Thinking Outside The Bottle With Stonewell Cider. This cidermaker successfully uses hops in his product. Even rhubarb!

Thinking Outside The Bottle With Stonewell Cider

This cidermaker successfully uses hops in his product. Even rhubarb!

Daniel Emerson - more than a cidermaker😉😋

Let us start with the hops. At a recent discussion featuring three cidermakers on BeoirFest, Stonewell’s Daniel Emerson was asked how his stunning Tawny came about. Through a collaboration with local brewer/distiller Sam Black was the answer. “El Dorado hops added complexity and helped balance the extra sugar. “ The initial cider, made with Dabinett and Michelin apples, was bitter and the extra sugar came via capitalisation where sugar was added after fermentation, bringing the ABV to 15%.

The final product is an opulent, complex cider, and has been compared to sweet wine and sherry. Stonewell advise using it as “a slightly chilled aperitif but equally cheese or dessert accompaniment”. At the Ballymaloe LitFest 2016, expert Pete Brown (author of World’s Best Cider) was impressed after tasting it and said it reminded him of a Canadian Ice Cider, “beautiful’.

Daniel explained: "At the end of the process, the cider is very sweet, like an apple ice-cider. We decided to counteract this by passing it through Eldorado dry hops. The result was very good and the Tawny has proved remarkably successful.” And we could all see why. And you can still see why as it is still going strong. I’ve got the 2018 vintage on my desk here!

Cidermakers are regularly experimenting but Davy of Tempted, also on that Beoirfest talk, cautioned about doing it too soon as a producer. “You’ve got to put decent roots behind you and then move on to more refined products like Tawny.” 

I first came across Davy’s excellent ciders in Cahir in 2013 where his dry won out in its class (very competitive, as many cider makers were showing that day). Davy is now getting a name for his barrel-aged ciders and praise too. “Fantastic, incredible character,” enthused Daniel as he tasted the latest bitter-sweet from the Lisburn man.

So back to the story of apple and rhubarb. Back to 2016 where Stonewell’s Rós Cider beat off stiff competition from food and drink producers all over the island of Ireland to be awarded the coveted Supreme Champion title of the 2016 Blas na hEireann, the Irish Food Awards.

Geraldine Emerson from Stonewell Cider at the time: “We use all natural ingredients. The Rós cider has a very pure, clean taste. This award is great because it is recognition for all the work that goes into making it. We’re delighted.” By the way, Davy’s Tempted were also winners on the day!

Rhubarb was and is used in Rós. A local producer offered a lot of it to Daniel. He began to wonder what to do with it and decided to incorporate it in cider. But “extracting juice from rhubarb is a nightmare”. Still, he persevered and it too is still going strong. “You got it right,” declared Liam of Legacy, another cider-maker on the BeoirFest discussion. By the way, Davy is having success using Elderflower in his cider. No wonder himself and Daniel have a great respect for each other!

Recently I got a delivery of tins and jars of tuna from Donegal’s John Shine. I had read somewhere about tuna being used with Mozzarella and that became our focus. Yellowfin Tuna belly in olive oil was the chosen can. A quick trip to the local Dunnes Stores saw us get the Macroom Mozzarella. And then I thought that I had, thanks to my support of the Beoirfest show, a couple of bottles of Rós. One was quickly produced. Well, the Rós got on so well with the tuna and the cheese you’d have sworn they were made for each other. 

It isn’t all about the booze at Stonewell where Daniel and his team produce a really excellent non-alcoholic cider called Stonewell 0%.

I was delighted with the 330ml bottle that I recently bought in the local O’Donovan’s Off Licence. Light gold colour, no shortage of bubbles rising up. And there’s a fresh fruit aroma. The first thing you notice in the mouth is that this is refreshing, it is dry, crisp, and very much a real cider, a terrific drink after a long walk or a drive. And, of course, you can have a few of these and still drive. They have used typical bittersweet apples here so it’s not lacking in flavour, on the contrary. Very drinkable and very acceptable. Fit for purpose, for sure.

