Raising Uisce Beatha. Irish Whiskey Renaissance.

Irish Whiskey Renaissance

Raising Uisce Beatha*

A tasty introduction to the Single Pot Still whiskeys of Midleton.

Irish Whiskey, the one with the “e”, is on the rise again.

“There is a huge renaissance in Irish Whiskey...25 years of solid growth,” declared Midleton Distillery’s Production Director Peter Morehead during a recent radio progamme.  

And that reality is reinforced by the amount of new distilleries (including West Cork, Dingle, Blackwater and Tullamore) newly in production or about to go into production - you do have to wait three years and a day for your spirit to qualify as whiskey.

It is a stunning comeback by an industry that was on its knees in the 1960’s. But, starting in 1966, amalgamations and foreign takeovers led to the revival with Jameson leading the rise. You can read all about the history of whiskey in this country on the Single Pot Still website.

Here, you'll see how Irish Whiskey makers’ belief in the quality of their Single Pot Still product inadvertently handed an advantage to their Scottish rivals. Of course, there were other factors as Irish slid to the bottom. But that quality is now a key part of the revival, especially in Midleton.

While other whiskey, and whisky, are made from a mash of malted barley, the Pot Still is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, an uniquely Irish approach to whiskey distillation. I, despite many a drop of Paddy and, more lately Jameson, am not an whiskey expert, but this is my take on four of these representatives of “the quintessential style of Irish whiskey” recently.

Started off with the familiar Redbreast 12 (and, yes, it is named after the robin). Twelve years, by the way, is the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle. It has quite rich aromas, partly because it has been matured in Sherry casks. Indeed, all casks from fortified wines areas - Sherry, Port, Madeira, Marsala - can be used by whiskey makers.

Dave Quinn, Master of Whiskey Science
at Jameson Distillery, Midleton

The Redbreast is harmonious on the palate with a good flavoursome finish. While the alcohol is not at all prominent on the 12, the Redbreast 21, as you might expect, is even smoother - got a sample of that during the radio show.

Back to my own line-up now and the Green Spot. This is fresher and spicier, both on the nose and on the palate, a little bit sweeter too, the spicy notes lingering on the finish. Both the first two have an ABV of 40%.

The Power’s John Lane weighs in at 46% and has a darker nose “an abundance of earthy aromas”. There is a spicy introduction to the palate and then hints of sweetness and these continue through to the lingering finish, a finish that I really enjoyed.

The final tasting in the classy quartet was the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, another beauty. The nose picks up aromas of vanilla (prominent for me) and toasted oak and the tasting notes also hint “at a touch of lime, succulent green berries, pears and green sweet pepper”.

On the palate it is sweet and spicy but so well balanced and the finish is also superb. Perhaps my favourite of the four. It too has an ABV of 46%.

I was drinking the Single Pot Stills neat, the better to taste the diversity of the flavour spectrum. But most people prefer some kind of mixer - a current favourite seems to be Jameson (not a Single Pot Still!), Ginger and Lime. You can check that, and many more suggestions, here.

The Single Pot Still Irish whiskey was once the most popular in the world. Full of complex flavours and with a creamy mouthfeel, it is a drink we can be proud of. And great to see it on the up again. Slainte!

• To delve deeper into the story of this type of whiskey, please check out this Single Pot Still site . 

  
  

  *Uisce Beatha is Irish for Whiskey, means water of life.
  

  
  

Taste of the Week

Today's Taste of the Week brings together two of Cork's best known food companies in a very flavoursome combination indeed, a lovely Chicken Korma.
The slow cooked chicken came from The Chicken Inn, stars of the English Market since 1955. And the magic sauce came in a jar from Midleton's Green Saffron, a relative youngster compared to Chicken Inn.
Arun is the face of Green Saffron and he is soon to publish a book. Will Chicken Inn's Tim Mulcahy follow suit? In the meantime, enjoy our Taste of the Week. So simple, so good.

In Praise of East Cork. Well Worth a Visit!

In Praise of East Cork. 
Well Worth a Visit!

