BEER OF THE WEEK: 9 White Deer Stag Stout

BEER OF THE WEEK

9 White Deer Stag Stout, 4.2% ABV, 500 ml bottle, O’Donovan’s

This gluten-free Stag Stout, from Ballyvourney’s 9 White Deer, weighs in at 4.2% ABV. It is a glossy black colour with a soft tan head. 

Aromas are rich and rammed with chocolate promise, which is fully delivered in the mouth. Here the chocolate and Madagascan vanilla play quite the most pleasing duet as the rich and smooth beer finds its way around. The chocolate is never over the top though and the stout is distinctive and delicious. Smooth and creamy, all without any nitro! And it is also gluten-free.

Very Highly Recommended. Beer of the Week

They say: Stag Stout is a medium-bodied traditional dry Irish stout at 4.2 % ABV. It is designed to appeal primarily to traditional stout drinkers, who remember how creamy the pints used to be. The complex recipe we developed brings back to life characteristics that are long forgotten. However this stout is like no other, Stag Stout also happens to be gluten-free, the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

I first came across this black beauty in Blairs Inn (near Blarney) in the winter of 2017. Richard Blair, one of two brothers then running the gastro pub, told me of a satisfied customer of a few days earlier. A coeliac, the man hadn’t drunk stout, his favourite tipple, for twenty years but, having sampled the Stag, left Blair's Inn with tears of gratitude.

Then Richard’s mother Anne guideed us to our fireside table. We began with some stout-infused brown bread! Delicious stuff and, of course, the Stag is one of the ingredients. Then I got to enjoy a pint with my Venison Casserole and it proved a great match for the rich dish of Wicklow venison. That ritual would be repeated in some form or other almost every winter thereafter.

The combination of the medium body, low carbonation and low hop bitterness makes Stag Stout a dangerously drinkable stout that tastes every bit as gorgeous as it looks. The promise from 9 White Deer is that as you enjoy a pint of Stag Stout you will agree with them in their assertion that it is the “Smoothest Stout in Ireland”.  It certainly is a good one!

This is a double chocolate and Madagascan vanilla stout, with cocoa and vanilla in the ingredients list, as well as green barley and oats. 

DRINK OF THE WEEK. Vermut de Robles in a class of its own!

DRINK OF THE WEEK

A vermouth in a class of its own

Bodegas Robles VRMT Vermut de Robles NV 15%

RRP: €32.00  (1 litre). Manning’s , Ballylickey// Toon’s Bridge Dairy// Good Food Store, Dublin//Wunderkaffee Farran and Connemara Hamper, Clifden. Mary Pawle Wines 

Bodegas Robles and Michelin-starred chef Paco Morales have certainly crafted a vermouth that is as complex and enticing as it is delicious. Combining the aromas and flavours of times past and present. And it is imported to Ireland by Mary Pawles wines. The base is Robles’ 8-year-old Oloroso, and then later a light touch of the PX is added.. 

Amazing aromas with strong hints of the Oloroso sherry base and a “top-up” of Pedro Ximenez, an appealing blend of freshness and maturity. The ten aromatic plants foraged in the locality have their say. An amazing liquid with a superb balance of sweetness and bitterness with the acidity playing a key role as the symphony of flavour plays on and on to the heavenly finalé.

Negroni. Image by eKokki from Pixabay

The aromatic plants add a sense of terroir, and also a burst of freshness and herbal complexity while other Paco additions such as clove and cinnamon echo the ancient cuisine of the Moorish Al-Andalus period (8th -15th century), all adding to the sense that this is indeed a special one. Step into the time capsule and take off!

The producers say it is “A good pairing for nuts, fruits such as orange or lemon, a cheese and raspberry cake., Any seafood and all kinds of fish: tuna, cod, salmon, anchovies., It's perfect with sweet flavors, especially those with more sweet and dark flavour., Olives, cheeses, ham, sausages, smoked meats, mussels, clams.”

