CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest. Wines, Spirits and Beers Events

CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest

Wines, Spirits and Beers Events

Wine Course at L'Atitude

The Wine Fundamentals Level 1 Course starts Saturday 19th January at 3.30pm and will run over 4 weeks, finishing on February 9th. 

Each class lasts 2 hours and the programme will cover the following: 

- Week 1: Basic Tasting Techniques, Introduction to Winemaking and the Main Wine Regions

- Week 2: Major Grapes of The World

- Week 3: Influence of Winemaking Techniques, Climate and Regionality on Wine Style

- Week 4: Sparkling Wines & Food & Wine Matching

Each class costs €40, or €160 for the full course (€150 with discount if you sign up or all 4 classes). 

You can enrol by ringing L’Atitude 51 on 021 2390219 or coming directly to the bar or send us an email to let us know you'd like to attend - info@latitude51.ie

Prosecco for two features in Greene’s offer

Happy New year from all at Greenes Restaurant.

We have a very special new years offer for all our customers.

You can enjoy a 40% discount on our Weekend 5 Course Lunch Tasting Menu with Prosecco from now until the end of March. Valid Thursday to Sunday

OR

A 40% discount on our midweek 6 course evening tasting menu until the end of March. Valid Sunday to Thursday.

View these offers on our website here.

AFTER DARK AT THE CRAWFORD

5-7pm Sunday 20 January

“So bring a friend or date, grab a complimentary drink, take a pop-up tour with our inspiring guides, and enjoy a night at the gallery as we celebrate the Eve of St Agnes!

At length burst in the argent revelry,

With plume, tiara, and all rich array...

Join us after dark on Sunday 20 January for our special celebration of the Eve of St Agnes in partnership with Irish Distillers.

For centuries, this medieval tradition has inspired lovers, poets, and artists alike, including John Keats and Harry Clarke. This year, it is the central theme of our new exhibition Dreaming in Blue: Harry Clarke Watercolours, in which star-cross'd lovers Madeline and Porphyro elope on St Agnes' Eve!”

This event runs as part of Dreaming in Blue: Harry Clarke Watercolours (until 14 February). Free event but book your place here.  

Consumer Tasting for Australian Wine

O'Brien's Monthly Sale

A Louis Jadot Fleurie is one of the wines featured in O'Brien's monthly sale. Jadot's reputation as one of the grand old houses of Burgundy is well established and justifiably so, classic wines from Grand Cru to Cru Beaujolais. Fleurie is one of the 10 Cru's of Beaujolais situated between Villefranche sur Saone and Macon. And Louis Jadot Fleurie is currently at €16.95 instead of €22.95. Another worth checking is the d'Arenberg d'Arrys Shiraz/Grenache also at €16.95 (from 21.95).

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Lucky Irish

I’ve often thought that Irish wine drinkers are blessed because of the huge choice available to us, bottles from all over the world. And that opinion was reinforced when I read this paragraph from a newsletter I get from a winelover in the Languedoc.

“And just for fun I opened a trio of Gimblett Gravels from New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, all variations on a bordelais theme, with a very New World taste.    it is virtually impossible to find any New Zealand wines in the Hérault, so our languedocien friends enjoyed being taken out of their comfort zone!”

The Growing Thirst for Exotic Wine

Bored with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc? Discover some new grapes with Wine-Searcher’s Kathleen Willcox who reports that the heirloom tomato effect is at work in the wine world. The biggest driver of the trend is Millennials, who are seeking not only something pleasing to their palate, but wines that will horrify their parents with their unpronounceability and esoteric country of origin. Read more here. 

Richy’s BYO Offer

Clonakilty restaurant Richy’s are offering a helping hand when dining out. “Feeling the crunch after Christmas? Why not save some dosh by bringing your own wine to Richy’s! T&C's apply. Available 14th Jan - 28th Feb 2019. Corkage €5.”

Cask Ales and Strange Brew Fest

Our favourite festival of the year....The Cask Ales and Extraordinary Brew Festival running from Jan 31st to Feb 2nd. 

