Who is Clyde May? A name in which I was only loosely familiar, but not yet a household name….until recently. 

A couple weeks ago, I arrived home to a box on the front porch. As I lifted it into our dining room, I immediately took note of the weight – which added excitement and my curiosity was piqued. I had been expecting some whiskey and bourbon, and though I knew what a typical bottle weighs, picking up the box I was riveted and dove right in. Beneath the cardboard and protective casing were two new friends from Clyde May: the Alabama Style Whiskey and the Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 

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Before I opened the bottles and started mixing, I had to ask myself, “Who is Clyde May?” If you think of whiskey as the drink of hard workers and resilience, then this name is going to stick quite well. Born shortly before the Great Depression to a single mother, Clyde ended up enlisting in the military where he received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart during World War II. From there, he tested his hand at whiskey – or rather – moonshine. He excelled, before it was even legal for him to do so. Unfortunately, that was something that landed him behind bars for a short period. To me, the entire story of Clyde May demonstrates tenacity for his product.

After getting some background, it was time to start mixing.  With two in mind, we had our evening cocktails set. 

First, a twist on a classic Lion’s Tale. For this beverage I went with a name indicating a fighter, and went with a term from the brand’s website, True Grit. 

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2 oz Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey
.5 oz Pineapple Syrup
.75 oz Lime Juice
Barspoon of All Spice Dram
2 dashes Angustora Bitters

Next up is another drink for those wanting whiskey during the summer. I decided to incorporate tiki flavors, a couple of my favorite ingredients, and went for the whiskey. We have a fall version of this drink too, we’ll share that one in another couple months (are we really midway through July?)

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1.5 oz Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey
.5 oz Aperol
.5 oz Cocchi Americano
.5 oz Lime Juice
.25 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 Dashes of Orange Bitters

More drinks coming soon, including one that pays homage to a story from our hometown…

Cheers!

(The product for this post was provided, but all commentary, recipes, and opinions are our own)