Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Brewery Nooze🍺🍻 with Crew, Cork Ale Trail, Bierhaus, West Kerry, Rising Sons, Hopfully, Kinnegar, Hope, & more

 Brewery Nooze🍺🍻

Cidery, Meadery too..

with Crew, Cork Ale Trail, Bierhaus, West Kerry, Rising Sons, Hopfully, Kinnegar, Hope, Killarney, St Mel's, White Hag, Ballykilcavan, Rye River, Clonakilty, Brennan's, Dungarvan, Tom Crean, Stonewell, Porterhouse, Brú,

#211016

Crew Brewery


In November 2019 while on a brewery equipment shopping trip to Germany we took a pilgrimage by train to the city of Bamberg, the home of smoked beer. We toured Weyermann, a malt producer, then rushed down to the Schlenkerla brewery to drink the famed smoked beer. As we drank our half litres of liquid bacon fries we told each other we'd brew one of these weird and wonderful beers with malt from Bamberg if we ever got our own brewery open.
There were a few complications along the way but we did get open and a month ago we took a very special delivery from Bamberg. Now we have liquid bacon fries of our own.

Prost!
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@CorkAleTrail
x #corkbeerclub x winning homebrew recipe ‘JANSARA’ from Jan Stanicek is now pouring exclusively #jansara

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Refilling out porter Carraig Dhubh to @dingledistillery barrels.
We intend making this part of our core range. A particular favourite coming into winter, with extra warmth from the whiskey notes.

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Our bottled Midaza stout is now available at Neighbourfood Ballincollig, Douglas and Carrigaline markets. Check them out to see a range of both our products and others from great local producers

Hopfully Boo

BOO is a sour bursting with mixed berry smoothie flavors. Ripe sweet cherries,
delicate juicy raspberry, and a touch of earthy tannic black currants and tartness of the lime balanced out by the sweetness of the milk sugar. Hitting the shelves next week!

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Kinnegar Launch Coolship


Baptism of steam. A miserably wet and grey day in Kinnegarland was brightened considerably by the successful launch of our cool ship. Here's to her maiden voyage.

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HOPE BEER


Now that the darker and colder days are here you'll be needing our Autumn and Winter range!
hopebeer.ie/clothing/

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We are thrilled to announce that our barrel-aged Imperial Stout has been awarded the Grand Gold Frankfurt International Trophy Award 2021.
At Killarney Brewing Company we consistently offer superior quality and better tasting beers. Our brewer Mike and his team take great pride in their work and this award just proves it has been worthwhile.
We couldn’t be prouder and can’t wait to see what our spirited and driven brewers have to offer for our future innovative beers.

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🚨 BIG NEWS FROM ST MEL'S 🚨


Now one step closer to being available in every county!

We are delighted to announce that Cassidy Wines are now our partner for nationwide distribution. Supplying hospitality and the off-trade, Cassidy's will be supplying our core range of bottles and cans all over the country. This is a great partnership for us, Cassidy's is a long-established family run business that has been supplying to retail and hospitality since 1977. Their depth of experience and prestige in the drinks business will help us to extend our reach from our midlands base to all corners of the country.

In order to support the opportunity for high-quality, consistent, independently produced beer in the hospitality trade, St. Mel’s Brewing Company will be releasing all of their classic bottled beer range in 330ml bottles. Cassidy's will also be distributing our standard 500ml bottles as well as our brilliant canned beer range

“We are delighted to announce the addition of St Mel’s Brewery, premium craft beers to our portfolio.”
- Neil Cassidy, Cassidy Wines
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White Hag Release



After tonnes of messages, White Hag have again released their seasonal Pumpkin Ale into the wild.... if you see, feel free to approach!

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Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery
If you're coming to visit us, this is the new entrance to the farm and brewery.


As part of our planning conditions for the visitor centre, we've had to close off the old entrance, and the new gate is now 100m closer to Stradbally, with a nice drive through a forestry plantation before you get to the back gate.

