White Gypsy on the Dubbel

Gypsy on the Dubbel

White Gypsy Belgian Dubbel, 8% abv, Bradley's, North Main Street, Cork.

The best craft brewer in Ireland? Heard that kind of praise for Tipperary’s White Gypsy recently. Not too long afterwards, I took a sup of this one. Wow!

It is mouth friendly, taste buds all quickly awake. No shortage of flavours, even a little spiciness, but the very friendly contact spells not excess but a smooth sophistication. Cool for sure but also strong.

The whole package, including the 8% abv and the 75cl bottle size, is aimed at food matching and White Gypsy says this is "an excellent choice for grilled oily fish like tuna or salmon". Would not argue.

Dubbel is "now understood to be a fairly strong (6 to 8% abv) brown ale, with understated bitterness, fairly heavy body and a pronounced fruitiness and cereal character. Example: Chimay Red/Premiere".

Other White Gypsy reviews, including the excellent Russian Imperial Stout here. 

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

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Taste of the Week

This Miner's Red, all the way from Donegal, is one of the best red ale's I've come across. Recommended. Available in Bradley's, North Main Street (€2.99).

Left to right: Tricia Kehoe, Sonia Birrer and Louise Devoy, with Calinka "The Tea Shop dog"

Banish Rainy Day Blues with Yerba Mate!

If you’re looking for something to kick start your day, or even something that will get you through the afternoon without keeping you up all night, The Tea Shop on MacCurtain Street has just the answer as it prepares to introduce Guayaki Organic and Fair Trade Yerba Mate to Cork City this summer.

A favourite for centuries with the indigenous tribes of South America and known as ‘nature’s most balanced stimulant’, Yerba Mate is high in anti-oxidants and has been consumed to enhance vitality, clarity, and general well-being. This herbal tea is a product of the Californian based company Guayaki, the world's first Fair Trade Yerba Mate supplier and renowned for its environmentally sustainable projects worldwide.

Now with growing interest from their customer base and a desire to promote this natural and tasty stimulant as the energy source of choice for Corkonians, The Tea Shop have just received their first order from Guayaki and are now serving a range of Yerba Mates, including Mate Lattes and Mate Mochas. Read more

Meath Food Safari

With words such as treaceability, sustainability and labelling hot on the lips of food consumers, Meath Producers have decided to open their doors in a novel way to demonstrate how supporting local is best. There will be two such Food Safari's taking place in Meath on August 4th and 5th.

The 'Bia Bus' will be loaded on August fourth with enthusiastic foodies around South Meath, starting in the gourmet village of Slane and visiting Producers such as Burkes Farm Ice Cream, Boyne Valley Blue Goats Cheese, The Whole Hogg Pork Producers, Keoghs Premium Vegetable Farm, there will be quirky stops along the way and it will accumulate in a Producers BBQ at the renowned Boyles Pub in Slane for some apres Safari fun.

The next day sees the Bia Bus follow the same format taking to the producers of North Meath including the Award Winning Kilbeg Dairies, Ryan Farm, Kerrigans Mushrooms and Hogans Turkey Farm. Again, there will be stops along the way and the day will accumulate in a producers BBQ in Jacks Porterhouse in Kells.

Tickets for the food safari are at an amazing rate of only €40.00 for the day which includes 'Bia Bus', tastings and Producers BBQ, so don't just visit the Boyne Valley this summer, taste it! Full details of how to book as well as all other events are to be found on http://www.meathfoodseries.ie/ or www.facebook/meathfoodseries.ie  

For further information; Contact Olivia Duff on 087.6167546 or livduff@yahoo.com or info@meathfoodseries.ie

Wine Tastings

Via The Wine Store Ireland

Join us for our fourth series of wine tastings in August and September.

Each week a guest speaker will present a selection of wines from the given region and we'll serve up a supper dish to match. All wine tastings take place at ely bar & brasserie and start at 7pm sharp.

Beginning with "Alternative Australia" on August 8th (Thursday) at ely bar & brasserie, IFSC.