Featuring a range of special brews using curious and interesting ingredients, the festival will showcase the growing experimentation of Irish brewers and their ability to challenge the norms of brewing.

Yellow Belly, Rising Suns, Metalman and West Cork Brewing are just some of the brewers at the festival and will compete in the Beoir Cask Competition to see who can come up with the most extraordinary beer under categories: Best lager, best "pale', best stout and best specialty. Judged by The national Beer enthusiasts club, winners will be announced on the Saturday of the festival. 

Live music, performances & Pompeii pizza! Admission is free

  

CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest. Wines, Spirits and Beers.

CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest

Wines, Spirits and Beers

Bierhaus New Year Beer Trek (was supposed to be Christmas!)

Jan 9th at 6.00pm

“More like a New year Pubs do this year!!!
Join myself David, John & Conal on a epic tour of the best beer spots in Cork! It’s an annual event and everyone who know us is welcome to join us!

The route
5.45pm meet at Bierhaus
6pm The Abbots Ale House
6.45pm quick one in Maureen’s if open?
7.15pm Impala
8.15pm Rising Sons (pizza stop)
9.30pm Back to Bierhaus to end the night in style”

Richy’s BYO Offer

Clonakilty restaurant Richy’s are offering a helping hand when dining out. “Feeling the crunch after Christmas? Why not save some dosh by bringing your own wine to Richy’s! T&C's apply. Available 14th Jan - 28th Feb 2019. Corkage €5.”

Cask Ales and Strange Brew Fest

Our favourite festival of the year....The Cask Ales and Extraordinary Brew Festival running from Jan 31st to Feb 2nd. 

Featuring a range of special brews using curious and interesting ingredients, the festival will showcase the growing experimentation of Irish brewers and their ability to challenge the norms of brewing.

Yellow Belly, Rising Suns, Metalman and West Cork Brewing are just some of the brewers at the festival and will compete in the Beoir Cask Competition to see who can come up with the most extraordinary beer under categories: Best lager, best "pale', best stout and best specialty. Judged by The national Beer enthusiasts club, winners will be announced on the Saturday of the festival. 

Live music, performances & Pompeii pizza! Admission is free

Feature on old vines

Most Popular Spanish Wine Stories from 2018. In English!

The informative and entertaining Spanish wine social media outlet, Spanish Wine Lover, recaps its most popular English language from 2018 here https://www.spanishwinelover.com/enjoy-353-most-popular-stories-in-2018. A Trio to Watch; Old Vines Stand Out; Sought After Producers, are among the titles.

New Zealand Tasting Coming Soon (trade and press)

New Zealand Winegrowers will host its 22^nd tasting of New Zealand wines in Ireland on Monday 14th January 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8.  Time: 2.00-6.00 p.m. It will be preceded by a Masterclass at 13.00. Queries to jean@jeansmullen.com 

Visit Bordeaux and stay at Chateau Feely

Thinking of visiting Bordeaux and the new Cité du Vin in 2019? A special offer on accommodation at the vineyard of Chateau Feely in the Dordogne may help you make up your mind.  Sean and Carlo would love to see you there! Details here. 

CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest#2. Wines, Spirits and Beers. Pinot Noir a little off-colour? You need Rubired.

CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest

Wines, Spirits and Beers

Recent arrivals at Bubble Brothers

“In the last few weeks we've received wines from the grand cru champagne house of André Clouet, a sublime organic Nero d'Avola, a bold Spanish red from Toro and too many more to fit in here.” More info online. 

Christmas at The Franciscan Well

“We are gearing ourselves up for the Christmas holidays here in the Well! 

Once again we will be turning our award winning beer hall into a winter wonderland. Through out the month of December we will have live music, cocktails & hot drinks from the MONK cocktail bar (as well as a new seasonal menu ) and Christmas markets! 