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Fire E M B E R S Fire It's been a long time coming and we're stoked to introduce you to Embers, our 6 month Añejo Barrel Aged Wheat Wine! We mashed one tonne of Oak Smoked Wheat into this 10.5% ABV wheat wine. It's basically a Grodzizkie dialled up to 11, but we didn't stop there...
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Clonakilty Brewing

 Company

Gold, orange, brown, black? How does beer have so
many colors? Is it dye?
No mates, the color of the Beer changes according
to the type of malt we use! 
And it changes not only the color but the taste as well. 
It can taste like bread, toffee, caramel, chocolate and 
even coffee. There are many possibilities of color 
and flavor. But its main role is to serve as food for 
the yeast to transform sugars into alcohol, carbon
dioxide and a range of flavours.

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Are You an Interior Design Student?
We are looking for a young and gifted interior design student to work on our new and 
exciting New Visitor and Taste Centre project coming soon to Wexford, helping us 
create a fresh modern venue with a touch of tradition
If you aspiring interior design student please email us on info@thebrennansbrewery.com
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Dungarvan Brewing Company

ECO VIBES ♻️ 🍺
Did you know you can recycle our aluminium cans?
The metal can be recycled time and time again without loss of properties, so getting the aluminium recycling habit is one of the best things we can do for the environment! 🌍 ❤️
How are they recycled?
Aluminium cans are shredded, removing any coloured coating. They are then melted in a huge furnace. The molten metal is poured into ingot casts to set. Each ingot can be made into around 1.5 million cans.
But remember…Rinse out your beer cans, peel off the sticker and let dry
out before you pop them in the recycling bin
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"The best beer in the county? Right behind us" 😆
Delighted to show Minister Richard Bruton, Minister
Damien English and Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise at
LEO Fingal around the brewery last week.

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Big canning day- 1st time 6 Magpies Stout canned. Building up stocks for Christmas hampers & gifts. Also Scurvy Dog IPA, Druid's Smoked Wheat
Beer, Killowen Kolsch Style Lager & Expedition Irish Red. Tom's Winter
Warmer canned in a few weeks. Thanks Irish Craft Canning for a super job.
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Spot the out-cider!



Want to be part of the making of 2021 vintage Stonewell Cider?
Why not join our team for 2 weeks and be part of the real cider making process!
Email the team at info@stonewellcider.com
Let’s get pressing

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Porterhouse Brew Co.


And here it is in all its glory. Around The Clock Batch.3.
7 hops, 7 malts and 250 days resting peacefully in a bourbon cask, just waiting to be drank. Packed to the brim with notes of chocolate, vanilla, coffee and caramel.







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🍁Introducing our Autumn Specials...🍁
Say hello to Fire Starter and Night's Watch, our two new
Urban Jungle beers that
are ideal for the cool, crisper months.
Let this smoked brown ale and baltic porter keep you toasty
and warm as the nights draw in!

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The Cork International Hotel has launched a frightfully delicious Halloween themed Afternoon Tea.

The Cork International Hotel has launched a frightfully delicious Halloween themed Afternoon Tea.



Guests can enjoy spooktacular themed sweet and savoury treats from Tuesday, October 26th to Sunday, October 31st. The Halloween Afternoon Tea will be served from 1pm to 4pm daily. 


On the menu is: 


Savoury: Devil Eggs on homemade brown soda bread, Spicy shredded chicken and pumpkin hummus pinwheel, Blood orange salmon gravlax on focaccia bread, Roast beef and pickled carrot mini brioche 


Middle: Pumpkin Scones - with Butter and Chive Cream Cheese, Chocolate & raspberry brownie, Green & orange macaroons, Chocolate Mousse Halloween Batcats


Treat: Chocolate mousse and mixed berry puree layered shot glasses, Red Velvet Cakes, Rosher, Lemon Meringue


The Halloween Afternoon Tea is €25 per adult and €12.50 per child. Pre booking is essential. People can book by calling 021 4549800.


 

Great Taste announces Golden Fork nominations

 P R E S S  R E L E A S E 



Great Taste announces Golden Fork nominations 

 

Great Taste, the largest and most trusted food and drink awards on the planet, will reveal its Supreme Champion 2021 on Sunday 17 October, during a ceremony held at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, following the first day of Fine Food Show North. Out of 218 Great Taste 3-star award-winning products to be rejudged, just 14 will receive a Great Taste Golden Fork Trophy and these will all be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Reception before the presentation of this year’s biggest prize in food and drink. 