We are all familiar with the Aussie Icons – Powerful, spicy Shiraz and ripe, tropical Chardonnays. But what’s really going on in Australia? Looking closer reveals a fascinating wine scene, bursting with ideas and experimentation. We will take a look what is making waves over there – up and coming regions, wine makers and exciting new varieties. Price: €45.00

Followed by:

"The Secrets of Spain" on August 22nd. Price: €45.00

"South America Treasures" on September 12th. Price: €45.00

"South Africa –Between two worlds" September 26th. Price: €45.00

To register please visit http://www.elywinebar.ie/about/wine-apreciation/ely-wine-tastings

Shorts

Glenisk Pop-Up Store Celebrates An Extra 10 Weeks With A Selection Of New Creative Combinations…

Due to to popular demand, Glenisk is delighted to announce its Dublin based UPFRONT AND PERSONAL pop-up store is set to remain open until the end of August at the corner of Dawson  Street and Duke Street. Read more here.

TheOrange Sour, with Hennessy Cognac

History of Port Wine 

Bottling and preserving tips via AllrecipesUK Ireland 

West Cork Garlic ‏@westcorkgarlic17 Jul

Real Olive Company now selling West Cork Garlic on their stall at most West Cork markets.

Supreme of Food at the Cove and superb Kinnegar Ales

John Dory at The Cove

We enjoyed the best of food this evening in the Cove at Port na Blagh. And the beer, all ales by the local Kinnegar Brewery, weren’t half bad either!

Peter and Siobhan’s Cove is a well respected restaurant in these parts and we were shown why this evening. Made our choices in the very comfortable upstairs bar. 

And here I was delighted to see the Kinnegar selection on the menu. During the evening, worked my way through the ales, the Limeburner Pale Ale, the Scraggy Bay India Pale Ale and the Devil’s Backbone Amber Ale. Thought all three were excellent.  My number one went to the IPA while CL picked the Limeburner.

The food was something else. CL enjoyed, without reservation,  her Donegal Crab and Smoked Salmon Paupiettes while my Roasted Fresh Figs, filled with Cashel Blue cheese and Parma ham, was an exquisite dish.

Good food policy!

My lips just lick themselves once I think of my mains: Classic Cassoulet, a rich casserole of confit duck, Toulouse sausage, smoked bacon and Cannellini beans, slow cooked in red wine. C’est super! And CL’s was delicate and gorgeous. It was one of the Fish of the Day specials: John Dory with lightly curried leeks. Both came with a choice of side dishes. 

Not too much room for desert but we did share the Chocolate Pot with Raspberries with which I sipped a Macchiato. There is a long summer ahead. So do get to the Cove if you can at all. Highly recommended!

With a decision made to return to Donegal and check out the southern half, there was no need to go long distance today. But we did head over the Mulroy Bay Bridge for a second time to drive a small stretch of the Fanad peninsula that we had missed. Main town on the way was Kerrykeel (also spelt Carrowkeel). Amazing how much fish-farming is going on in the waters of the bay.

Headed back to Carrigart and had a lovely coffee break at Caife na Sráide, run by the McClaffertys. There is a welcoming warm atmosphere and a menu to suit all ages and outdoor seating if the weather is kind. The village also boasts a smashing little public park down by the water.

So an easy going day ahead of check out tomorrow morning. But which bed to sleep in? The box bed by the Aga or the 4 Poster upstairs?

Back to diary index

Coeliac Friendly Estrella

Coeliac Friendly Estrella

It was at Gilbey’s Wine Portfolio tasting in the Clarion earlier in the week that I came across the Estrella Daura, their gluten free lager. Quite a nice one too. Brand manager Ealron Kennedy had quite a few other beers there as well including the Estrella Inedit, the beer developed in association with Ferran Adria and the famous El-Bulli restaurant.

But I had a particular interest in the Daura as a friend of mine is a coeliac so I took a few details for his information. It is a refreshing good quality beer, brewed by Estrella Damm, a sponsor of Barcelona FC, a fact that should appeal to my buddy as should its endorsement by the Coeliac Society of Ireland. Ealron told me it is on sale widely and certainly in Dunnes Stores.

Expanded my research a little further and found that, of course, it was also on sale in Bradley’s Off Licence in North Main Street. And, when I checked with Michael Creedon in Bradley’s, he told had more gluten free beers and, in a few seconds, he had gathered a few (see photo).

Gleeson incorporating Gilbey’s are building their craft beer selection and I heard later in the afternoon that one of the leading Irish craft brewers will soon have their products included in the portfolio.

The World Beer Award winner for 2010, the Weihenstephan Vitus, is already in the Gilbey’s line-up and was available for tasting at the Clarion. I like my wheat beers. This is a strong one, 7.7% abv, with a taste to match; well balanced though.