The market will run on Saturday the 8th and Saturday the 15th of December from 1-6pm. They will be run by local artists who will be selling original handmade gifts such as hats, cards, ceramic pieces, wooden cheese boards and much more! Admission is free.” More info on their Facebook.

Christmas Gin Festival

The Revolution Bar, John Street, Waterford.

November 30th from 8.00pm

Check the bar’s facebook page for tickets.

“as with Harvest Festival we have invited some of the best Gin Companies in the Country to showcase their products for you. Your Ticket will entitle you to a lovely Gin Glass (to take home). 4 Gin & Tonics of you Choice. We will also have some nice Christmas drinks to try. ALL GIN COMPANIES WILL HAVE BOTTLES OF GIN FOR SALE FOR THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT.”

Heart of Spain 1st birthday 8th December 

Lebanon’s Massaya 

I met Massaya’s Sami Ghosn in Cork a year years back, not long after he had returned from the US to help revive the family vineyards. You’d think the family would have enough on its plate with the uncertainties of the region without worrying about the future of the planet. But they do and they do something about it:

“For years now we have been treating our waste water, we have made our compost, recycled waste, encouraged our team to reduce their carbon footprints, given preference to local producers, chosen ingredients and material that were as natural as possible, planted our kitchen garden, planted bamboos to recycle water, prioritized organic treatments of vineyards, reduced to minimum the use of sulfur, oxygenated water for use in irrigation, and followed the moon calendar to filtrate and bottle our wines.” For more on the remarkable Massaya vineyard, read here   

Rioja

The Rain in Spain. 

There was a late Late Harvest in Spain for 2018 following an early on in 2017. Ripening was delayed and picking times have turned out to be the major headache of the vintage. But it wasn’t the same all over the country. Terrific insight here  from Spanish Wine Lover with no less than eight stories from around the country.

Labels Battle as California winemaker used labels that carried the Oregon AVA. Then there’s the Rubired concentrate that gives Pinot Noir more colour!!

The Feds have stepped into the middle of a simmering battle over wine provenance by ordering a California winemaker to change labels that carried the Oregon AVA, even though the wines were made in Lodi. Read more here. 

Wonky Donkey's Night Out With A Difference. Holy Smoke. Unholy Jokes

Wonky Donkey's Night Out With A Difference. 

Holy Smoke. Unholy Jokes 

Like some food? Drink? Lots of laughs? All under the one venue? The simple answer is to head to Mardyke Entertainment Complex, enjoy a meal at Holy Smoke, then head into the Cellar Theatre for a drink and a comedy show by Wonky Donkey. And to make it easier for you, you need just the one ticket. There are couple of combined food and show options available and you may check them out here.

Food comes first for us, of course, and we were looking forward to the Holy Smoke visit. We weren’t disappointed - far from it. There is a special Pre-Show Menu on Friday and Saturday nights (the only nights that Wonky Donkey operates - so far!). And it is a menu that contains quite a lot of choices and a good variety as well.

There are a bunch of sharing plates to start with - you don’t have to share! We got two contrasting ones, both very impressive. The Whole fire-grilled prawns in a chilli, lime and coriander butter was CL’s choice while mine was the Ox cheek with fire roasted carrot & marrow gravy. And yes, we did share!

The pork here is “handsome” and, since she likes handsome fellas, CL choose the Pulled Pork (Pork shoulder, cooked low n’ slow and smoked for 14 hours over oak, hand pulled & mixed with Holy Smoke BBQ sauce. Served with slaw and corn bread). As always, the smoked meat was full of flavour, enhanced by their own barbecue sauce.

The cheek of it

Meanwhile I was meeting up with Juicy Lucy, a 6oz beef burger with a Monterrey Jack cheese core, topped with Monterrey Jack cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, beef tomato and Alabama sauce. Sweet home Alabama! Next time I’m in, I’m going to make the acquaintance of Dirty Lucy!