So how do they do it? “Traditionally we’ve been an alcoholic beverage maker, namely cider. So in order for to us to produce a non-alcoholic beverage we’ve had to go back to the drawing board and return to our studies to find out what was the best way to square this circle. Instead of simply trying to make a concoction with fresh apple juice, we opted for the more complex route of removing alcohol from a normal cider.

We fermented a cider using typical bittersweet apples. Once fermented we then used a process of osmosis, or to be precise reverse osmosis to extract the alcohol from the cider. This leaves a lot of the characteristics created by the fermentation process but with the added bonus that there’s no alcohol. At this stage of the process the cider is still “dry” in other words contains no sweetness, so to finish off this blend we add a small amount of apple juice which broadens the mouthfeel…. Made and blended by us in Cork, Stonewell 0% is a refreshing alternative for all those looking to avoid the sickly sweet mocktails or fizzy rock shandys at a social occasion.”

I have tasted quite a few non-alcoholic Irish beers and Irish ciders at this stage and it seems to me that the cider-makers, with Stonewell and Highbank (with their Drivers Cider) showing the way, have made a better fist of the "style" than the beer makers!

* It's not just "exotic" ciders at Stonewell, by the way. They also make classic dry (dry was reported by all three on the Beoirfest as the best seller) and a medium dry along with various specials. More info on their website here.

The versatility of Shines Tuna. And do watch out for that Yellow Fin Belly

The versatility of Shines Tuna

And do watch out for that Yellow Fin Tuna Belly

Shines Yellow Fin Tuna with Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella.

I never really thought of the can of tuna in the cupboard as anything other than a handy standby. But all that changed over the past month or so. Beginning when a box of cans that I had ordered from Shines of Killybegs arrived at the house, six cans and two jars!

How could that all be used without us getting fed up of the fish? We did a little bit of research and found recipes in unexpected places. Firstly, Shines themselves have quite a few on their website and it was there that we started.

Shines Wild Irish Tuna

We picked one by Ciara Shine. Her “Speedy Salad” was described as “a nice fresh dish, easy to prepare. Looks and tastes amazing!” And it lived up to its billing. You can see the recipe here.There are a quite a few items on the list of ingredients but you can pick and choose. Basically you need Shines Wild Irish Tuna (we used the jar) and salad leaves. We added olives and semi-sundried tomatoes and also some of the ORSO Pickled Red Onion (which didn’t make the photo). We were off to a great start.

Another look at the Shine page led to us following, approximately, John Shine’s own contribution: Tuna Mediterranean Wrap. Again, some substitutions were made and our “mix” consisted mainly of Shines Chilli Tuna, lettuce leaves, tomatoes, peppers. Easy to do and worked out well and met John’s description: “Healthy and tasty. Perfect lunchtime treat.”

So what next? Well, the answer was in the post. I had recently ordered The Anti-Cancer Cookbook (an excellent cookbook with all the royalties going to cancer research). A quick flick through on arrival and, without specifically looking for tuna recipes, two turned up. We picked the Tuna and Sweetcorn Fritters, something different, something quite tasty. We added a nice salad to the tuna (Shines Irish Tuna from a can this time) and sweetcorn with a Spicy Ketch-up (by Tipp’s 3 Men in a Trailer). And this surprise recipe turned out very well indeed!

I had read somewhere about tuna being used with Mozzarella and that became our focus for our next dish, another easy one. Yellowfin Tuna belly in olive oil was the chosen can this time - John Shine is very enthusiastic about this particular Tuna, with very good reason as this particular fish is so exquisite you could eat it straight out of the can. A quick trip to the local Dunnes Stores saw us get the Macroom Mozzarella from Johnny Lynch’s farm.

Tuna Fritters

We didn’t need much more, some large tomatoes and basil for the cheese, and a bunch of cherry tomatoes for the salad. It looked nice and tasted even better. Thanks to an internet event, I had just received received the marvellous prize winning Rós Cider (Apple and Rhubarb) from local producer Stonewell. And Rós got on so well with the tuna and the cheese you’d have sworn they were made for each other. 