The Dunkel, a dark wheat beer, comes from the same stable as does the Hefe, a cloudy wheat beer. The brewery, dating back to 1040, is regarded as the oldest in the world.

Ealron also had some Belgium beers (Vedett and Duvel), the Czech Budejovicke Pivo and a couple of Dutch (Bavaria Lager and Bavaria Regular Malt). Always thought Bavaria was a German beer but now I know better!

Festival at Franciscan Well

The Franciscan Well Festival

Enjoyed my afternoon at the Franciscan Well Festival. Loads of choice with beers and cider from all over. The Festival continues tomorrow Sunday from 2.00pm. Get on down!

Top right: Yours truly and Caroline of 8 Degrees; bottom left: Ronan
Brennan of Galway Hooker and Daniel Emerson of Stonewell Cider.

Top Irish Beers at Bradley’s

Top Irish Beers at Bradley’s

Blackrock stout
at the Cliff Town House

While in Bradley’s recently (always recently!), I had an enjoyable chat with Michael Creedon about the amount of Irish beers now on the market and we began to discuss our favourites and also the top selling beers from the dozens and dozens available in the North Main Street store.

So we went to work on a few lists but decided to leave out seasonal beers, which we both enjoy. In the past couple of months, I was delighted whenever I had a glass of A Winter’s Ale (8 Degree Brewing) or one of the Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal Stout in my hand. Draught beers – the Tom Crean lager and the Franciscan Well’s Friar Weisser are among my current favourites – were also left out of these lists.

When it comes to bottled Irish, I have a grá for the black stuff. The boys out in Blair’s introduced me to the Blackrock Stout by the Dungarvan Brewing Company the best part of a year back and it has been a firm favourite since.

And it was in Blair’s also that I met the folks from the West Kerry Brewing Company. I had already made the acquaintance of their Carraig Dubh porter and that too is building up into a long term relationship.

When it comes to ales, I have a preference for the wheat beers. Not too many bottled in Ireland but one that is and one that I really like is Curim by the Carlow Brewing Company.

Don’t think I’ve really made up my mind about a favourite among the regular ales. The current top choice is the Galway Hooker Irish Pale Ale but I’m open to offers!

 In any case, I mustn’t be drinking enough of them as none of mine have made the best sellers list in Bradley’s where the current top four selling Irish craft beers are:

O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale (abv 5.2%)
This pale ale has a light malt base with just the right mouth feel to allow the hop character to predominate. Grapefruit like bitterness is full and lasting and is balanced by a zesty citrus burst of aroma from the late addition of cascade hops. The Citrus flavours give way at the end to the floral, spicy bitterness of Amarillo hops.

Eight Degrees Howling Gale Ale (abv 5%)
It pours a pale golden colour and the malty sweetness is well balanced by the American Chinook, Amarillo and Centennial hops. Howling Gale has a pleasant grapefruit and citrus aroma and goes well with fish, chicken or anything off the barbeque.

Porterhouse Brewing Hop Head (abv 4.8%)
A fulsome, winsome strong ale. A deep copper tinged brew for the true aficionado, longer fermentation and thrice hopping bring about a complex soft bitterness allied to a malt induced sweetness with the characteristic oily Fuggles hop perfume.

Dark Arts Porter, 500ml (abv 4.4%)
 A dark, almost black porter, named for the part of the brewing process not quite covered by science.
Dark Arts is brewed using a healthy dose of Black malt and Chocolate malt, to add to the flavour as well as to give the beer its dark colour. This unfiltered porter has a clear roasty flavour, but with hints of caramel and chocolate, while maintaining enough bitter hop presence to preserve its balance.

 I wasn't letting Michael Creedon off the hook and asked him to pick the “house” favourites: “Our favourite Irish craft beers and the ones we like to recommend change with the seasons and even with our mood! Ones we’re really enjoying at the moment include -

White Gypsy Belgian Dubell (abv 8%)
A dry slightly spicy beer with a fruity finish. An excellent choice for grilled oily fish like tuna and salmon.

Dungarvan Brewing Helvick Gold Blonde Ale (abv 4.9%)
 A great introduction to the world of craftbeer, this blonde ale is not a bland ale. There is a complexity at play here with a fruity aroma balanced by a hoppiness that makes it a slightly challenging but still quite easy to drink beer.