By the way, if you haven’t been to Holy Smoke in a while, I'd advise you to check their general menu. There are now more choices than ever for all kinds of eaters, including vegetarian and fish. For instance, there are no less than 13 starter/small plate options. Check the general menus here 

Pull the other one

Quite a few local beers in bottle but just one, Rebel Red, on draught. That was one of our choices and the other was the Punk IPA from Brew Dog. There’s a bigger choice once you enter the Cellar for the comedy and here I switched to Franciscan Well’s Chieftain. Not too many tables in there though for your drinks and the arched rows of seats in front of the stage are close enough to one another.

There was a bit of a delay in starting the show but then it was non-stop. I don’t know how they do, up there on stage, joke after joke, funny story after funny story and not a note in sight.

Mike Morgan, one of the men behind the Wonky, introduced the show and gave us a taste of what was to come with laugh a minute routine of his own, and had us in stitches with his tales of greyhound walking and bingo playing (apparently he is the Mallow champion in both disciplines) and then there was mother-in-law or was she just a random shopper? You never know with these guys.

Ross Browne, another Wonky mainstay, was bigger and noisier than Mike. Both were well dressed though, sharp suits, shiny shoes, a bit like the Sky Sport’s soccer presenters. Irish comedy has changed a lot since Hal Roach (though he also dressed well) ruled the roost. Lots of language and not of the foreign variety, though Mike did essay a few words of French. 

And it’s kind of head on challenging. I think Dan Martin, one of the two lead stars of the “Rowan and Martin Laugh-in”, a hit comedy show of the 60s and 70s, would approve. “People are basically irreverent,” Mr. Martin said in 1968, explaining the appeal of the show. “They want to see sacred cows kicked over.” 

One of the catchphrases of Laugh-in was Sock it to me!  Browne and company do just that. He said he was looking at a crowd of turnip heads, though he seemed to include his own in that assessment of the Irish noggin. 

He probably wouldn’t go down too well in Listowel. He said nobody ever goes to that town except by accident, maybe after turning off the Sat-Nav and taking four wrong turns. I presume when he’s performing in that Kerry town, he takes the mick out of Cecilstown (ask Mike about that place).

And that was only half the show. After the interval, Micky Bartlett and Mark O’Keeffe entertained the packed house, the Wonky Donkey’s fourth sell-out in a row. There’s sure to be a big demand for tickets for next Friday and Saturday so get online now and book the food and comedy option that suits you. The line-up over the coming weekend includes Fred Cooke, Naomi McDonald, Brian Gallagher, Ross Browne and Mike Morgan.

Exquisite New Seasonal Menu at Montenotte's Panorama.

Exquisite New Menu at Montenotte's Panorama.

Superb Food. Great Views Too.

Hake

The foyer of the Montenotte Hotel is abuzz as we enter last week. Lots of shiny suits and colourful dresses fill the comfortable spaces. And the buzz continues into the Panorama Bistro where we thankfully have a booking (they are turning people away) and where we are about to enjoy a surprisingly delightful meal.

Well, maybe not that surprising! We have been studying the menu and it looks very inviting indeed. At the table, among the family parties celebrating their new graduates, we see that this evening there are no less than nine specials, three under each of the main headings. Besides, we have some inkling of what new chef Liam Kirwan is capable of as we enjoyed a delicious lunch during the summer at Mikey Ryan’s in Cashel (where he was then employed).

Crab

And big kudos too to the Panorama staff. They were busy but, nonetheless, they performed very well indeed, always with a smile and even finding time for a quick chat or two. So efficient were they, that there were no delays in getting the food to the tables. We were in early and some customers were leaving but soon the restaurant was full again, those with tables near the long window getting the full benefit of the great view over the city and, just underneath, over the lovely new gardens here.

But our eyes were on the menu, my hand on a pint of Chieftain Ale as they do offer the Franciscan Well beers here. You could well start with one of their Snacks, a Cashel Blue Rarebit among them, but we go for the dishes under Starters and get two beauties.

CL picks for the Crab Gratin with Wheaten Bread Crust. Clearly stated. No big highfalutin phrases on this menu. But the dish is high class, packed with flavour and a little spice and she declares it as one of the best crab starters she’s ever had.

