Cheers on beer, whiskey and wine. With Bord Bia, Local Enterprise Office, O'Briens Wine, Rascals, Wines of the World, Waterford Whisky,

Cheers #211802, on beer, whiskey and wine. With Bord Bia, Local Enterprise Office, O'Briens Wine, Rascals, Wines of the World, Waterford Whisky

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Bord Bia's The Food & Drink Starter Programme

(Via Local Enterprise Office South Cork)

The Food & Drink Starter Programme is an essential programme for anyone who wishes to go into the Food or Beverage business in Ireland. A Bord Bia programme, sponsored by the LEO, the programme is run on our behalf by Conor Hyde of Bullseye Marketing. By expressing your interest in completing the programme, we will contact you when the next one is available to book. It is delivered over 2 full days in person, or over 4 half days through online Zoom webinar.

Click here for more info

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O'Briens Wines invite you to

Spring into this week's offers (one of which is Very Rare!)

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Milkshake Time Again at Rascals!

Here’s a milkshake that will bring all the boys to the yard a smile to your face this week. Brewed with coconut, vanilla and chocolate from The Proper Chocolate Company, the much-loved Rascals Milkshake Stout is back and it’s on sale now! You can get a 24-can mixed case or a 12-can mixed case; there are plenty of options online right now. Don’t forget we are donating €1 from every webshop order, throughout February, to our local National Council for the Blind shop.

Details here

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March Virtual Wine Tasting

from Wines of the World

Our next virtual tasting will go live on March 12th. We have included 6 wines in our surprise wine case - 3 different wines- 2 of each wine. This will include white wine and two different red wines. One of each wine to taste on our virtual tasting and a second of each to enjoy at a time of your choice. Join us for our virtual tasting on March 12th at 7pm on our social media platforms @WinesIreland on Instagram or Facebook. The video will remain on our social platforms Facebook & Instagram @WinesIreland for viewing at your convenience from 7pm on March 12th onwards so you can view at a later time or date if it suits you better. Click the button below to purchase yours now.

Surprise Mixed Case - Virtual Tasting March 12th **********

THE WHISKY TERROIR PROJECT READ ACADEMIC PAPER The first rigorous, academic paper in our ongoing Whisky Terroir Project – "The impact of terroir on the Flavour of Single Malt Whisky New Make Spirit" – has officially been published in the peer-review journal Foods.   The game-changing research using the very latest Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum Olfactometry (GC/MS-O), demonstrates analytically and sensorially that terroir influences the flavours in both barley and the spirit distilled from that barley. Though we of course knew it all along, this paper proves once and for all – beyond denial and intuition – the influence of terroir on single malt whisky new make spirit.

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Is Your Anytime Ace. Not Just Valentine's!

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

Is Your Anytime Ace. Not Just Valentine's!

Piper-Heidsieck is one of the most famous houses in Champagne. It is known for its structured, fruit-driven house style made predominantly from Pinot Noir, with smaller portions of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The company has its origins in the cloth- and wine-trading company Heidsieck and Co. which was founded in 1785 by Florens-Louis Heidsieck. 

The current winemaker is Émilien Boutillat.  “Émilien was born in the heart of champagne. He has made wine around France, in Chile, in South Africa and in New Zealand. He has a global perspective, a scientific approach and is one of the rising stars of the wine world.” Not a bad intro at all from Liberty Wines MD David Gleave as he introduced Émilien Boutillat during a masterclass last year. Judging by the two wines here, the intro was well deserved.

Piper Heidsieck Essentiel Cuvée Réservée Extra Brut, 12% 

Émilien Boutillat

Through the pale gold colour, fountains of bubbles race in profusion towards the top. Nutty notes in the aromas. It really makes you stop and take notice on the palate, pear and apple amidst the lively citrus contribution. And, after that full and flavoursome combination (enhanced by the contribution of the reserve wines), comes a persistent dry finish. One of the very best Extra Brut champagnes I’ve come across (not that I’ve come across that many) and Very Highly Recommended.

Info:

Extra Brut.

Mise en Cave (cellared): 2015.

Degorgement: Jan 2019.

Winemaker: Émilien Boutillat.

Blending: Harvest 2014 and 18% Reserve wines

Grapes: 50% Pinot Noir , 30% Meunier, 20% Chardonnay

The Essentiel wines are produced exclusively for independent merchants and the on-trade. The Essentiel Cuvée Réservée Extra Brut and the Essentiel Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut are made in limited quantities and for the table, with their low dosage (6 g/l and 4 g/l respectively) making them ideal for whetting the palate or serving with seafood.

