Rising Tide’s Special for Fish

Rising Tide’s Special for Fish

Bream

The Rising Tide’s menu caters for most tastes but, if your taste is for fish, your luck is in at this picturesquely situated Glounthaune venue. You can have your steak, your corn fed chicken, your pasta but do check out the blackboard as the chefs here take a great pride in their specials and more than likely, these will be fish and appropriately so, considering the harbourside location of Sandra Murphy’s bar cum restaurant, a long established favourite for both locals and visitors.

We, both of us with a big grá for fish, were in luck when we called in midweek as the board featured two tempting fish specials, one for each of us! Not that there was any shortage of fish on the general menu. We could have had fish and chips two ways,  and there was also hake, cod and a fish pie, not to mention the regular mussels and oysters dishes.

I went for the Pan-fried King scallops with char-grilled aubergine and fresh salsa. Don't think I’ve ever had the scallop-aubergine combination before but it was a fantastic tasty mix, an appealing pairing by the Rising Tide chefs and so well presented.

Scallops, aubergine

I don't think I really needed anything else with it but there was no shortage on the sides with, between the two of us, salad, vegetables, and french fries all available. CL’s main dish was another well executed gem: Grilled sea-bream fillets set on a basil and goats cheese risotto. The risotto was lovely on its own and also a superb match with the well cooked fish. Big compliments to Head Chef Craig Guiney.

Quite an enticing list of starters here too, including Chowder, Crab, Goat’s Cheese, and Prawns, all sourced locally, as are the ingredients for the main dishes.  

After enjoying the breads and dips, I tucked into my opening dish. This was a delicate delicious starter: Lemongrass and Honey Chicken, cooked in a parma ham cream sauce in a savoury tartlet. CL got a bit more than she bargained for with two big discs of Jack McCarthy Wild Boar Black Pudding. Served with cider apple and seasonal leaves, this was a flavoursome reminder as to why McCarthy’s black pudding is regarded as the best in the country.

Black pudding and, top: Chicken starter (right) and dessert (Lemon & Figs)

By the time the main courses were polished off, a debate started on the desserts and the final agreement was to share the Lemon and Fig Posset and this, so velvety and so smooth, proved to be another little beauty from the Rising Tide kitchen.

Being a full bar, there is a great variety of drinks here. I enjoyed my pint of Rebel Red from the Franciscan Well while CL was very happy with a glass of Santa Sofia Pinot Grigio, billed, rather truthfully,  as “much richer and full bodied than your average Pinot Grigio”.

The Rising Tide

• Glounthaune Village,
• Cork

  Phone	(021) 435 3233
  Email	sandra@therisingtide.ie
  Website	http://www.therisingtide.ie

Beer, Whiskey and Music, Music! Brewer Shane revisits the Whiskey Well

Beer, Whiskey and Music, Music!

Brewer Shane revisits the Whiskey Well

Shane Long (left) and Dave Quinn.

The new Franciscan Well Jameson Aged Pale Ale was launched during a lively evening in the Oliver Plunkett, Cork. Tuesday night’s event saw the new beer make its bow in the presence of Jameson whiskey, good company, and music upstairs and downstairs.

You may not hear it much nowadays but back in the day, “a pint and a drop” was a regular order in Irish public houses. But that pint (it could have been any of the stouts) and that drop (unless specified, could have been Paddy, Powers or whatever bottle was already open).

This new pairing though “is a specific pairing” according to the Franciscan Well’s Shane Long who went on to say that the ale’s bitterness had to be “toned down to accommodate the whiskey. This is not any old whiskey and beer”.

“The first batch of the ale won an international award and this second batch is even better”, said Shane who also revealed that the beer went into casks at 4% abv and came out with a 6% rating, hence the smaller bottle size (33cl). By the way, the casks (which had been used twice for whiskey) are now back in the distillery and are filled again with whiskey. “Watch this space!” we were told. And do watch out too for the famous Jameson Stout from the Well as that will be available again before Christmas.

Dave Quinn, Irish Distillers Master of Whiskey Science, filled us on on some of the technical details of the collaboration between the distillery and the brewery and went to describe the well-known well-loved whiskey. “Jameson is a complex whiskey but smooth and easy to drink with fruit, spice and floral characteristics. It is not smokey.”