 

The following products from the UK, Ireland and beyond, are nominated for the Golden Fork trophies from their region and are all in with a chance of scooping the top honour of Great Taste Supreme Champion 2021. 

 

From East Anglia: 

  • S J Frederick & Sons from Roydon in Essex for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Temple Farm Bronze Free Range Turkey 
  • Stokes Sauces in Rendlesham, Suffolk for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Blackcurrant Jam  
  • The Krafty Braumeister in Leiston, Suffolk for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Schwarz&Weiss beer  

 

From Ireland: 

  • Carlingford Oyster Company in Carlingford for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Louet Feisser Select Carlingford Oysters 
  • Greenbean Coffee Roasters in Dundalk for its Great Taste 3-star award-wining Torero 
  • Oliver Carty & Family in Athlone for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning SuperValu Signature Taste Irish Hampshire Easycarve Ham Fillet 

 

From London: 

  • La Tua Pasta near Park Royal for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Handmade Black Truffle & Ricotta Tortelloni 
  • Sublime Butter in Twickenham for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Ridiculous No55 Lobster & Crab Butter 
  • The Randy's Sauce Company near Hackney Wick for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Randy's Korean Sauce 

 

From the Midlands:  

  • Hogg Norton Fruit Liqueurs in Chesterfield, Derbyshire for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Seville Orange Fruit Liqueur 
  • Prices Spices from Warwick for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Chipotle Coppa 
  • Willy's from Ledbury, Hertfordshire for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Willy’s Live Apple Balsamic Vinegar 

 

From the North of England: 

  • Mr Vikki's in Penrith, Cumbria for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Chilli Jam 
  • Rosebud Preserves in Masham, North Yorkshire for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Damson Fruit Cheese 
  • Three Wrens Gin in Malpas, Cheshire for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Apple Crumble Edition  

 

From Northern Ireland: 

 

From Scotland: 

  • J. Lawrie & Sons in Mallaig, Highland for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Jaffy's Mallaig Kippers 
  • Macleod & Macleod in Stornoway, Western Isles for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Stornoway Black Pudding 
  • The Scottish Salmon Company in Edinburgh for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Harris and Lewis Smoked Scottish Salmon 

 

From the South East 

  • Bean Smitten in Flimwell, East Sussex for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Classic Blend 
  • Slake Spirits in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Sussex Dry Gin  
  • Spirit of the Downs in Hove, East Sussex for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Spirit of the Downs - Pinot Grape Spirit 

 

From the South West: 

  • Eversfield Organic in Okehampton, Devon for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning 28 Day Dry Aged Organic Rib of Beef 
  • The Artisan Kitchen in Gloucester for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Tropical Marmalade 
  • Twisting Spirits in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire for its Great Taste 3-star award-winning Kimchi Gin 

 

From Wales: 

 

From around the world: 

Monday, October 11, 2021

Time Now For Blasket Islands Lamb. At Market Lane, ORSO, Castle Cafe and Elbow Lane.

Time Now For Blasket Islands Lamb

At Market Lane, ORSO, Castle Cafe and Elbow Lane.

Chops and Feta

For the month of October, or as long as stocks last, you can taste one of the country’s most sought after products in the Market Lane Group of Restaurants, scattered across Cork City. Executive chef Stephen Kehoe has created a dozen or so dishes that highlight the amazing quality of Blasket Islands lamb, “arguably the most delicious lamb in the country”. 


Sausage Board, Lamb nearest you
Market Lane annually get a small share of the lamb which is raised on Beginish, one of the Blaskets. There the lambs, which are born in the summer, graze in a marshy meadow full of heather, grasslands and wild herbs, which gives the meat a unique depth of flavour. The meadow is salty from sea spray, and this gives the lamb its highly valued pré-salé flavour.


Delighted to get an invite to Elbow Lane last week to sample the lamb. Lots of other dishes, all very tempting, especially some of the fish ones, but I stuck to the brief, hardly a hardship with that lovely lamb coming in different guises. Actually if you wish to try out a variety of lamb dishes, Elbow Lane and ORSO are the places to go.