But, we agree, mine is even better. The Roast Jerusalem Artichoke and Shallot Jam Tart with walnut ricotta, is pleasing to look at and its melange of flavours and textures is hard to match. Not too sure that any starter I’ve had in recent months comes anywhere near this gem!

CL is a Hake lover (Hake’s not my pet name, by the way) but not so much if this delicious fish is smothered in a creamy sauce. No danger of that here (none of the four fish dishes, including the two on special, has a cream sauce). Her Saffron Poached Hake, with Gubbeen chorizo, butterbean and charred Padrón pepper casserole is a magnificent melange of flavour, texture and smoky aromas. Really top class.

Venison Wellington

My mains is deceptive, looks like a small pie in a big dish. Maybe I should have had ordered a side. But the Ballinwillin Venison Wellington is loaded with the aromas and tastes of Autumn in the wild - that “little pastry” packs a powerful punch of flavour and texture, with no little help in that department coming from the cavolo nero (the kale of Tuscany), the dark chocolate jus and the roast celeriac. As you can see from this dish, the new menu is seasonal and local (Ballinwillin is in Mitchelstown).

Quantities here are, like the quality, very well judged indeed. You won’t really be stuffed, unless of course you wish to be and indulge in some of the tempting sides which include Truffle and Rosemary Fries, Buttered Greens, and Creamed Spinach to mention just a few. 

Plum Pie

So we had room for dessert and went for the one we had noted when we first got our hands on the menu: the Mulled Plum Pie. Another beauty and another seasonal dish, so you’d better get in there quick and, don’t forget, make a reservation!

Excellent choice of desserts (again three extras on special) but I’d better tell you about the cheeseboard as it illustrates the kitchen’s commitment to local. The description is Milleens, Crozier Blue, Daru, Cooleeney Camembert, oat cakes, whiskey honeycomb, barm brack, walnut brittle, pear. If you get that, sit back and relax and hold off on that taxi for a while!

Cliff House Hotel. New Menu. Bar above. Sea below.

Cliff House Hotel. New Menu.

Bar above. Sea below.

Salmon

Some people wanted a table in the sun. Some preferred to be in the shade. And a few stayed indoors. We were on the terrace at The Bar in the Cliff House on one of the sunniest days of this sunny summer. Earlier we had been walking on the Waterford Greenway and so we two settled for a place in the semi-shade to try out the new bar menu at this superbly situated hotel.

Looking out to sea

A glass of Rebel Red and lots of water helped cool things down as we studied that inviting menu, divided into sections: From the Garden, From the Land, From the Sea, Irish beef from McGrath’s and Sheelin,  Small Bites and Snacks, Sides, and Desserts. And also a Dish of the Day. This superb well-priced menu is served 12 noon to 4.00pm and 6.00pm to 9.00pm.

Service, we noticed, is rather leisurely here. In any case, it is the kind of spot you come to slow down, take in the fantastic views out to the ocean and back towards the curve of Ardmore beach. A “school” of young wanna-be sailors gather below at the base of the cliff and add a riot of colour. Who’s in a rush?

Asparagus

Spring rolls

So, eager to try out as much as possible, we pick and choose from under the various headings. My Green Asparagus Peperonata, Burrata, Almonds (9.75) comes from the Garden, maybe the Garden of Eden it is so tempting, so delicious.

Oysters, Iberico Ham and Organic Olives come under the Small Bites and Snacks section. So the Official Blog Chef (OBC) gets a surprise when she sees no less than three Skeaghanore Duck Spring Rolls (7.50) arrive. And they are packed with that renowned duck meat, rich and satisfying. She feels the energy lost on the Greenway flowing back!

Below the bar's terrace

A bit of a gap between round one and two. But the second phase is just as impressive. My pick, From the Sea, is the Organic Irish Smoked Salmon (12.50 small & 21.50) Mi-Cuit, Buttermilk, Dill Oil, Radish. I take the starter portion. The quantity is enough and the quality is off the charts. Just superb and the buttermilk, dill oil and radish make a great match with the warm flaky flavoursome fish.