We still have a few cans of Shines fish left (sardines certainly) but I doubt that we’ll top the Tuna belly, the Mozzarella and the Rós cider combination! Might well do it again soon as there’s still another bottle of that delicious Rós hanging around here.. I think!

* On a separate note, did you know the Irish fishermen catch plenty of top quality sardines each November /December ? Very soon you will be able to buy Irish sardines from Shines. Interested businesses are invited to call John Shine anytime on 0868164106 for further info on this new product.

Cheers 211801 with Sugrue Sparkling, Stonewell, O'Briens, JJ Corry, Wines of the World, Waterford Whisky

Paul Barry runs through 

Some non-alcoholic beer and cider options at O'Briens Wine

There’s now also a growing range of non-alcoholic craft beers to try. Especially if your tastes tend toward the hoppier side of things. There are great Irish options too. Wicklow Wolf have Moonlight, a juicy hoppy ale with bright citrus aromas and a clean fruity finish. While Kinnegar have released Low Tide a light citrusy pale ale.

 

There are some great options for cider drinkers as well. Due to the method of production; the body and weight of non alcoholic cider is very close to the "real thing". That most popular of Irish ciders Bulmers have done a great job of replicating their recipe with their  0.0%.  Another great option is from Co Cork producers Stonewell. Their non-alcoholic is full of fresh fruit flavours while remaining dry and crisp. Read more here.

Happy New Year! We are delighted to share with you that J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey has made its début on the Best Selling Irish Whiskey list, as reported by Drinks International's 2021 Annual Report. As the only independent Irish Whiskey company and Irish Whiskey Bonder listed, this is a huge achievement for us! We would like to thank our supporters around the world who have raised a glass of J.J. Corry throughout the year. To read the full report click here. Jump to pg.16 to view the Irish Whiskey insights. Wines of the World FEBRUARY VIRTUAL TASTING! Worth €93, get 14% off our first virtual tasting of 2021! Our next tasting will go live Friday February 12th- Valentines Weekend! This virtual tasting will include 2 whites, 2 rosé and 2 red wines. Our virtual tasting videos will stay on our platforms once they go live for viewing whenever suits you best. Order here THE FUNNIES "... subject to the maturation of the final distillate for at least three years in wooden casks, such as oak..."   When it comes to the production of whisky in Ireland, according to the Irish Whisky Technical File, any old wood will do. Well, we're up for testing the theory. In our Mary Street cellars, at the Facilitator, we possess some unusual cask types that are seldom seen and used in whisky production, but which are apparently perfectly legal here in Ireland. We call them our Funnies – our exotic casks – and they include Acacia, Mulberry, Wild Cherry and Chestnut. We've even got some intriguing An-Dee-Uhn oak. Join Ned and Megan as they open up some of these barrels in our cellar before they finally leak their contents to the cellar floor – and watch the playlist in full. Limerick native Diarmuid Sugrue makes English Sparkling Wine by the Traditional Method in his Sugrue Vineyard South Downs. His awards: Winner Decanter Trophy for Best UK Sparkling Wine 2014 Gold Sommelier Wine Awards, Top 50 Decanter. Another honour came Diarmuid's way recently when his Trouble With Dreams was included by Wine-Searcher in England in a Case, the best of English Sparkling Wine. Read more here. And, in addition, so too was a wine from the Wiston Estate, Vintage Brut, also produced by Dermot, who they say is "becoming an icon of English winemaking". I must say I thought he was already there! Now over to the man himself: "As the old joke goes, we have good news and we have bad news... The bad news is that we are now out of stock of both The Trouble with Dreams 2013 and The Trouble with Dreams 2014. The Trouble with Dreams is now just available from 2015 in standard 75ml format and we also have 2017 magnums. The good news is that both #ZODO and Cuvée Boz, our very exciting new Blanc de Blancs are coming soon! If you haven't seen the #ZODO label, it's a glorious sight to behold..."

A Quart of Ale± #20. Terrific Irish Ciders. "Lucky to have each of them"

A Quart of Ale± #20

Moving on over to craft.