Soon, we were seated in the busy restaurant with its bright colour theme. They do of course have a wine list but for me the excellent beers from the on-site micro brewery are always an irresistible attraction. We settled, happy to do so, on the continental style Elbow Lane Lager and the Wisdom Lane (an amber ale that is very versatile at the table).


Lamb neck crostini
The menu here is divided into snacks, starters and mains, sides too of course. On the snacks we spotted the Pulled Blasket lamb neck crostini, grilled peach hot sauce. Just terrific, enhanced by the moderately spicy sauce.



Not mentioned on the night’s menu itself but we were told at the table that the lamb also featured in a starter called the Smokehouse sausage board, house pickles & chutneys. Quite a dish this one, both in terms of quality and quantity. It consisted of three plump sausages. Firstly, I tasted the Lamb (with fennel on the side); the smoothest of the three and packed with flavour. The Duck, with its accompaniments of two different chutneys, was another beauty. And the more rustic Pork sausage with sauerkraut - an excellent combination of taste and texture, perhaps my favourite - completed the hat trick.

Colours of Elbow Lane


Now, for the main event. The Slow-grilled Blasket Lamb chops, ember cooked courgette, pistachio mole, feta, tender and tasty, gave us perhaps the best flavour of the lamb. I’m told the lambs are smaller this year but I reckon the flavour is even better. Beside, the combination with the feta was just spot-on.


Very happy with the meal overall. And here is one reason why. The lamb is leaner, “creating a near-perfect fat to meat ratio” says award-winning Dingle Butcher, Jerry Kennedy, who looks after the lamb when it comes off the island.  “This is the perfect example of produce that is not only free-range, but contains no additives, colourants or preservatives and is vaccination free.” 

Dessert 



Blasket Islands Lamb on Market Lane Group menus (subject to change)


Lamb Shank: Braised Moroccan Blasket Island lamb shank on a bed of turmeric, feta and pomegranate giant couscous served with lamb reduction and pistachio.(ORSO)


Lamb Shoulder: Braised Lamb shoulder served glazed in pomegranate molasses lamb jus, with warm baba ganoush and ribbons of carrot and cucumber in caraway pickle.(ORSO)


Lamb Mince: Batersh - Aromatic ground lamb served on a bed of hot baba ganoush with a side of home-made flatbreads to dib.(ORSO)


Lamb Shank: Lamb Lavaş- Six hour braised lamb shank, pulled, served on in-house flatbreads, with a mango and coriander mambo.(ORSO)


Slow roasted lamb saddle, confit baby potato, lardon, in-house smoked parsnip puree, lamb treacle jus and tender stem broccoli (Market Lane)


Slow cooked lamb rump, fondant potatoes, sunflower seed romanesco, crookneck pumpkin. (Castle)

The busy grill at Elbow


Pulled Blasket lamb neck crostini, grilled peach hot sauce. (Elbow)


Monkfish, lamb pastrami, tomato and horseradish salsa,

mussel emulsion (Elbow)


Smokehouse sausage board, house pickles & chutneys (Elbow)


Slow grilled Blasket lamb chops, ember cooked courgette,

pistachio mole, feta (Elbow)

Sunday, October 10, 2021

The Liberator Continues Making Strides at Lakeview. Three Whiskeys To Look Out For. Two Now, One In March.

The Liberator Continues Making Strides at Lakeview.

Three Whiskeys To Look Out For. Two Now, One In March.

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The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat Batch 2, 46%


Founder of Wayward Irish Spirits Maurice O’Connell, buoyed by the success of Batch 1, introduces this special: “Our Storehouse Specials are small runs of interesting Whiskeys from our Bonded Storehouse – we like to keep the Whiskey community in touch with our progress and also use it to test release potential new products. After the fantastic reaction to the Port ’n’ Peat at Belfast Whiskey Week we released 200 bottles of Batch 1 which sold out very quickly, so we’re doing a further small test release before deciding whether to add it to our core range.”


The colour is natural, amber and also a streak or two of red. Aromas are smooth, fruit (banana) and a hint of peat. And that peat is also gently, but importantly, evident on the creamy and fruity palate and also in the long dry finish. A whiskey for your short list!


