagash Triple

• Hitachino Saison (Japan)
• L’Anjub/Stillwater‎ collaboration: Catalan Farmhouse Ale (Spain)
• Hof Ten Dormaal/Stillwater collaboration: Arcana (a Belgian farmhouse stout)

How do we celebrate Thanksgiving? By keeping it local! You can drink NY every day  at Jimmy’s No. 43! Whatever your beverage preference, we’ve got you covered. Some of our favorites:

• For Cider – We love Aaron Burr’s East Branch, Eve’s “Northen Spy” Autumn Stoscheck, and Steve Selin’s Packbasket from South Hill Cider
• For wine – We recently discovered Southold Cellars from North Fork and Shinn Estates Nine Barrel Merlot
• For spirits – We’re making a “Reverse Martini” a la Julia Child with Brooklyn’s own Uncouth Vermouth topped with a splash of Queens Courage Gin; plus a High Ball with King’s County Bourbon
• And lest we forget what we’re most famous for… Craft Beer! On draught this week we have a great lineup from Folksbier, Threes Brewing, Barrier, Other Half and Bridge & Tunnel (congrats on their new brewery that recently opened in Ridgewood, Queens)

So come in and be thankful for a wealth of NY State beverages! We’ll be toasting the season and look forward to raising a glass with you. Happy Thanksgiving!

It felt like we were running a marathon, but Cider Week NYC wrapped this past Sunday, and we were overwhelmed by the great array of cider makers (and cider lovers) who visited Jimmy’s No. 43. After a sold-out “Rev.” Nat West’s Cider Seminary on Friday, we hosted an all-day Cider Salon with many of the nation’s great cider makers (Aaron Burr, Farnum Hill, Eden Ice Cider, Embark and many more). We’ll be keeping a great list of ciders over the winter, and we’ll be featuring a weekly Cider & Cheese with Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse (join us Friday afternoons, buy a cider – or beer, wine, cocktail – and you’ll get free cheese samples!).

And as we go in to the holidays, now’s a great time to reflect on all the positive reviews our new menu from Tito King’s Kitchen at Jimmy’s No. 43 has received. We celebrated our 10th Anniversary last month, and the new liquor menu along with delicious dishes such as our Chicken Wings Adobo has brought us to our second decade in style.

Of course, we love our tradition, too. Coming up in a few weeks – on Saturday, December 5th – will be the Sixth Annual Battle of the Belgians (get your tickets now), featuring great imports facing off against  Belgian-style Americans from Two Roads, Jolly Pumpkin, Folksbier, Allagash, LIC Beer Project and others. And tickets for January’s Eighth Annual Cassoulet Cook-Off are already on sale (click here for information on buying tickets or competing as a pro/am chef).

And of course, we’ll have our annual Christmas Day Beer Brunch plus several New Year’s Eve packages to choose from. And we still have plenty of room to host your party (of any size, be sure to email with inquiries).

Our bar is open for business during all the events, so be sure to drop by and see what’s happening at Jimmy’s No. 43!