Terrific Irish Ciders.

"Lucky to have each of them" 

Cider is one of the most ancient of the alcoholic drinks, made wherever apples are grown. Yet some countries, Canada for example, has a law preventing people calling a liquid cider unless it has apples in the ingredients. There is a huge variety of ciders, from dry to sweet, from clear to cloudy. Once at a gite in France, the owner came over with a cloudy bottle, oil to ease a sticking front door we thought, but no it was a delicious homemade cider and there was a basin of strawberries as well!

Normandy and Brittany (where I then was) are well known for their ciders but it is only in recent years that craft cider has hit Irish shelves. And even here now, there is an amazing variety, especially from Munster, Leinster and Ulster. I have just a few examples below, including a non alcoholic gem from Highbank, and they illustrate the variety and quality available.

Con Traas of the Apple Farm, who produces a superb example himself, was asked a few years ago to give his verdict on a couple of the then new ciders, Longueville and Stonewell. He declined, saying we were lucky to have each of them. I feel the same way about the quintet below and others such as those coming from The Cider Mill in Slane, Dan Kelly (also in the Boyne Valley), and others that you can find here at  Cider Ireland .

Stonewell Medium Dry 5.5%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

This County Cork cider is approaching its 10th birthday and is tasting as well as ever. It was their first and  “remains our most popular cider”. It is a classic, very popular here too, and we often order it in restaurants as it goes well with a variety of dishes.

You’ll know it’s Irish by the eye catching Celtic design on the front. Aromas of the orchard invite you in. Light gold colour and squadrons of little bubbles flying up to the top. Terrific wash of sweet apple flavour on the attack and then you note a balancing acidity before a satisfying finish.

They say: We don’t complicate things by using artificial additives, apple concentrate, glucoses syrup or dilute with water. This carbonated cider is best enjoyed as a refreshing thirst quencher, chilled to 7 degrees (watch the ice – whilst it will maintain the chill it can conceal the full flavour!). 

With winter approaching, you can put this out the back for chilling as an overlong spell in the fridge would also hamper the flavour. This medium dry contains approximately 20% cider apples and 80% eating apples. The cider apples provide the astringency in the cider and the structure on which the full, rounder and more citrus characteristics of the eating apples depend. The cider is made from Irish grown apples and the varieties used are Dabinett, Michelin, Jonagored and Elstar.

Highbank Organic  “Drivers Cider” 0%, 330ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

I’m walking through long rows of apple trees, all in blossom, pink and white abound. The grass between is ankle height, lush and liberally populated with white daisies. Lush, but recently topped. Had I been there a week earlier, I would have seen battalions of dandelions.

I was in Kilkenny, in the healthy heart of Highbank Orchards, an organic farm owned and managed by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts. It is here they grow their apples and make their ciders (and more), including this one.

Made from organic cider apples from the Highbank farm, Drivers Cider is a refreshing non-alcoholic drink for the designated driver with no added sugar or chemicals. This Blusher apple limited vintage is Single Estate (grown, distilled and bottled at Highbank Farm) and no sugar or sweeteners have been added. 

It is a bit sweeter than the Stonewell but finishes dry. It’s a delicious well-flavoured drink and really works well with food as we found out during the Sunil Ghai Special Lunch in Sage last year. Any drink that pairs well with Asian is worth noting, especially when you’re driving home afterwards. In fact, we enjoyed the pairing so much, we bought a second round of the Highbank! Probably one of the best of the Irish non alcoholic drinks.

Johnny Fall Down “Late Apples” 2017 5.5%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

Light gold colour, no shortage of bubbles. No mistaking the orchard aromas. This one comes on strong, packed with complex flavour, smoky and spicy with a lingering dry finish. One for your short list for sure, from the new kids on the block at Killahora. 

At a tasting earlier in the summer, Killahora’s Barry said this Late Apples is driven by 30% Dabinett and lots of French varieties, some inedible as a fruit. And that this is designed “for food”. They suggest it is also one for the red wine drinkers and point the white wine drinkers in the direction of their Early Apples issue.