The new beer is described as having biscuit and malt notes “with a hint of gooseberry fruity tartness, balanced by citrusy hop bitterness, and a smooth whiskey oak finish”. It is excellent on its own.

The Pairing.

But it reaches another level when “paired” with the whiskey. Take a sip of the Jameson and enjoy! Then follow with a sip of beer and you’ll appreciate an enhanced experience. The bitter hops of the pale ale are in perfect balance with the sweetness of the whiskey. And the combination leads to a smooth mellow finish. Time maybe to revive the pint and drop. Perhaps a glass and a drop!

The fun continued with Master Cooper Ger Buckley from Irish Distillers dismantling and reassembling a whiskey cask in the impressive Frisky Irish Whiskey room of the Oliver Plunkett and we had our own band upstairs. As live music played, I tried some of the other Franciscan Well beers on offer, starting with Friar Weisse (an old favourite of mine) and moving on to the excellent Chieftain IPA.

And it wasn't all drink. We had some nibbles at the start but the bar’s chef then treated us to some more substantial examples of his kitchen’s skills later on. Very good (especially that absolutely delicious slow cooked Beef Cheek pie) and very much appreciated. Finished the beer downstairs entertained by terrific traditional musicians and some energetic dancers! A lively pub, music every night of the week, and one to re-visit!

Food
* The new beer is available across Cork’s Whiskey Way bars where the staff are trained to educate punters about beer and whiskey pairing. Those bars are: Canty’s, Counihan’s, Electric, Le Chateau, SoHo Bar, The Mutton Lane Inn, The Oliver Plunkett, The Oval, The Roundy and The Woodford.

Music.

Mussel Bites make a Tasty Tuesday Lunch!

Mussel Bites make a Tasty Tuesday Lunch!

The sun was out and about last Tuesday and the garden swing beckoned. And no problem about lunch as I had just arrived in from town with a pack of frozen Mussel Bites. Frozen. Yes, but no problem as these delicious bites can be cooked from frozen.

No need to wash or “beard” these beauties, all the way from Beara, and about 20 minutes later, with some leaves from the garden and sipping from a bottle of Rebel Red Ale by Franciscan Well, we were dining al fresco. Must say that the mussels, covered with multi-grain and garlic, were absolutely delicious and they went down very well with the ale.

With better days ahead, I’ll be sticking a few packs (€4.99 each)  of these in the freezer. They are very handy for a quick lunch and would also make a lovely starter or could even be served tapas style.

Beara Seafoods is a locally-based, family run company.  Its owner Ger Lynch is a fifth generation fisherman with thirty seven years experience in the cultivation and harvesting of mussels.  The mussels used in the product are locally grown on the Kenmare Bay, in SAC approved waters (Special Area of Conservation).  They are cultivated without the use of artificial feed or treatment of any sort and are packed with Atlantic goodness.  The Lynchs have taken a trusted family recipe and combined the two to create our delicious 100% Irish Mussel Bites. 

Helen Lynch told me that the succulent mussels are rolled in multi grain (rolled oats as well as a little rice and wheat) and real garlic is also added.  ”These Mussels Bites are healthy, low in fat and delicious too.  A 100g portion contains only 152 calories and 1.5g of fat; they are also packed with essential fish oils and protein.  What's more, they are very convenient for the modern family; suitable for baking, grilling or frying.  We recommend baking as it's a simple and healthy way of cooking.” 

“Our mussels have all the goodness of slow-food without the labour intensive preparation beforehand; a delicious, filling and healthy alternative to the more processed breaded products on the market.”  

Stockists:

Mussel Bites are available in over ten SuperValu branches throughout Munster and Beara Seafoods  intend to expand that list in the coming weeks.  Local (city-based) outlets include: 

Scally's SuperValu on the Mahon Road

Ryan's SuperValu, Glanmire and Grange

Downe's SuperValu, Ballincollig

Quish's SuperValu, Ballincollig

Bradley’s, North Main Street

Keohane Seafoods, Kinsale Road

For info: Contact Helen on 086 169 2816 or Ger on 086 384 5377.