O’Hara’s Leann Folláin (abv 6%)
O’Hara’s Leann Folláin Stout is laden with complex chocolate and coffee flavours balanced by a robust bitterness and delicate spicy aroma imparted from the generous portions of Northdown and Fuggle Hops.

Eight Degrees Brewing Knockmealdown Porter (abv 5%)
 A robust malt-driven ale balances dark malts with some old world bitter hops. It won’t weigh you down like a stout and offers a rich chocolaty aroma with a burst of espresso.

Now, what are your top four?

Blair’s Inn. Hot Food and Fire!

Blair’s Inn. Hot Food and Fire!



Hard to beat a seat by the fire these days, especially one by the fireside in Blair’s Inn where, in addition to the comfort (not to mention the craic), you have a fantastic choice of top nosh and beer.

Called in there yesterday for lunch and got that seat by the fire before settling down to study the fantastic menu, the beer menu that is. Lots of craft beer on draught and much more in bottle, including the new deliciously spiced A Winter’s Ale from 8 Degrees.

St Tola Goat Cheese Tartlet

I picked a pint of the draught Friar Weisse (Franciscan Well) and then began to study the other fantastic menu as the place began to fill up. No slack here on a Tuesday! No shortage of craic either. One diner was advised that drinking too much water could result in rust!

Some great producer names on the menu but when I saw two of them together, I couldn’t resist. My choice: Warm Salad of Ummera Smoked Chicken and Gubbeen Chorizo. Delicious. CL also hit the jackpot with a terrific plateful of Warm St Tola Goat Cheese Tart with smoked salmon and creamed leeks. 

Corned Beef.

Resisting the urge to try some seasonal game, we agreed on the mains which is a house special. It is the Silverside of O’Crualaoi’s Irish Corned Beef on a bed of champ served with cabbage and a parsley sauce, not to mention a side plate of veg and another of baked potato. You can’t go wrong with this one. Highly recommended.

Indeed, the Blair’s Inn experience is highly recommended. Some great choices here. About a half dozen starters, all served with their Black Rock Stout Brown Bread. Then you may choose from a dozen main courses. Not too sure about the desserts, as we didn’t get that far!

White Gypsy Likes Her Food

White Gypsy Likes Her Food

American Pale Ale, 7.5%, 75cl bottle, €7.99 Bradley’s

Dark amber colour and a really bitter taste. Sufficient initial head soon reduces to a thin lacy cover. A really good balance of malt and hops (which they grow themselves). The bitterness doesn’t make your mouth pucker but it is obvious enough in the dry finish. Good body, made for food, and should perform ably at the table. Maybe that’s why I served it in a Reidel glass!

Tipperary Brewery White Gypsy, where Cuilan Loughnane is owner and brewer, intends this ale, one of a series of four beers, as a food beer and Cuilan says this is great with spicy dishes and grilled chicken. So you might well see it in restaurants in the near future and that would be no bad thing.

Russian Imperial Stout, 7%, 75cl bottle, €7.99 Bradley’s

Have been enjoying the excellent Irish craft stouts over the past 12 months and thought I might get on well with this one from its initial caramel aromas.

The ample head soon settled down to a see through cap but the toasty flavours remained intense and smoky right through to the dry finish.

The stout, like the ale, is part of a series, the big bottles aimed at the restaurant market. Indeed it, and the others, carry a food pairing recommendation. 

Didn’t have a steak handy for this one but did have a chunk of Gubbeen Smoked cheese. Like all good pairings, neither dominated and they proved a good match.

Also in the series (not tasted, yet!):

German Doppelbock 750ml  ABV:7.5%, A sweet malty beer with a juicy toffee finish. A perfect match for venison and roast pork and terrific with sweet vegetables.

Belgian Dubell 750ml  ABV:8%, A dry slightly spicy beer with a fruity finish. An excellent choice for grilled oily fish like tuna and salmon.

Brewing it up in Ballyferriter

Brewing it up in Ballyferriter

The English tourist could hardly believe his eyes as he drove through Ballyferriter. Bric’s Brew Pub, the sign said. He jammed on the brakes and spent a few happy hours sipping the products of the West Kerry Brewery (Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne). 

My arrival there last weekend was nowhere near as dramatic. I had been looking for the pub, Tigh Bhric, and already knew of its top notch products.

We had met proprietors Paul and Adrienne at the Munster Tweet-up in Blair’s and had already sampled some of their porter which, like the other drinks, is available in Bradley’s, North Main Street.