They say: "We work on what the year gives us. In the cidery, we do as little as possible to it. This deeper bittersweet, medium-dry cider is made from the late ripening, rare varieties of apples in our Cork orchards. Pair with darker meats, spicy food, cheese and oily fish.” Serve chilled, no ice!

Killahora was founded by two cousins, Barry Walsh and Dave Watson, with the goal of growing the best rare apple and pear varieties on Irish soil and to use artisanal techniques to turn them into award winning drinks. 

Dave brings a passion for and encyclopaedia-like knowledge of apple and pear trees, while Barry brings the wizardry of fermenting, blending and creating new drinks. “We make everything as naturally as possible with minimum intervention and use wild fermentation.Everything is handmade on site with 100% fresh juice and we take our time, allowing our products to mature for up to a year to get the most complexity of flavour.”

Highbank “Proper Irish Cider” 2016 6%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

This organic cider from Kilkenny’s Highbank Orchard has an amber colour, with fountains of bubbles rising. Aromas are tart and true to the orchard fruit. On the palate, it is just amazing, this masterpiece of deliciousness and refreshment and then that dry finalé. If Bach had made cider, he’d have been happy to put his name to a bottle like this, precise and satisfying from first drop to last.

They say: This traditional, dry cider grown and produced by Highbank Orchards Matured on its wild yeasts Highbank Proper Cider has no added sulphites, no added sugar and is Irish Organic with naturally high tannins. A delicious, refreshing drink, Proper Cider should be served chilled over ice particularly with a fish course.

Highbank Organic Orchards, owned and run by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts, produce their ciders in small batches with an emphasis on pairing ciders with different foods. All organic, with no added sulphites and gluten free, the cider apples are from Highbank’s own organic trees grown on Highbank Organic farm in County Kilkenny. It is a beautiful farm and this is a beautiful cider.

Longueville “Mór” Cider 8%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

Longueville harvest

This Longueville House cider had a clear amber colour and pleasing orchard aromas. This is a medium cider with a delicious full flavour, slight touch of tannins (on the lips) and a satisfying finish. Rubert Atkinson of Longueville: “No ice! It waters down the flavours and kills the sparkle. Enjoy this like a wine, in a wine glass.”

Longueville House (near Mallow, Co. Cork) grow two varieties of cider apple, the Dabinett and the Michelin - “No chemicals and no pesticides”. The regular Longueville House Cider, has an abv of 5.9%. The sugar is natural and they use no extra sulphites. 

Longueville’s Mór gets its higher abv (8.00%) and distinctive flavour from fermentation (1 year) in their just-emptied apple brandy casks. “It is the same juice as the regular cider but is more robust, has more character, more flavour, well rounded, well balanced, really lovely.” I couldn't agree more! Made from 100% fresh apples. Contains only naturally occurring sulphites.

They say: William O'Callaghan and his father Michael before him have been fermenting exceptional craft cider and distilling Ireland's only Apple Brandy now for almost 35 years. We have brought the cider and brandy production to another level while maintaining the very natural and respectful processes of our fore fathers, the terroir and sustainability - crushing, pressing, fermentation, filtration, light carbonation, pasteurisation - all while using no pesticides, fungicides, insecticides or any other ‘cides in our orchards. 

One way they counter the aphids, a tiny bug that can do enormous damage, is to encourage the hoverfly by planting the likes of Fennel, Angelica and Yarrow. These attract the hoverfly, a natural enemy of the aphid.

Blas na hÉireann 2020 winners announced!

Blas na hÉireann 2020 winners announced

Rubert Atkinson, Longueville House Beverages

In a year like no other, Blas na hÉireann announced the winners for 2020, with 34 winners from County Cork. With the annual pilgrimage to Dingle stalled, this year's winners tuned in from every corner of the country for a virtual celebration of the very best in Irish food. 

 

The team at Blas na hÉireann have been working tirelessly since March to ensure that Blas 2020 went ahead, maintaining their commitment to celebrating the very best in Irish food and drink. Chairperson Artie Clifford feels that now, more than ever, it is essential to shine a light and give that all important boost to the talented producers dotted around the island.