* I got this bottle as an unexpected gift at Christmas. You can get it in Mitchell & Son (Dublin) for €66.95, details here. 

Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV, 12%, on offer €39.95 (was €54.06), O’Briens Wine

This signature Brut has a really bright gold colour, lots of bubbles catching the lights. Aromas - fruity, biscuity.  Again fruity (citrus) and biscuity on the palate and it certainly lives up to the Brut with the persistent finish delicate with that lovely citrus prominent.

So what would you pair this beauty with? Lynne Coyle MW, of O’Briens, suggests it’s perfect with “the antics of Bridgerton and their society parties”.  "Enjoying the antics of Bridgerton and their society parties? then Champagne is the perfect match. Champagne would have been flowing freely during this period, establishing itself as a luxury celebration wine." 

Of course, you would need something to nibble on. Again Lynne has the solution: Rustic Bread & Black Olive Tapenade. Just ask the servants.

I got this bottle in “Deck the Halls” Feast Hamper that I bought from the excellent Glass Curtain restaurant in Cork City at Christmas.

Cheers 212901 Beer, Wine, Spirits with Liberty Wines, Wicklow Wolf, Blackwater Distillery, Shelbourne Bar, O'Briens Wine

Cheers 212901

Beer, Wine, Spirits with Liberty Wines, Wicklow Wolf, Blackwater Distillery,

Shelbourne Bar, O'Briens Wine

Mark and Sarah Driver of Rathfinny Wines who have appointed Liberty Wines as their exclusive agent in Ireland and the UK

More below...

Wicklow Wolf Latest

Our latest Endangered Species release... No.15

Somewhere Far Away We have all been dreaming of somewhere far away over the past few months and our brewers are no different. The brain child of our brewer’s coming together (one of which is a Kiwi) to develop an exciting new release, Somewhere Far Away is an India Pale Lager that champions two super fresh New Zealand hops, Nelson Sauvin and Motueka. These two hops come from the north west of the South island of New Zealand famed for Marlborough Sauvi- gnon Blanc wine. Two bountiful dry hop additions allow these hops come to the forefront of the beer bringing a burst of soft fruits, grape, goose- berry and floral hints. At 6.0%, this DDH IPL was slowly conditioned with lager yeast, to give a clean, crisp and fruity finish, making it a very balanced and refreshing beer. No. 15 in our Endangered Species series, make sure to get it before it goes extinct.

February's Blackwater Tasters Box has been revealed 

We're very excited to show you all our first #BlackwaterTasters box of 2021 which contains two brand new, limited-edition spirits.

Our bold Blood Orange Gin with juicy blood oranges takes the lead vocals with bitter orange and sweet orange on the harmonies. A post distillation infusion of blood orange slices gives a bare hint of natural colour and a vibrant fresh orange palate. As February is the month of love, this box will also include a first of its kind, Love Potion No 5 Spirit Drink, a bitter-sweet liqueur containing pomegranate, finest grade saffron, five different sorts of peppercorns, pink roses, fresh citrus peel, cardamon - If you like new and exciting spirits, then you will love these!

Once again we only will have a limited number of boxes and we expect these boxes to go fast, so if you know anyone who might fancy signing up, please let them know.

Cork's Shelbourne Bar Have Your Valentine Bottled

Are you looking to treat your loved one this Valentines?

Or maybe even treat yourself?

The Shelbourne Bar have put together an Irish Whiskey and Chocolate pairing box for Valentine's Day.

Each box comes with

50ml of Dingle Single Malt

50ml Clonakilty Port Cask

6 Luxury Chocolates from The Chocolate Shop in the English Market

and a Shelbourne Bar Branded Glencairn Tasting Glass.

All for €55

You can shop now at our website

www.theshelbournecork.ie

Rathfinny joins Liberty Wines

 

Liberty Wines is pleased to be appointed as exclusive agent in Ireland and the UK for Rathfinny, the family-owned Sussex estate established in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver.
 
Rathfinny’s estate vineyard now extends to over 93 hectares in the South Downs, just three miles from the Channel. Lying on a gentle south-facing slope, the site is predominantly planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier and benefits from a semi-continental maritime climate and free-draining chalky soils, providing the ideal conditions to ripen grapes for sparkling wine. Rathfinny uses only estate-grown fruit for their four traditional-method Vintage Sussex sparkling wines: Classic Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé. 
 
Sarah Driver emphasises the companies’ shared commitment to sustainability and social responsibility: “Rathfinny aims to be a sustainable wine producer, but also socially and environmentally responsible. It is great to be able to partner with an organisation like Liberty Wines. Like us, they hold employee wellbeing, the environment and sustainability at their core and are the first UK wine importer to be carbon neutral. We also take the stewardship of our land seriously."
 