The summer season is a busy one here in beautiful Ballyferriter and then the crowds start to taper off so it was quite slack on the second Saturday of November. Paul started up the fire and we had a chat and a drink, choosing to go for the Béal Bán, available on draught.

I had already tasted this in Blair’s. It is light and refreshing golden ale with a slight malty sweetness and a bitter finish, imparted by a generous helping of hops. Indeed, one could see why the English aficionado would feel at home here.

Paul was soon joined by Adrienne, the brewer, and they told us that they use water from their own well to brew the beers, both cask and bottled. The Malt is predominantly Irish and the beers are brewed naturally, with no additives or preservatives.

Carraig Dubh is perhaps the best known of the three main beers and one that I certainly enjoy. It is a traditional porter, rich and dark in flavour with plenty of roasted malt giving hints of coffee, vanilla and dark chocolate. A really rich and smooth drink, well worth a try.

Must admit to a liking also for the Béal Bán but I must yet sample the Dark Red Ale, the Cúl Dorcha. This, according to the brewery tasting notes, which are very accurate as regards the other two, is soft and mellow on the palate with a fruitiness suggesting forest berries.

Might have to stay overnight the next time and do a proper tasting of all the beers. And that would be no hardship either as Tig Bhric provides visitors and locals alike with a wide range of services. “From select accommodation to fine food, traditional and contemporary music, and a unique bar with an emphasis on the arts, we offer our customers a service in an authentic setting.” 

“Situated in the middle of some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland, visitors are afforded the opportunity to experience both the landscape, local culture and the numerous activities available within a short distance of our establishment.”

The West Kerry Brewery  itself is a partnership between two pubs with a history of friendship. About four years ago, Tigh Bhric and Tigh Uí Catháin recognised the need to provide their customers with a local brew. They now know that it goes down a treat also with the many visitors to the lovely area. Including this one!

Munster Eat-up at Blair’s Inn

Munster Eat-up at Blair’s Inn

Cheers to the Blairs. Duncan, Richard and their crew put in a tremendous show at the packed Cloghroe inn last evening as they hosted the latest version of the travelling show they've christened #munstertwEATup.

Most of the host restaurants so far have concentrated on the food element but the Blair boys went a step further as they added a craft brew layer with both beer and cider featured. Indeed, the evening started with a delicious Stonewell Cider Kir, sipped by the fireside.

Even the breads had a beer input: Black Rock Stout Brown Bread; Howling Gale Ale, Shandrum Cheese and Chive Bread; and a Cul Dorcha Toasted Walnut and Thyme Bread.  Dungarvan BrewCo, 8 Degrees and the West Kerry Brewery were represented on the night and there was a beer with each course.

Corned beef

 From a choice of starters, I picked the Ummera Smoked Chicken, Glenilen Farm Yoghurt, Celery and Apple Salad and the beer was Beal Ban, a pale English style bitter from West Kerry. A really tasty plateful and a good beer match. We were up and running.

The local theme continued with the next dish: Crispy Pork Belly, Seared Scallops, Stonewell Cider Foam, Apple and Celeriac Puree, McCarthy Black Pudding Crumble and Wild Ballyhoura Mushrooms. Quite a mouthful! All eased down with glass of the popular Howling Gale Ale from 8 Degrees.

I had enjoyed an opening pint of Friar Weisse from the Franciscan Well and that too featured in the Beer and Lime Sorbet. After that refreshing pause, it was on to the main course. We had a choice of three: Venison (Blair's are renowned for their game), Corned Beef or Hake.

Here, along with a glass of the well known Blarney Blonde from the Franciscan Well, I tucked into the Silverside of O’Crualaoi’s Corned Beef on a Leek Champ and cabbage served with a Parsley Sauce. Not a crumb remained!

Checking out Dungarvan Brew-Co's Project X ar Blair's

Also got a sample of the Baked Fillet of Hake on Roasted Peppers with a rustic Gubbeen Chorizo, Tomato and Chickpea Sauce but CL wasn’t as generous with her Helvick Head Blonde Ale from Dungarvan Brewco.

The beers and cider also featured in the gorgeous desert in a pot: Stonewell Cider and Blarney Blonde Ale Snake Bite Bavarois topped with a Carraig Dubh Chocolate Mousse. Smooth stuff and a very appropriate end to a lovely meal.