It is certainly versatile. Enjoy on its own or with fresh orange juice and ice as an apéritif (try the same with Campari). It can also be used as a base for cocktails, such as the Negroni or the Manhattan. 

Manhattan.
Image by Gerhard Bögner via Pixabay

Cocktails are one of the first things you think about when you have a vermouth on hand. But I have found that some don't do justice to the Robles creation. I felt I had to change the forever formula for the Negroni. And, after a few experiments, determined that VRMT (40ml), Campari (30ml) and Gin (20ml) worked best for me! 

The Manhattan, this based on the Rye and Malt (raised in Bourbon barrels) at Method and Madness, Irish Distillers' micro in Midleton, worked well with the regular recipe (though I did throw in a cap full of Campari as there were no bitters in the house!)

Get a bottle of the VRMT for yourself and enjoy the experimenting!

Cool Cube for the Craft Curious. The White Hag Mixed 4-Pack.

 The White Hag Mixed 4-Pack. 

Cool Cube for the Craft Curious.

A cool cube that is easy to solve. Just open and enjoy!

Craft curious? Then this White Hag Mixed 4-Pack may be just the job. “These beers best represent our style of brewing, and are almost always available in most great beer outlets.” The neat and very portable ( as well as being very potable) pack contains their wildly popular Little Fawn IPA. All four beers are in 330ml cans.

White Hag Little Fawn Session IPA, 4.2% ABV

White Hag Magic Mist Juicy Pale Ale, 5.0% ABV 

White Hag Ninth Wave New World Pale Ale, 5.4% 

White Hag Atlantean New England IPA, 5.4% ABV

The Little Fawn, known to wander well outside its native Sligo area, may be found on draught home and away. Its ABV is a sessionable 4.2% and it features grapefruit aromas balanced with 100% Irish malt. Clean and fruity (from the Mosaic hops); not too hoppy though as you see from the mild lingering finish. As they say themselves, “an easy-to-drink American-style session IPA” and a good one to start with anytime.

Next up is the Magic Mist Juicy Pale Ale and it comes with lots of juicy tropical fruits and a hazy body. No doubt about it being fruity and juicy, more so than the Little Fawn,  but the White Hag brewers have this burst of fruit pretty well balanced and there’s enough bitterness there and so any tendency towards sweetness is kept in check. Another very made beer indeed that may be included in your session.

Where do they get those names? You may well be asking. The Magic Mist goes back to the Tuath de Dannan who had the knack of enshrouding themselves in a mystical fog that rendered them invisible to the enemy. You can get more on the names of the beers on the website here or on the cans.  

On now to the New England IPA called Atlantean. New England IPAs are beers that are purposely made hazy or cloudy, which can give these brews a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with little to no hop bitterness at the end utilizing hops that impart a tropical, juicy sweetness rather than the classic bitter. 

It is indeed creamy and cloudy. White Hag has used “copious amounts of American hops to add a big, juicy, fruity punch. Oats and lactose ( a sugar present in milk) add a rich creaminess that subdues the bitterness, making this beer similar to a hop shake”. 

White Hag advise drinking this beer as fresh as possible when all the Alpha and Beta oils from the hops are the most powerful.” With a best-before date towards the end of the year, this was probably as fresh as it gets in can and very enjoyable for sure. Yet, if you are starting in craft beers, I would recommend the first two. But don't worry - you can graduate quite quickly!

Finally, we have the Ninth Wave, a New World Pale Ale. It boasts a beautiful tropical character with a light toast finish. It is darker, close to amber, but clearer than the Atlantean (which is the fruitier of the pair). It is “stuffed with American hops, added in different stages of the fermentation” and you can smell that in the aromas and taste it on the palate. It is not devoid of fruit flavour (citrus mostly) and is refreshing and quite a thirst-quencher.

Boys are back in Mitchelstown! Eight Degrees founders buy back brewery

Boys are back in Mitchelstown!