Maurice explains “We’ve been playing with the wonderful effect a small element of Peated Malt has on our Port finished Whiskey. Too much or too little risks one overpowering the other but we found that around 5% Peated Malt was the sweet spot where the Peat highlights the Port, making a very moreish and approachable Whiskey”. They took their time in Killarney and came out with a very delicious result indeed.


I’m not the biggest peat lover myself so this is an unexpected bonus (a few drops of water, very few, makes it even better) for me and I’m glad Maurice and team took time over this!  Attention to detail is key here as you can read below.



The details: “This is a premium blended Whiskey with a high (45%) Malt content. The unpeated Malt was finished in really fresh Tawny and Ruby Port Casks and half of the Grain component was finished in fresh Ruby Port casks, all for 9-12 months. The Whiskeys in this blend were sourced from Cooley and Great Northern. As with all our Whiskeys, we cut it gently cut over many weeks to avoid stressing it, borrowing from Cognac tradition. The colour is natural, it’s not chill filtered or otherwise messed with. As everything other than distillation - from maturation to finishing, blending and bottling - can be done on site, we can take the time to do things properly”. 


* 400 numbered half (350ml) bottles (200 for the Irish market). Bottled at 46% ABV, RSP €35. Available now from Irish Malts, Celtic Whiskey, James Fox, Tiny Tipples and Carryout Killarney.


Wayward Spirts The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish

 – Batch 3, 46% abv

An intense warm gold colour, with hints of red, announces this Liberator Malt with its tawny port finish. The fruity aromas hint at something warm and rich, and smooth, to come. And even if the intro to the palate is just a tad sharper than expected, you won’t be disappointed. Beautiful fruit notes (fig prominent) here “from the really fresh Port barrels” on the way to a lingering and satisfying finish, warm and moreish.


Maurice O’Connell, the man behind Wayward, says this is Ireland’s first vatted Malt in decades and led the wave of Tawny Port finishes, showing the innovation that Whiskey Bonders like Wayward Irish Spirits can bring to the category. Maurice has already received a boost with the news that this malt made it to the finals of Blas na hÉireann Food Awards 2021.


Similar to Batch 2, the components are 2006 Cooley Single Malt (increased to 25% in this Batch) and 2015/2016 Great Northern Single Malt. One thousand numbered bottles (450 for the Irish market) at 46% ABV with a RSP of €65. Available at specialist Whiskey shops: Celtic, James Fox, Irish Malts, Tiny Tipples, Carryout Killarney and in Supervalu’s throughout Kerry. 



Lakeview Single Estate “Hilly Field” Whiskey 46% 



Wayward Irish Spirits is getting closer to the release of the first Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey from their 2018 Hilly Field barley harvest. This was small-batch malted in Naas and then distilled (by Great Northern Distillery) into Pot Still spirit to their 50/50 mash bill and specification in March 2019. Initially in Bourbon casks for 3 months before transferring into NEOC casks (First Growth chateau Bordeaux casks, hand shaved and re-toasted).


This is our first Whiskey from barley grown on the Lakeview Estate and matured here. The Hilly Field, where the Whiskey was born, is adjacent to our Bonded Storehouse ‘The House of Contentment’ and I think people value that provenance and authenticity. There are many views on the effect of Terroir on the barley used to make Whiskey but there’s no doubt that the Estate’s constantly changing microclimate exerts a definite influence on maturation here.”


Micro-climate? The lake and mountain setting gives the estate a special microclimate: the famously changeable weather provides lots of variation in barometric pressure, even on an hourly basis - that contributes to cask maturation which depends on these changes. Sometimes, you can feel the pressure if you put a hand on top of a cask. Perhaps the angels are impatient for their share.

A small release of 800 bottles is planned to mark its ‘coming of age’ in March 2022. Pre-orders are being taken now based on a price of €95 for a 700ml bottle at 46% ABV. A small number of quarter casks (55-60L) with the same 2019 spirit are available at €5,000 +vat including 3 years further storage and bottling, representing around €50/bottle before vat and duty.


Got to try out “a work in progress” sample recently. There’s a decent bit of colour here at this stage and aroma intensity is also building. Very promising on the palate too and Maurice says that, “even at 2.5 years, .. it is impressing tasters with a maturity beyond its years and it’s already very drinkable”. Young for sure but also full of potential with the balance between the wood and the distillate emerging.