Terrine

View from Table 40
Table number on the stone!

And it’s thumbs up at the other side of the table also as OBC tucks into the well presented (they are all well presented) Guinea Fowl Terrine Pickled Vegetables, Brioche, Parsley, Mayonnaise (9.50) that comes out of the Land section.

The Lemon and Cream pot with Blackwater Gin was calling me from the dessert menu but, having enjoyed a hearty breakfast earlier in the Granville in Waterford, we had had enough and so reluctantly bade goodbye to the lovely crew at The Bar. 

With so much much delicious food on that menu, we promised ourselves a return visit! After all, the hotel is just 53 minutes from the eastern side of Cork City (and Google Maps often over-estimate). No excuse.

Also on this trip:
The Candied Hazelnut
Everett's New Waterford Restaurant

A Specials Evening at The Oyster Tavern

A Specials Evening at The Oyster Tavern

Lamb

The Oyster Tavern may have been established in 1792 but while nostalgia for the (more recent) good old days (and nights) will gain you some goodwill you've got to keeping putting quality on the table. And in April 2018, The Oyster is doing just that. During our visit last week, we enjoyed two of the best main courses that we've come across in a long while. Working under renowned local chef Kate Lawlor, the team’s Pan-fried Halibut and Rack of Lamb were absolutely outstanding; and neither of the evening’s specials needed a heavy sauce.

Carpaccio

That rack of lamb, like much else here, comes from the English Market next door. And Tom Durcan's rack was perfectly cooked (pink) with pearl barley, cabbage stew and turnip purée, Irish food at its best. Great flavour from the tender meat and I reckon I'd have eaten a bowlful of the accompaniment on its own.

I enjoyed every bit of that but think I was beaten to the line by CL who hardly spoke, just purred now and then, as the fish disappeared. The Halibut, a lovely piece of fish lovingly handled in the kitchen, its delicate flavours respected, was served with charred tender stem broccoli, pickled beetroot and oyster sauce. And there was a tasty side of crushed potato with dillisk and tarragon.

Cheers!

The main choices also included a range of steaks (from Tom Durcan), baked sea-bream, two vegan friendly dishes Cauliflower Steak and Char-Grilled Aubergine Charlotte, a Chicken Cordon Bleu (from the market's Chicken Inn) and more.

We began our guest visit with a couple of lovely cool draught beers, both by Franciscan Well, the Chieftain Ale and Rebel Red, and a look at the menu. No shortage of starters: soups, chowder, oysters (of course), scampi, a Knocklara Cheese Salad included. 

CL enjoyed Durcan's spiced beef carpaccio, with cracked black pepper and sea salt on a bed of rocket leaves while I was also impressed with the flavours and textures in the Pork and Onion Croquettes (Clonakilty black pudding and apple sauce).

We were in early on the Tuesday after Easter Monday and had a chance to have a “good look”. Great welcome by the barman downstairs, a bit of chat and then he guided us to the lift, and that kind of service continued right through upstairs, and at the very end when the same friendly fellow engaged us again in a bit of banter. The restaurant looks fantastic, the island bar a feature as is a secluded area off to your right as you enter (great for a large private party). The main area has lots of booths with very comfortable seating, some lovely chairs around the bar as well (see Oyster pic below). 

This gorgeous dining area gets lively at weekend nights, with some of the musicians known to strut their stuff on the counter! Mightn't be the best time for fine dining then but you may still eat here as platters are part of the late night service. There is a separate weekend menu (including steak and eggs) and also a Pre-Theatre menu.

We finished up though with a couple of desserts, a Sherry Trifle and a Tarte Tatin and a lovely chat with Chef Kate Lawlor who joined last October and is very much enjoying her new challenge here. Earlier, we met up with restaurant manager Deirdre Caldwell.

Check a previous visit (last September) to the Oyster here.
And keep an eye for our chat with Kate Lawlor - coming soon.