Friendly people, great food, attractions, on land and sea, both natural and man-made, make East Cork a gem of a place to visit. From the fantastic 13th century St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal to high class Fota House Gardens and Arboretum, with Barryscourt Castle in between, all free to enter, there is a treasure chest of places to visit in the area.

Cliff walk (and lighthouse in distance) at Ballycotton

Let me take you on a trip to see part of it. We’ll also enjoy some delicious as East Cork is a foodie’s paradise with top notch restaurants including Barnabrow  (ideal for a Sunday lunch), Midleton’s pioneering Farmers Market and the food mecca of Ballymaloe.

Ballymaloe

Coming from the city on the main Cork-Waterford road, take the Cobh exit ramp and head for breakfast at Bramley Lodge.  Now, set up for the morning, go over the nearby bridge to Fota Island and its many attractions.

If you have kids, go the Wildlife Park; if not, walk through the renowned Fota Arboretum  and maybe add a tour of the Georgian House. If you like it around here, you may also try the high class  Fota Island Hotel and Golf Resort.

Sailing ship at Cobh, exactly where the liners dock in summer.

Moving on, go over the Belvelly Bridge and you find yourself on Great Island where the cathedral town of Cobh is situated. Much to do here including the Sirius Art Gallery, walking tours (including the Titanic Trail and Spike Island), harbourside bars and restaurants and of course the Cobh Heritage Centre which tells of forced deportations  and also the tales of the ill fated liners, The Titanic and the Lusitania. Cruise liners now call here regularly during the season, with a carnival atmosphere in the town on the days they are in port.

Time now to head out of the islands, maybe call to the Bakestone Cafe at Ballyseedy (Cobh Cross) for a tasty bite to eat before heading east for Midleton and a tour of the Jameson Experience. If you give the right answers here, you’ll end up with a certificate of proficiency in Whiskey!

Roche's Point, worth a detour.

You may have lunch at the distillery cafe here. Quite a few others to choose from but I have a particular in Kevin Ahern's Sage and his amazing 12-mile menu.

There will be detours, of course. One that I like is off the Whitegate road, out of Midleton. Look out for the signs for East Ferry and enjoy a walk by the estuary and maybe reward yourself with a well cooked meal at Murph’s, a restaurant with a lovely view.

Next stop though is Ballymaloe, the home of modern Irish food. You could spend a day here. Maybe an overnight stay to sample the world renowned cooking. Be sure to take a look at the impressive Cookery School gardens and call to the cafe for a mid afternoon or mid morning  coffee. The cafe at the Stephen Pearse pottery in Shanagarry is now gaining quite a reputation.

Youghal has many miles of beaches. Many more all along the East Cork coast.

In the nearby seaside village of Ballycotton, take a stroll down to the pier and see the fishermen come and go. If you feel you need to stretch the legs, then there is a spectacular walk along the cliff tops. After all that exercise, treat yourself to a gorgeous meal at Pier 26.

Time now for dinner. If heading back towards the city and make a stop at the estuary village of Glounthaune and the Rising Tide Bar Bistro. Enjoy your meal here, as Lady Gaga did, and take time for a deserved pint in the bar afterwards. If heading east, then you’ll find a lovely cafe called Sage or a fine seafood meal at Aherne’s, both in Youghal. Maybe you'd like to rest up for the night and have a meal in the Old Imperial Hotel on the main street, maybe just a drink in its old Coachhouse bar.

Fresh fish at Ballycotton's Pier 26

Super Saturday. Castlemary Farm. Midleton Farmers Market. The Food Emporium.

Super Saturday

Castlemary Farm. Midleton Farmers Market. The Food Emporium.

Olive and one of her goats.

This super Saturday started with a visit to Castlemary Farm. Great to meet up with the hard-working Olive Hallahan and her goats (who have a very comfortable life, especially Dan the Man!). Olive’s small shop on the farm opens every Saturday morning and today, for the first time, she had her Smoked Goats Cheddar on sale.

Frank Hederman did the smoking here so that cheese was top of our list but we also got a  few other bits and pieces including a Goat Cheese Fruit Yoghurt and a lovely brown loaf made with goat buttermilk! She also sells produce by the neighbours, including honey and eggs. The smoked cheese, by the way, tastes like a success, the smoking very finely judged indeed.