Franciscan Well Easter Beer Festival

Franciscan Well Easter Beer Festival

Made an early visit to the Franciscan Well Beer Festival this Saturday afternoon and took my chance to sample some of the newer brews before the crowds started to roll in on this sunny day.

Last year, the Lynch brothers from Mayfield’s Cotton Ball were on the outside of the ring; this time, Eoin and Humphrey were serving their own beers including their latest. This is called Indian Summer and is quite a lovely drink for the days ahead, a mix of lager ingredients and an ale yeast.

Not to be outdone, the now well established Eight Degrees also had new one on offer, the Full Irish, a strong 100 per cent Irish Malt ale. I've had a sneak preview of the publicity shots for this one. X is the letter that springs to mind! Think Full Monty!

Blacks of Kinsale were promising a surprise for later in the afternoon when a special set-up will allow them to add fresh hops (a new one called Equinox) at the very last moment to Kinsale Pale Ale. Can't get fresher than that. Try that and don’t forget to sample their Beoir #1

Beers from new Connemara brewery available at Bradley's, North Main Street, Cork.

Great to meet up with Jamie from White Gypsy and his innovative beers. Tried his lovely refreshing Wheat beer, the beer you need after walking round, Bavarian in style but Irish “engineered”. The 5.2% Pilsner isn't half bad either. White Gypsy are growing their own hops this year and are also hoping that more and more restaurants will offer a craft beer as an alternative to wine.

The gregarious Mountain Man was another brewer I had not met before and he explained that his Hairy Goat was an English Style IPA with a lowish ABV. Nothing low though about the ABV of its American cousin, the 7.5% Crazy Horse. Well worth a try.

Micro-breweries just keep popping up around the country and next up was JJ's from County Limerick. This was their first outing and the 4.8% Pils lager promised much, especially as this is their very first beer.

aAnd another newcomer, the 9 White Deer Brewery from Ballyvourney, was also making its debut. Gordon Lucey tells me their hops, including Amarillo, Cascade and Fast Gold, comes from all over the world but the "mystical" water is local as is the yeast. This will soon be on sale in 500ml bottles and watch out for other beers, including a stout.

Nice to chat with Caroline of Eight Degrees and also with Claire from Dungarvan Brewing Company. I always enjoy the Dungarvan beers and tried a couple this time: their wheat beer and their Comeragh Challenge Irish Bitter. Had a preference for the former but isn't that what craft beer is all about. Great to have the choice. Long may the craft revolution continue!

The Franciscan Well Festival continues until late this Saturday evening and is on again tomorrow Sunday with soakage provided by the on site pizza maker! Enjoy.

Franciscan Well Launch Brewery Tours

Franciscan Well Launch Brewery Tours

Shane Long. At the controls.

Cork’s Franciscan Well,one of the pioneers of craft beer in Ireland, launched their new Brewery and Tasting Tour in North Mall last evening. General Manager Shane Long was on hand to welcome last night’s media group and assured us all that Franciscan Well would remain a craft beer producer despite last year’s take-over by Moulton Coors. It will always be craft beer here, always small batches.

He indicated that the new brewery is not a huge one but will certainly be an improvement on the cramped operating facility. Cramped maybe, and some of the labelling and blotting equipment is pretty basic, but the place has produced some great beers, regular award winners, the most recent coming at the 2013 World Beer Awards where  the brewery’s regular Rebel Red Ale won gold as the best amber beer in  Europe. Shane hopes their beers will win more awards and, once the new brewery is up and running, he hinted strongly that we’ll see a much improved lager.

We then headed to the room upstairs, now the company’s Education/Training facility. Where Des, the company’s  “sampler” is in charge and told us about their plans to entertain tourists and educate staff from their customers (not at the same time). We got a little education ourselves in the workshop that followed. How grain imparts colour and sweetness, how hops deliver bitterness and aromas and the use of dry hops and so on.

The existing bottling line

And, then with the aid of charcuterie and cheese from the English Market, not to mention pizza from downstairs, we started the tasting with that award winner Rebel Red. Des was delighted with the award, saying its adds credibility to the beer and to the brewery. This ale has been around for quite a while now but, with its perfect balance (right on the money,according to Des) and “a little bit of sweetness”, it remains a firm favourite.