The Burren Brewery

The Burren Brewery

Ireland's Smallest Micro-Brewery!

When you walk into the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna, you see the normal beer dispensers on the high counter. But then, in the middle, you see something totally different: three unusual taps labelled Gold, Red and Black.

Owner Peter Curtin has his own brewery here, “the smallest micro-brewery in Ireland”, and the taps, designed by a local artist, dispense his lager (Burren Gold), ale (Burren Red) and stout (Burren Black). And very tasty they are too, as we discovered after a tasting of the three.

The brewery, just over 12 months old, is upstairs and Peter showed us up his stairway to heaven! It is all neat and compact. He has got some very good gear here and a great love for the task as we found out. And the pub is the only place that you can get these beers.

The pub itself, just a few miles from the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, has a very long history, in family hands since 1893. But the Curtins were also bakers and that history goes back even further, hundreds of years. Nowadays the pub is also noted for its food and, this year, was voted “Best Gastro-pub in Munster” by the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

 Timing wasn’t quite right for us to eat there but the menu is filled with delicious dishes such as traditional Irish bacon, Cabbage and Parsley sauce and a slightly less traditional rendition of Irish stew (featuring local Burren beef in place of the more typical lamb).

Pride of place is given to several dishes featuring Smoked Fish and Eel from the family's award-winning Burren Smokehouse, run by Peter and Birgitta Curtin. Try the Burren smoked fish platter which is served with organic leaves from nearby New Quay. The Burren Smokehouse  is literally a few yards down the road and well worth a visit. And they have a great shop there too with local products from other producers. You may also buy online.

And don’t skip dessert in the Tavern. Peter says they are fabulous, homemade by Fabiola's Patisserie in Doolin. Fabiola has worked in Michelin starred restaurants and you may also sample her pastry delights at the Cafe in the Doolin Crafts Centre.


Food and good beer. What more do you want? Well, you get much more in this bar as there is a fantastic music programme throughout the season. That series is drawing to a close now but not before paying a massive tribute to Micilín Conlon (who played in the pub for all of 57 years) over three nights (26th,27th,28th of October). And, on the Saturday and Sunday (4.00 to 6.00pm), there will be a tasting combining the local beers, breads and cheese. Sounds great.

If you like a laugh, you’ll never be short of one with Peter and his crew in the Roadside. His sense of humour was seen at its sharpest recently when he more or less hi-jacked the Thursday set aside for Arthur and instead designated it Peter’s Day with pints of Burren Beer selling at three euro.

The beers are very popular with tourists. They are good, really good. So why not call in if you are in the area. Worth a detour, as they say in the best guides.

 Also visited: Cliffs of Moher   Wild Honey Inn  St Tola Goat Cheese Lahinch area Ballyvaughan Tea and Garden Rooms The Burren

Opening night at The Hub

Opening night at The Hub

Grainne Connolly, Caroline Buckley and Caroline Ellard from Crosshaven

Cork’s newest craft and specialty import beer house, The Hub, opened officially a week back.
Manager Lauren O’Shea was proud to show off this newly relaunched Anglesea Street house, stocked to the brim with craft, local and international beers.

I certainly enjoyed my visit to beer heaven. I’m on something of a wheat beer kick at the moment and sampled the Erdinger Weissbier and then Schneider Weise, both top class. There are 15 different specially beers on tap. Not easy to make a choice. However The Hub offers a tasting tray of three and I took this route and enjoyed Hoegaarden, Blue Moon (the one with the orange slice!) and Krombacher. Choices galore too on the bottle side with over fifty available.

Lauren O'Shea, Manager, with Mick and Margot O'Shea

Opening night guests were treated to eye popping magic from mentalist and mind reader Liam Sheehan, as he managed to stick playing cards stuck to the ceiling, find money on the inside of a kiwi fruit and magically make beer bottles disappear through tables.

In the back of the bar there is a secluded beer garden, and here a farmers market type set up was in place. Gidi made delicious Isreali kebabs from a mixture of fresh minced beef and lamb, mixed with spices and stuffed in an organic pitta with youghurt and salad.

Anita Radley, C&R Drinks, and Kieran Curtin, Carrigaline

Craft brewers and their representatives were present on the night.These included Ciara Kissane of Molson Coors, Anita Radley from world beer importers, Cremin and Radley, and Jim Kelly of C&C group.

The party continued into the night with guests from all over enjoying the atmosphere at Cork’s newest craft and import speciality beer house in the heart of the southside.