Olive meets another Billy

You may also buy Castlemary products at the regular Friday Country Market in Midleton and at the nearby shop recently opened by Helen Aherne. Olive tells me that Helen is a talented baker and her cakes also feature in the Midleton shop.

From Castlemary, I made my way to Midleton and to the regular Saturday morning Farmers Market. We were still reasonably early but O’Driscoll’s of Schull were rapidly running out of fish. Still we managed to get some fresh cod. Mushrooms from Irish Shiitake, Smoked Mackerel from the aforementioned Mr Hederman, and a lovely sweet Almond Brioche ring from Arbutus Bread were among the other products to find a way into the sturdy shopping bag. Lots of choices for lunch and later!

Gurnard

The sunshine was giving way to rain as I headed downtown in the afternoon to the Food Emporium at Brown Thomas. Lovely to meet Darina Allen who was signing copies of her most recent book, 30 Years at Ballymaloe (with over 100 new recipes), and to renew acquaintance also with Anthony Cresswell of Ummera Smoked Products who had samples of his brilliant produce for tasting.

Ballymaloe have a pop-up wine shop here and some of their wines were open for tasting with Peter Corr of Febvre Wines doing the honours and opening some terrific wines including a Vacheron Sancerre, a lovely pure white wine, mineral rich and zesty, produced by biodynamic farming.

That was good but the star of the show was undoubtedly the 2008 Raveneau Chablis. It was a rare pleasure to sample this Classic Chablis 1er Cru from Reveneau’s Butteaux vineyard.

The tastings here are of a very high standard indeed and that will continue next Friday evening at 6.00pm when Chris Forbes of Taylor's Port, one of the oldest of the founding Port houses, and Sarah Furno, of the magnificent Cashel Blue and Croizier Blue Cheeses, are the distinguished visitors. Should be a lovely evening.

Darina Allen, Ursula Bosman (Brown Thomas) and Yours Truly at the
Food Emporium.

A Visit to Midleton Country Market

Midleton Country Market

Farmers Markets are the buzzword now but don't think that the original country market has gone away. There are still scores of them around the country, including eight in Cork alone. Get the details here.

I called to the one in Midleton last Friday. The venue is the old school on Church Lane right in the middle of the town and with parking nearby.

You might be under the impression that this type of market is all about baking and you'd be half right. Midleton has a table full of baked goodies, small cakes and big ones. I picked up a gorgeous Strawberry and Almond cake for a fiver. Great value.

But there is much more there besides the cakes. Lots of healthy looking vegetables were on offer, along with pots of jams, honey, and relishes, apple juice, goat cheese and goat yoghurts and more besides (sometimes including crafts, maybe books from time to time).

A word of advice though. Do get there early as the best things are all snatched up first and I missed out a few items last week, including a goat curry! Good quality here as well. For instance, the hard goat cheese, from Castlemary Farm, won bronze at the 2012 Blas Awards in Dingle.

There is a major difference between these and the Farmers Markets. Here, you don't necessarily deal with the individual seller. In fact you might not meet him or her at all but you will meet some lovely helpful people around the hall.You pick up your basket on the way in and collect what you want from the various tables. Then you settle up as you go out. The lady wrote down our list and totted it up. She didn't have a calculator but was as quick as any checkout operator and soon we were on our way.

CORK

Bandon	Weir Street	Fri/Sat	9.00am
Carrigaline	G.A.A. Hall	Friday	9.30am
Fermoy	Youth Centre	Friday	2.15pm
Mallow	St.James` Hall	Friday	1.30pm
Macroom	GAA Hall, Macroom	Tuesday	10.45am
Midleton	Old School Church Lane	Friday	9.30am
Riverstown	Glanmire GAA Hall	Friday	9.00am
Skibbereen	Abbeystrewry Hall	Friday	11.30pm

Tapas in the Greenroom

The Greenroom at Sage

Called down to Midleton last Tuesday evening to sample the food at the Greenroom, the new all day late night cafe under the ample wing of the adjacent Sage Restaurant. Spotted the 12 Mile Tapas board and immediately saw familiar producers of quality including Woodside Farm, Ardsallagh and Tom Clancy. Five tapas on the board, so we ordered all five.

