It's Black and Green for St Pat's Day
Added: Monday, February 11th 2013
James Clay, Britain's leading importer of specialist beer, has sourced a small range of Irish Stout and Red Ale that will be sold on limited availability in time for St Patricks' Day 2013, 18 March. Normally the domain of the big-name branded black stuff, James Clay have laid their hands on limited quantities of Irish-inspired beer from three of the US’s leading craft breweries.
Anchor Brewing Company of San Francisco, Brooklyn Brewery of New York and Flying Dog Brewery of Baltimore have each produced a special brew to be released in time for St Patricks Day. Traditionalists need not worry, as James Clay also import Dublin’s favoured and most highly regarded O’Hara’s stout, produced by Ireland’s largest craft brewery the Carlow Brewing Company.
Only available in March, Anchor Brewing’s Flying Cloud Stout(7.5%) is the third release from the breweries highly sought-after Zymaster Series of brews. Flying Cloud Stout is brewed to a traditional export stout recipe 164 years after the first export strength stout was brewed in London and shipped around Cape Horn to San Francisco. Flying Cloud Stout is available on draught from early March.
Brooklyn Brewery have turned to New York’s strong Irish roots to produce a Dry Irish Stout (4.7%). Produced using a large portion of grain that has been roasted like coffee beans, this Dry Irish Stout has an espresso-like bite followed by chocolate and coffee flavours. Brooklyn Brewery are producing this beer the traditional Irish way without adding nitrogen (a gas that creates the distinctive creamy head on mass-produced stouts) resulting in a beer with a brisk, natural carbonation.
Baltimore’s Flying Dog Brewery have used the luck of the Irish to create an Irish Red Ale named Lucky Son-of-a-Bitch, or Lucky SOB(5.0%) for short. When asked about the beer, Ben Savage of Flying Dog said, “Brewed with real four-leaf clovers, it is perfectly poised to bring the ‘Luck of the Irish’ to those who drink it”. Spokesperson for importers James Clay, Mike Watson clarified this claim by saying “we can’t guarantee you’ll get good luck by drinking a beer brewed with four-leaf clovers, but if you get seven years bad luck for breaking a mirror, it’s probably not worth rolling the dice”.
There is limited availability of these releases. Demand is expected to be high, so customers are advised to contact their beer distributor to reserve or for pricing details. James Clay are Britain’s leading importer of craft and specialist beers from the United States, Europe and beyond. James Clay, based in West Yorkshire, distribute to the trade nationally. www.jamesclay.co.uk
Anchor Brewing Company is one of the United States oldest breweries. Based in San Francisco, Anchor have been brewing beer since 1896 and are most famous for their Anchor Steam Beer. Anchor Steam is available from Majestic wines, independent off-licences and bars nationwide.www.anchorbrewing.com
Flying Dog Brewery has been brewing its ales for more than two decades. Based near Baltimore in Maryland, Flying Dog is known for its controversial beer names and bottle artwork designed by British artist Ralph Steadman. “Good People drink Good Beer”. www.flyingdogales.com
Brooklyn Brewery is one of the US’s leading craft breweries. The brewery is widely regarded as being one of the brands that began the US craft brewing scene. Brooklyn Brewery is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year.www.brooklynbrewery.com
O’Hara’s is the locals stout of choice in Dublin with all but the most the tourist-orientated pubs now serving O’Hara’s, from the family owned Carlow Brewing Company.