Contact: info@thehubcork.com

9 Anglesea Street, Cork, IE.
(021) 497 5774

You'll have Time for a Quart?

Have You Time for a Quart?


West Kerry Brewery’s Carraig Dubh Traditional Porter, 5.5% abv, €3.99 at Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork.

This hand crafted porter from the West Kerry Gaeltacht is sold in 50cl bottles. It is bottle conditioned and made from malted barley, hops, yeast and spring water “from our own spring”. Not very much information on the website. The email address is brewery@tigbhric.ie.

Colour, you’ve guessed it, is black (dubh) with a fragile creamy coloured head. Nothing fragile about the rest of it. The introduction to the palate is smooth, seductive, chocolate-ly and there is no letting go as the lingering finish is along the same lines. One to sip and savour, arís is arís.



Franciscan Well’s Rebel Red Irish Craft Ale, 4.3% abv, part of 4 for €10.00 deal at Bradley’s, North Main Street.

An award winner back as far as 2001 but only recently available in bottle (50cl). Ingredients are water, malted barley, English hops and ale yeast. The back label is crowded but has very little info on the ale itself. You can go to the brewery site for more details.

There is a mild hoppy aroma on the nose and an inviting creamy head on an amber/red body. Engaging mouthfeel, full flavoured with a lip licking malty sensation before a good dry finish. Well balanced. Go on. Have a cut, as we say around here.

Carlow’s Curim. A Golden Treat

Carlow’s Curim. A Golden Treat
Curim Gold, Celtic Wheat Beer, 4.3%, Carlow Brewing Company 


Took an instant liking to this because of the look: gold, bright and sparkling.

Can’t always judge a book by its cover but this instant judgement worked out well on this occasion. The lightly hopped beer is a terrific refreshing drink with hints of fruit and a good dry finish.

Definitely my favourite of the three Carlow beers in this tasting, thanks to a win in a recent online Galvin’s Wine.

O’Hara’s Red Ale, 4.3% abv, Carlow Brewing Company

This is really red, quite a dark one! With hoppy aromas; malty and caramel on the palate, really pleasant and then a tasty dry finish. Convinced and converted.

O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale, 5.2%, Carlow Brewing Company

“A full and lasting bitterness”, they say on the bottle. And I can agree with that as there is a stout like dryness in this deep amber beer.

“...followed by a zesty citrus burst.” Not too sure about that. Not to my liking but do try it for yourself. That is the beauty of craft beers. There are so many, you are sure to find some that you will really like as companies such as Carlow are rapidly banishing the bland.

O’Hara’s: A Double on The Dark Side

O’Hara’s: The Dark Side
Tasty Stout Double

Most craft breweries would be happy with one good stout but the crew at Carlow Brewing Company  have come up with two, both under the O’Hara’s label. Thanks to a recent win in a competition by distributors Galvin’s Wine, I enjoyed both last night.

O’Hara’s Traditional Irish Stout, 4.3%, Carlow Brewing Company 

Award winning...full bodied...luxuriously smooth. That is what it says on the bottle and it is all of that. Definitely a traditional stout, dry and smooth and full of lip smacking flavour with a finish that says don’t leave me too long on my own.
An award winner as far back as 2000 and still on O’Hara’s first team. Be sure to put it in your selection.

• The head though is more cream coloured than white!
• Suggested food pairings: Excellent with Seafood particularly shellfish and smoked salmon. Also pairs well with strong flavoured cheeses and dry cured meats such as Parma ham.
• Carlow Brewing’s own tasting notes here

O’Hara’s Leann Follain Extra Irish Stout, 6.0%, Carlow Brewing Company

Another award winner. Smooth and powerful and a more noticeable bitterness to balance the complex chocolate and coffee flavours. Full bodied for sure but it purrs on the palate, a Rolls Royce of stout. Indeed, a terrific example – not the only one around! – of how the country’s craft brewers can banish the bland to the bars of yesterday.

• Suggested food pairings: Matches well with any strong cheeses or cured meats.  Also goes well with desserts.
• Carlow Brewing’s own tasting notes here

Three New Classy Craft Beers

High Class Beer Hat-trick

Put June 5^th in your beer diary. On that Tuesday, new Cork craft brewery Elbow Lane will launch its Angel Stout. On the 20^th, it is the turn of Elbow Lager and later in the month you’ll see Wisdom Ale make its debut. Elbow, Angel and Wisdom, are the names of three Cork lanes and now the names of a classy hat trick of beers.