And one of my firm favourites from the Franciscan stable has been and is their Friar Weiss, a German style wheat beer. Always cloudy (no filtration), it has typical bananas and clove on the nose and always tastes zesty and fresh. This has been regularly blind tasted in Germany and always passed as a native. High praise indeed.

The brewery will have a widespread (including Cork and Dublin) April launch of a beer and cheese match. But I suspect it is another April launch that will have more of their attention. That involves their new IPA, the Chieftain, another name drawn from the history of the location, politics and religion mainly since 1219 (originally the “miraculous” water from the well was the most desired liquid).

Award winner.

IPA is “a massive category” and the Chieftain, a cask beer, has a natural cloudiness (or haze) and has an ABV of 5%, on the light side for an IPA. But it delivers all the flavours without any extreme of bitterness. Suited me fine, I must say. And it is the latest example of Long’s canny ability to find a slightly different take on an established style, not necessarily the safe middle ground either.

That ability is also illustrated with their regular Shandon Stout. Elements of a real traditional stout for sure but with no real bitterness, it is smooth, the mouthfeel is quite light and the finish is dry. A good balance of flavour overall and as Des said “light chocolate rather than dark”.

Wheel of Flavours

And we then finished the tasting session on a high with their “showcase” Jameson Aged Stout, made just twice  a year, 4,000 bottles in all, many of them already sold! Again, Shane Long shows great ability here. He didn't want the whisky to dominate, the oak to take over, the beer to be just another stout. He got the balance right in this amazing drink, palate warming with an unique flavour, some bitterness, yes, but perfectly balanced. Perfect!

We weren’t quite finished yet. We were invited downstairs where more beer and amazing pizzas awaited. A terrific evening. The tours are now open to the public and indeed there is at least one on there this evening. 

Franciscan Well (under the arch)

• 14B North Mall
• Cork

Phone	(021) 439 3434
Email	franciscan well brewery@gmail.com
Website	http://www.franciscanwellbrewery.com

Hours

Mon - Thu: 3:00 pm - 11:30 pm Fri - Sat: 3:00 pm - 12:30 am Sun: 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Dinner From Just One Stall. Market Meal #7

One Stall Dinner

Market Meal #7

This is the latest in a series of Market Meals. The difference here is that the meal comes from just one stall and that is the relatively new Fresh from West Cork initiative in the English Market, just opposite the renowned Chicken Inn.

And another difference is that I’ve had a  bit of fun matching the four courses to beers. Since four beers is hardly enough for a growing boy, I’ve done it twice. Match One is with Cork beers while Match Two is with Porterhouse Beers.

Thanks to the ever patient Michael Creedon of Bradley's Off Licence for his knowledgeable help with selecting the beers but the final pick was mine! Don't want you  going into North Main Street and blaming Michael if your local favourite is not on the list.

Back now to Fresh from West Cork. Walter Ryan-Purcell is the face behind this “cooperative” effort from the west and close to forty producers are represented so it wasn't that difficult to get enough for a four course dinner. Indeed there were many options.

It just illustrates that you can do all your food shopping in the English Market. Maybe not all at Fresh from West Cork - they don't do fresh fish, for example - but you’ll be spoilt for choice if you wander around the wider market

Starter: Union Hall Smoked Salmon with Lemon Labneh by McCarthy’s Natural Dairies.

Cork Beer: Green Bullet Ale (Mountain Man).

Porterhouse: Hersbrucker Pilsner.

The smoked salmon, served with a little salad, was quite rich and the creamy Labneh added to the texture. Might have been better served on a Ryvita cracker or similar. Both beers worked well though in different ways. The Ale added more flavour while the Pilsner, not lacking in flavour, provided a nice cutting edge, a contrast against all the creaminess. One up to the Porterhouse team!

Mains: Gubben Traditional Dry Cured Smoked Bacon with vegetables from Peter Ross.

Cork Beer: Blacks Black IPA (Blacks, Kinsale).

Porterhouse: An Brain Blásta Strong Ale.