 

Sandra and Joe, Joe's Farm Crisps

The bronze, silver and gold winners from Cork across a range of different categories are Baked 4 U, Bandonvale, Bó Rua Farm, Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd., Centra - Inspired by Centra Made in store Salads, Coolmore Foods, Fitzgerald’s Butchers, Follain, Fresh Fish Deli, Glenilen Farm, Gloun Cross Dairy, Hanleys Puddings Ltd., Irish Yogurts, JDS Foods, Joe's Farm Crisps, Keohane Seafoods, Kepak, Kinsale Mead Co., Longueville House Beverages, Nohoval Drinks Co.Ltd T/as Stonewell Cider, Ó Crualaoi Feoil Teo, O’Keeffe’s Bakery, O'Herlihy’s Bacon Ltd., On The Pigs Back (La Charcuterie Irlandaise Ltd.), Rebel Chilli, Saturday Pizzas, Skeaghanore West Cork Farm, Spice O Life Ltd., The English Market, The Good Fish Company, Trace Of Cakes, Velo Coffee Roasters and West Cork Eggs Ltd. with Kepak winning best in county.

 

Winning again

Now in their 13^th year, the Blas na hÉireann awards are the all-island food awards that recognise the very best Irish food and drink products, and the passionate people behind them. The biggest blind tasting of produce in the country, the criteria on which the product is judged as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen, is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide.

 

Speaking after the announcements Artie mentioned, “The founding mission of Blas – establishing quality benchmarks for Irish produce on a level playing field – was strictly adhered to and measurably applied again this year despite the challenges we have all faced. We thank all our judges for their rigour and commitment, and as always we thank all our wonderful participants, producers and sponsors. While we missed our annual gathering in Dingle, we will join together to cheer on our colleagues and friends that were successful in this year’s awards and hope that it won’t be long before we can gather in Dingle once again.”

 

Kinsale Mead

Products from every county in Ireland were entered into this year’s competition to win Gold, Silver or Bronze Blas na hÉireann awards in over 140 food and drink categories, as well as key awards like Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer.

See all the 2020 winners here.

 

Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey and more on beers, wines and spirits in Cheers #10

Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

The Shed Distillery by P. J. Rigney, distilling Irish Whiskey since 2014, have been on social media telling all about their Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. "Every precious drop distilled at The Shed Distillery with Irish oats; distiller Brian Taft; no colour added; non chill filtered.  #singlepotstill #historic #truth #drinkresponsibly #transparency #irishwhiskey

Stonewell Apple and  Passion Fruit

Passion isn’t in short supply at Stonewell and there’s been plenty of it over the last ten years. It seemed logical therefore that our 10th anniversary seasonal cider in 2020 should reflect that. Inside this bottle you will find a fusion of fermented Jonagored, fresh apple juice and a hint of Natural passion fruit. A light yet fruity apple flavour with a hint of the tropics. If we are not able to go to exotic places this summer, Stonewell is bringing exoticism to you. Sit down, put your feet up and enjoy a refreshing Stonewell Apple and Passion Fruit. Western Herd Now Canning For First Time Here's the story from the Clare Champion We popped out to @WesternHerd in Kilmaley today who are canning beer for the first time and also launching a brand new double IPA called 'The Height', this is how it went. See more here. Lambay Whiskey. A Winner Again Congrats to  Lambay Whiskey on its 15th award for their Single Malt since first launched in 2018. Wines Direct Get Cracking with Crianza. Wines direct have a cracking case offer on crianza - check it out here The Whale's Tail at Clonakilty Distillery DJ Ronnie Costley at The Whale's Tail Restaurant this Saturday at 2pm Ronnie Costley will be playing vintage vinyls at The Whale's Tail Restaurant this coming Saturday, July 4th at 2pm in aid of the front line staff workers at Clonakilty Hospital. Donations gratefully accepted. Limited seating available with social distancing rules applied. Booking is essential. Reserve a table online at www.thewhalestail.ie or call 023 88 78111