Next question was what to drink. Easily answered by looking at the next board. Lots of local beers here and also Stonewell cider. Could hardly drink all the beers so settled for the Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner from Eight Degrees and two new Cork beers, both pale ales, the Mountain Man Green Bullet and the Kinsale Pale Ale, each dangerously drinkable!

The tapas are top class, all the dishes perfectly executed and, at seven euro each, very good value. Take the humble Organic courgette and apple fritters with dehydrated goat yoghurt. Didn’t sound the most promising of the five but the tangy yoghurt made the fritters sing.

The Organic baby carrot and Ardsallagh goat cheese with organic leaves and pickled beetroot was another successful combination of taste, colour, flavour and texture. While the cooking here is creative, the food is allowed to speak for itself and this was perhaps best illustrated by the Woodside mini Pork Pie with peas and gravy. The pork flavour and texture were incredible.

The monkfish, coated in the most delicate batter and served with crispy bacon and organic roast garlic aioli, was lyrically light, crunchy and gorgeous and probably CL’s favourite.

For me, the outstanding bite was the first one into those Thomas Clancy free range chicken livers with sourdough and salsa. Honest food so well handled all the way to the table.

The dessert, Red Velvet Cappuccino cake with Bailey’s Ice Cream, was so smooth and seemed designed to put us into a good mood. But, after those brilliant tapas, we were happily already in that zone!

All in all then,  honest food, flawlessly cooked, just perfect. And obviously widely appreciated as the Greenroom was more or less full.

Sage itself was also full. It has gained some extra seating and a different entrance (via the courtyard) after the recent building works that gave us the Greenroom. And the local producers are lauded here in Sage and not just on the tables. On one of the walls there is an excellent photo display of the producers going about their daily work. Well done to Kevin and Réidín for their dedication to their local suppliers!

While it is full steam ahead for Sage, the recently opened Greenroom too has been finding itself quite busy in these early days. It opens at nine and, during the morning, you can pop in for a freshly ground coffee and a freshly baked treat. At lunch time, you’ll have great choices of Salads and Sandwiches and, in the evening, the tapas come into their own.

The new Greenroom, they call it Sage’s little sister, is also proving useful for a pre-meal drink for those booked into Sage or maybe waiting for a table. And, when the sun shines, the courtyard outside is abuzz.

Greenroom details

Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm.

Address: 8 Main St, Midleton, Co. Cork.

Phone: (021) 463 9682

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.sagerestaurant.ie

Lovely Meal at Raymond’s

Lovely Meal at Raymond’s

 Enjoyed a smashing meal at Raymond’s Restaurant in Midleton last week. The restaurant is easily found as it is on the way in to the Jameson Experience. It is a day and night bistro where you may enjoy lunch (including Sundays) and evening meals (including an Early Bird option).

 Highlight for me was my main course: Roast Half Free Range Duck with Walnut Stuffing, Apricot and Apple Compote and Jus. The duck was cooked to perfection and the Apricot and Apple was a brilliant foil. Besides, the side plate of seasonal vegetables were also spot-on.

 The same side plate also accompanied the other main dish on the table: Roast Cod with Green Beans and a Citrus Butter Sauce. The fish was fresh, after all it came from neighbouring Ballycotton, and again the sauce was spot-on.

Don’t usually go for breaded mussels but was glad that I did so on this occasion as we both thoroughly enjoyed the Baked Mussels Stuffed with a Garlic, Almond and Herb Crust. The excellent salad and also a small helping of tomato salsa helped no end towards the enjoyment.

 Raymond’s has quite an extensive wine list but I settled for a glass of the wine of the month, a lively citrusy blend of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc called Le Petit Balthazar (€6.00)

That was well polished off  by the time the desserts came. I had my eye on the Date and Butterscotch Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream from the start and it certainly didn’t let me down. A gorgeous sweet swallow! The other dessert, Mixed Berry Roulade with Fruit Coulis and Ice Cream, was really well made and also very nice indeed.