Franciscan Well Festival. Beers from Home and Abroad

Franciscan Well Festival. Beers from Home and Abroad

 The focus during last weekend’s Franciscan Well October Beerfest was very much on premium beers from abroad. There were about two dozen excellent imported beers on tap and some of these were part of the core theme of Sour. But their own beers were not forgotten about either and there were a couple of tasting sessions in the upstairs bar to highlight these.

Our opening night visit concentrated on the sour section and you can see the details here. We were back there again on Saturday, again tasting a few of the imports, when there was a general invite, from Lisa, to join some fellow-punters upstairs.

With the “students” seated comfortably, Lisa played a short video which took us through the beer-making process: malting, milling, mashing and mash tun (sugar extracted at high heat), Lautering (clarifying the wort which is basically unfermented beer, afterwards the spent grain is taken to a farm where the cows love it!). 

At the boiling stage, hops are added to the wort for bitterness, hops added later for aroma. The wort is now pumped through a heat exchanger to the fermentation tanks.  Yeast is added to convert the sugars into alcohol. When this process is finished, the beer is ready for conditioning and filtering and finally packaging. I don’t think the Franciscan Well video is online but there is a reasonably similar English brewery one here. 

Many Cork drinkers will have started their craft beer journey with a pint of Rebel Red so Lisa didn't include that one in our tasting. Instead, we began with a drink of Friar Weisse, their wheat beer. “We make it as German as possible,” she said. “A German brewery Weihenstephan sources the yeast for us.” 

The Well adheres to the strict German brewing process to deliver this fantastic beer. Colour, we agreed, is a deepish gold and the beer is cloudy. There are aromas of clove and banana and the finish, the group concluded, is an average bitter. Lively carbonation reinforces a zesty light mouth feel. I am reminded why this was an early, and on-going, favourite of mine.

Soon we were on to my current favourite: Franciscan Well Chieftain IPA. This is a hugely popular IPA, and Franciscan Well’s answer to Ireland’s growing demand for IPA style beers. It is not, however, very pale. It is a medium amber with a coppery hue. It is clearer than the Friar Weisse, having been clarified with Irish Carrigeen moss.

The aromas, Lisa helped us determine, are citrus, grapefruit and orange, coming from the American hops. Lisa said it has a bitter taste “technically”. “But not very bitter, a little lower than traditional IPAs but higher than the commercial ones.” This medium bodied beer starts off hoppy on the palate before the malt begins to balance the experience and then there’s a hoppy finish.

Both of these beers are part of the Franciscan Well’s core range: the others are the Rebel Red Ale and Shandon Stout.

Back downstairs then to try more of the guest beers and I got off to a flier with Grotten Sante Brown Beer. Pierre Celis, the founder of Hoegaarden, is credited with creating Grottenbier or ‘cave beer’ many years ago and this is a cave beer, aged in limestone caves and turned weekly, champagne style. This malty fruity zesty beer, with an alcohol volume of 6.5%, is made using small quantities of exotic herbs that create a slight dryness. A very pleasant experience indeed.

The next beer came from the USA, a Brett Citrus Saison. This is a sour beer, just not in name! Denver’s Crooked Stave are known for their progressive approach to old-world brewing. This Wild Sage Brett Saison is noted for its refreshing tartness and prominent notes of sage, wild herbs and lemon. Very impressive indeed.

I had another American beer, the Left Hand Milk Stout, on my short list but it wasn't pouring until much later. I was offered the Fierce Beer Café Racer Coffee and Vanilla Porter instead and said yes. And we both kept saying yes to this one. 

It is made in Scotland but the notes indicate it is American style dark roasted coffee and vanilla porter with a hint of danger. If this is danger, I can live with it. Indeed, I am living with it as we went straight across the river to Bradley’s to stock up with a few bottles. Good stuff! And a good day in the city as we left the beer festival and headed into the heart of the jazz festival, keeping a firm grip on the brown bags!