The Gubbeen bacon, smoked and lightly peppered, was sensational, the star of the night. With its fantastic texture and flavour, it was out on its own. The beers were both good matches; the Black perhaps best taken with bacon on the palate, the PH between bites! An Brain Blásta (even at 7%abv) doesn't mean brain blaster. It is Irish for The Tasty Drop.

Cheese: Loughbeg Farm hard Goat Cheese with Yellow Zucchini Relish also by Loughbeg.

Cork Beer: Friar Weisse (Franciscan Well).

Porterhouse: Red Ale.

The gorgeous crumbly cheese didn't seem to be getting on too well with the spiced up relish. Until the Friar Weisse was introduced. The local wheat beer transformed the potential discord into a very edible treat. A terrific match. Porterhouse don't make a wheat beer and through no fault of its own their Red Ale couldn't quite replicate the feat of the Friar here. Still, it was a nice way to pass the longish interval to dessert. That makes it 1.5 each for the beer teams.

Dessert: Yummy Tummy’s Brownies with Glenilen Clotted Cream.

Cork Beer: Knockmedown Porter (Eight Degrees).

Porterhouse: Oyster Stout.

Let me get this straight. Yummy Tummy’s Brownies are ace. Glenilen Clotted Cream is ace. You're on a winner. Now, add Knockmedown Porter (Eight Degrees) and you have a jackpot combination! Irresistible! That gave the edge to the Cork beer team, 2.5 to 1.5. The Oyster Stout, a gem in its own right, didn't have quite the same impact in the sweet finale to a smashing West Cork dinner.

On Bread and Beer. And Beer in Bread.

Not Bread Alone!

Man does not live by bread alone! Not sure that Arbutus Bread would go along with that. Especially after their latest loaf, a very tasty white bread that is made with, among other things, beer from Eight Degrees Brewing Company in Mitchelstown.

Picked up a loaf in Bradley’s at the weekend. It didn't last long at all. What a crust. Couldn't wait to try it. Just added some Glenilen butter for the first slice. Fantastic. Some homemade gooseberry jam for the second slice. Superb. Ain’t going to tell you about the next slice. Nor the one after that. Experience it for yourself.

Am I the only one thinking that the Kinsale Pale Ale is the best around? Renewed acquaintance with this gem, by Black’s, in Jacque’s last week and thought it was just outstanding. Loved the way the flavours spread over the palate from the first sip and that dry clean lingering finish. Indeed, linger is the word. Took my time sipping, the better to enjoy every single every drop.

The very next day I called in to Bradley’s to get a wee stock of the KPA and here Michael Creedon,helpful as always, introduced me to the latest beer from Black’s, Ireland’s first Black IPA. Another gem that might well confuse you because of the dark colour and chocolate and coffee tones. Very happy with that one, though I must confess I’d have a slight preference for the KPA.

Kinsale have moved up to the popular 500ml size and I'd like to see more brewers follow suit and that includes Franciscan Well. I do like a wheat beer and the Well’s Friar Weisse is a favourite. Up to recently it was available only on draught and in that form I enjoyed a few out in Blairs Inn. Now is it in bottle but only in the 330ml size, same as their Rebel Red. Still, bottle size notwithstanding, it is a very tasty drop - love those refreshing flavours.

Tasting Notes

Kinsale Pale Ale ABV 5% - An exciting fusion of Cascade and Citra hops inspires tropical and citrus flavours that are beautifully balanced with the malty sweetness. The taste dollops a smack of citrus onto the palate – grapefruit and lime – alongside more sweet pineapple and tangerine a decent little malt body fairly creamy, with definite biscuit and cake-dough sweetness and straw overall very well balanced. Clean and crisp citrus bite to finish on, which lingers for a while alongside the sweet tropical fruit notes.  - Alltech Dublin Beer cup bronze medal winner 2013.

New from Blacks of Kinsale, Ireland's first Black IPA! A unique beer that ambushes your senses, it pours dark with a creamy beige head but tastes light and hoppy! Complex hoppy fruity flavours and aromas mixed with roasty bitter chocolate and coffee tones. Low carbonation for a smooth stout like finish. Dressed in black, charged with hops and ready to rock.