I finished off with a cup of coffee but if you like green tea or decaffeinated coffee, just ask. They don’t appear on the menu but they do serve them. The atmosphere in the nicely lit and spacious restaurant was excellent, a good buzz as they say, and the service was friendly and efficient. Certainly worth a call either for lunch or dinner.

Raymond’s Restaurant
Distillery Walk, Midleton
 +353 (0)21 4635235      
info@raymonds.ie
Check out the menus here http://www.raymonds.ie

Jim Crowley Butchers. Multi-award winners.

Jim Crowley Butchers, Midleton

Criostoir (2nd left) with his team at the festival

 The outstanding treat that I enjoyed at the recent Midleton Food Festival came from the Jim Crowley Butcher stall on the main street. I had met joint owner Criostoir O’Crualoai a few days previously and he had told me to watch out for their Steak Sandwich, also a hit at the previous year’s festival.

So I did keep an eye out and soon found the stall, along with Criostoir and his friendly crew. Just have to say that the steak sandwich was terrific, even at a comparative early hour of the day. So tender, we were able to gently tear it in two, the better to share. Tender, and tasty.

The shop on Mill Road

 While a well placed source in the food industry later told me that Crowley’s have a loyal following in the area, I had never heard of their shop (on the Mill Road) before meeting Criostoir. After the festival, I called up there and met another friendly bunch behind the counter. The shop was neat and sparkling with a great selection of meats on sale.

But I were after the shop’s pride and joy: their pork, chorizo and mozzarella burgers. Took them home and cooked them up and enjoyed them - just the right amount of chorizo to spice up the pork without overdoing it. Quite a chunky burger too and good value. And they are gorgeous. Don't take my word for it. It won second prize in May in the ACBI national barbeque competition!

And that is not the only award that Crowley’s, owned jointly by Criostoir and Jim Crowley, have won in recent years. You can see the list here and it includes five Bridgestone’s in a row, the most recent for 2012.

Prize-winning pork burger!

Criostoir: “Attention to detail is what makes us leaders in our field. Our product is thoroughly traceable. Crowley’s is a family business spanning two generations and has a very good reputation locally. The fact that many restaurants in the area use us as their supplier is testimony to the quality assurance that we bring to the marketplace.”

The Midleton Food Festival may come around just once a year but you can visit that sparkling welcoming shop on the town’s Mill Road all year round. Worth a detour!

Sun Shines on Midleton Food Festival

Midleton Food Festival

Top centre: Birthday boy Barrie Tyner at the Farmers Market

and, right, Mella and her award winning Fudge at the Festival

Enjoyed my ramble through the busy Midleton Food Festival yesterday morning. We had a couple of bags with us but were soon presented with another by the Festival folks as we walked down the main street.

Lots of activity. There was a small craft fair in one side street, a photo exhibition in another. Perhaps the best off-street atmosphere was at Sage Restaurant where their courtyard saw salads being served nonstop, punters relaxing in the sun on giant bean-bags and a live band in action. “Like a mini Electric picnic,” quipped Head Chef Kevin Aherne.

Back then to the big picnic on the street. Lots of hot food available, including kangaroo steaks. On the Pig's Back were busy as was Ballymaloe Relish and they were lining up to sample Mella’s gorgeous fudge. Seymours gorgeous biscuits were also in demand and I helped myself to a few packets of the Cheese Biscuits.

Day’s of Whitegate had a big stand and a big crowd. Ballycotton Seafood were also busy; picked up some fresh John Dory there and also a bunch of mackerel. Big rings of Clonakilty black pudding were being cooked in huge batches and sold on the spot. Close by, BBQ Joe’s were ready for action.

Some of the local restaurants, including Pizzeria San Marco, joined in the spirit of the day and the pizza slices were in demand. There is only so much food you can eat on a walk-through like this and I was more than happy with a tender steak sandwich from local butcher Jim Crowley, unbelievably tender!

Lots of hot food about but not too many producers in the Festival itself. To find them in numbers, you had to go to the usual Saturday morning market, and an excellent one it is, at the Cork side of the town. I’ve often thought that these producers, in Midleton every Saturday of the year, should be given pride of place on the main street on Festival day. I think it would add a solid backbone to the whole experience.

This band of musicians get attention!