Elbow Lane, who are associated with the Market Lane and Castle Café restaurants, used their experience in that line when formulating the beers. “With this in mind, we set about creating three beers that we could serve with pride alongside our food...” They have succeeded spectacularly.

All three beers are made according to the German Purity Laws and only natural ingredients are used, nothing artificial, no enzymes, flavourings, preservatives or colours.

Wisdom Ale. 4.7%ABV. Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Hops.

My first sample was the Wisdom Ale and I was very happy with it from its amber colour and the initial caramel aromas. Flavour is a mild toasty malt with a dry finish. “This ale is excellent with many foods and uniquely satisfying as a stand-alone pint.” I can wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

Elbow Lager. 4.5%ABV. Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Hops.

Colour is a lighter amber and it is mild and refreshing and “owes its flavour to barley malt and a generous hop bitterness”. This one is a gem and a delightful treat for beer lovers. I had been waiting for a really class local lager and here it is!

Angel Stout. 5.1%ABV. Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Hops.

This has the traditional black colour and a malty aroma. Excellent flavour, smooth with nice spicy kicks before finishing dry. Recommended for steaks, stews and curries. Eating in Market Lane and the Castle will never be the same again!

Elbow’s Conrad Howard tells me that they intend to have the products available in other restaurants and off licences shortly after launch. The best way to keep in touch with developments is via their website at www.elbowlane.ie where you can sign up to follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Stay in touch with these good things!

Walking the Dog. aka The Beer Session

Walking the Dog: The Beer Session

Dungarvan Brewery Helvick Gold (4.9abv) and

Dungarvan Brewery Copper Coast (4.3 abv)

The Helvick Gold is a blonde ale but far from bland. It has a fruity aroma and a good balance of flavour and acidity.

I had been impressed with the Copper Coast at a recent meal in Fenn’s Quay and was happy to find myself still impressed at this home tasting. It is smooth and fruity and its definite caramel character is balanced by the use of crystal malt.

This is just about my favourite of the two Dungarvan bottles and a worthy and serious contender in this international “competition”.

Heineken’s Newcastle Browne Ale (4.7 abv)

This is the only one of these four to come in a 550ml bottle; all the others are the standard 500. Apparently the trick here is to serve it in a smaller glass to enable frequent top-ups to maintain the frothy head. It is a bitter and has a lovely smooth flavour.

The label has some of the Geordie wit even if the beer is now brewed in Yorkshire. I always thought “going to see a man about a dog” or "taking the dog for a walk" (especially if you had no dog) meant have a piddle in the bushes but in Newcastle it means going to the pub for a couple of these beauties.

Fuller’s London Pride Premium Ale (4.7 abv)

Fuller’s make a range and this is their most famous with its distinctive rounded flavour, possibly the best ale I’ve ever tasted, flavoursome, smooth and balanced. So that came in at number one in this round with the Copper Coast and the Newcastle sharing second spot.

This little contest came about when I spotted a deal in the local branch of O’Donovan’s, the four bottles (some others also available) bundled for eleven euro. Reckon that dog could do with another walk!

MATCHING CHEESE AND BEER! Bank Holiday challenge!

Irish Farmhouse Cheese & Craft Beer Weekend

Join the celebrations taking place 27^th – 31^st October 2011

During the October Bank Holiday Weekend, Bord Bia aims to raise awareness of the breadth of Irish farmhouse cheeses and craft beers amongst consumers by initiating the Irish Farmhouse Cheese and Craft Beer Weekend.

At present, there are approximately 50 farmhouse cheese makers in Ireland producing over 140 varieties of cheese and 17 craft brewers. Both crafts are not just about the flavour but also the people, personalities, places and stories behind them.

To celebrate this, Bord Bia is looking for producers and foodies to hold a tasting event, talk or demonstration in an effort to show that craft beer (not just wine!) is an excellent accompaniment to cheese. Events can be in cheese-houses/farms, breweries, restaurants, pubs, gastropubs, off-licences, markets and other suitable venues.

Bord Bia will provide event hosting tips, recipe ideas and PR materials in advance. For further information or to organise an event, please contact Stephanie Moe of Bord Bia by Monday, 3rd October 2011 at 01-6142254 or stephanie.moe@bordbia.ie.