Tom Platt, sales director of Liberty Wines, commented: “There is a natural fit between Liberty Wines and Rathfinny, as not only do we share a similar philosophy, but also they complement perfectly our existing English Sparkling portfolio. We would like to say thank you to Gonzalez Byass for the great work that they have done over the past three years, which we look forward to building upon.”
 
The 2017 vintage sparkling wines from Rathfinny will be released and available through Liberty Wines in April/May this year.

CIDER - NOT JUST FOR SUMMER

says Paul Barry | Assistant Buyer: Beer & Spirits at O'Briens Wine

Paul suggests Longueville House, Stonewell and McIvor in his blog...

Winter is certainly upon us; cold, wet and dreary, perfect cider weather you might say. Cider is often seen as a thirst quencher when served in a glass filled with ice on a sunny summer afternoon, but craft cider can be so much more. So, ditch the ice and just serve your cider chilled to fully enjoy the complex aromas and flavours on offer. If you do need some warming up on these cold winter nights, why not spice it up with some mulled cider? Add some all spice, a slice of orange studded with clove and gently warm for a luxurious winter warmer. Read more here.

Cheers 212201 Beer, Wine, Spirits with Porterhouse-Kinnegar-Lineman-Rascals-BeerCloud-O'Briens-Teeling

Cheers 212201

Beer, Wine, Spirits with Porterhouse-Kinnegar-Lineman-Rascals-BeerCloud-O'Briens-Teeling

Independent Breweries Ireland

 "Beer of the Year"

The results are in for #ICBIBeerOfTheYear

This is a new and unique competition where beers are judged by peers!

2021 Gold goes to

Porterhouse Brew Co.

for their Round the Clock Imperial Stout, followed by Silver to

Lineman

for Astral Grains Stout and Bronze to

Kinnegar Brewing

for their Thumper Double IPA.

The idea is that microbreweries each submitted one beer of their choice - these were then supplied unbranded to all the entrants who had a very enjoyable time judging each beer! You can read a little more here http://icbi.ie/beer-of-the-year/

#indieirishbeer #irishcraftbeer #craftbeer #microbrewery

Best greetings of the day to you all. The Breakfast of Champions 6.1% oatmeal stout is yours to buy! It’s an oatmeal stout like no other. We’ve made it with specialty coffee roasted by our Dublin 8 neighbours Imbibe. The base recipe of our new stout has a generous helping of chocolate wheat and café malt; we’ve also used plenty of oats and some lactose too. We’ve even added a few cacao nibs just because we know how well they’ll complement the beer. Combine all the ingredients and you’ve got the breakfast stout of champions!

Buy The Beer

BeerCloud Welcome to the January BeerCloud BREWSLETTER We're delighted to announce that, once again, we're teaming up with the Craic Beer Community to bring you the January Brews virtual meet-up. This (virtual) mini-festival kicks off at 7.30pm next Friday, 29th January. As well as plenty of beer-chat, we'll be joined by brewers from Hope, Larkin’s, Canvas, O Brother and Dead Centre to talk through some featured beers.  To book your place just purchase a Craic Box before Wednesday 27th. Attendance numbers are limited, so don't leave it too late!  WINES FOR NETFLIX NIGHTS with Lynne Coyne MW, O'Briens Wine If you are settling down to Netflix on these January lockdown nights, add to your relaxation and enjoyment by trying these wine and movie matches along with a simple, easy to put together plate of tasty nibbles. Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV   Enjoying the antics of Bridgerton and their society parties? then Champagne is the perfect match. Champagne would have been flowing freely during this period, establishing itself as a luxury celebration wine. Piper-Heidsieck's history dates back to 1785 and now own 70 hectares of sustainably managed vineyards. Their signature cuvée Brut is round and vibrant with a richness from the high proportion of black grape varieties. With notes of almond and hazelnut to accompany lively bubbles and fresh flavours of pear and crunchy red apple, the beautifully balanced finish is delicate and long with a hint of citrus fruits.   Food Match - Rustic Bread & Black Olive Tapenade   Netflix Match - Bridgerton More of Lynne's wine suggestions here Teeling Got That Lovin' Feelin' Bring back that ‘Loving Teeling’ this Valentine’s Day! We’re hosting a virtual Valentine’s Cocktail class. Cocktails kits for 2 include - 4 cocktails, utensils including (2 mason jars & glassware) to accompany a live online demo. Book Now https://teelingwhiskey.digitickets.ie/event-tickets/32491?catID=11834&mc_cid=8df45c5bcc&mc_eid=6226262564