Eight Degrees founders buy back brewery

Can we do this? Scott (left) and Cam drink to an adventurous future for Eight Degrees

Eight Degrees founders Scott Baigent and Cam Wallace have bought back the brewery they sold to Irish Distillers five years ago.

“We have enjoyed the journey over these past five years,” says Baigent, “with Irish Distillers playing a massive role in completing the build of our brewery in Mitchelstown at the foot of the Galtee Mountains in North Cork.”

“We also have enjoyed creating some really exciting beers together with Irish Distillers,” adds Wallace, “especially the experience of aging beers in whiskey barrels, along with developing a range of exciting whiskeys that were finished in craft beer-seasoned barrels.”

Over the last 18 months, Baigent and Wallace had left the brewery and drinks world behind. This break allowed them to reflect on where their passions lie and what they want to achieve.

For the founders, Eight Degrees has always been about enjoying great tasting beers while living a life of adventure. This is still central to their vision of producing innovative, full-flavoured beers from natural ingredients while exploring the outdoors and pursuing new experiences. Since its establishment in 2010, Eight Degrees has given Baigent and Wallace the platform for this message and the creative outlet to follow their passion.

“Having re-charged our batteries,” says Wallace, “we are keen to get back into the driver’s seat and continue the journey we started more than 14 years ago. Over the past year or so we have had some time out from the brewing world, time to go into the wilderness and take the opportunity for a bit of self-reflection. It's brought us right back to where we started!”

Baigent agrees. “With a heap of reckless optimism and a lot of newfound energy, we seek to deliver the Naturally Adventurous message once more.”

“We hope you come along with us to continue the adventure.” Sláinte

* An award-winning Irish microbrewery renowned for its innovation and experimentation, Eight Degrees was founded in 2010 by Scott Baigent and Cam Wallace. The brewery, which has always been based in Mitchelstown, North Cork, was acquired by Irish Distillers in 2018. It has now been bought back by Baigent and Cameron, who continue to work with the same core brewery team. They plan to release their newest beer in late February. Watch this space!

press release

Ichigo Ichie goes again! And I’ll be going again. Friendly informal feast with Michelin flare!

 Ichigi Ichie once again. 

And I’ll be going again!

Duck with Nori potesala

Ichigo Ichie's 2024 version isn't just good, it's captivating

Ichigi Ichie goes again! It was good (good enough for a Michelin Star) in 2023 and previously. The 2024 edition is a diner's delight as the Fenns Quay restaurant now has more choices, credit-card friendly prices and still amazing quality (and almost immediately a Michelin Bib). It's the kind of place I certainly want to go to again. Encore!!

It is the last Tuesday of a far-from-dry January. Quite early in the evening and the two sections of Takashi Miyazaki’s reimagined Ichigo Ichie Noodle and Natural Wine Bar are more or less full by six o’clock and the delighted staff tell us the weekends are even busier, so do be sure and book ahead.

Beef

The same staff are also welcoming, friendly and helpful. And we certainly needed a few pointers when it came to the choices on offer. That offer is in two parts, the A La Carte which has a handful of starters and then three sections of main dishes. One is headed Rice Dishes (Doburi). Two come under the Handmade Buckwheat Noodles title, one section cold  (Hiya), the other hot (On). 

These noodles are the stars here and you’ll have plenty of choices. Oroshi bukkake soba - grated mooli daikon, ginger, sobatsuyu in the Hot for instance, nanbun soba- Skeaghanore duck, hay leek, scallion in the Cold.

Cantina Rallo's rosso and Original 7 Pale Ale

I have to admit though that we were captivated by the Specials Board, almost as expansive as the A La Carte, full of tempting dishes, even more enticing because there is a mix of small and larger plates, mostly designed for sharing. This second edition of Ichigo is much less formal and more fun. As it happened, everything we had came from the blackboard, leaving Takashi’s noodles for the next visit.

Local Ingredients, Unexpected Delights

Mushrooms

Local suppliers are supported here. Indeed, the likes of Garryhinch Mushrooms and Skeaghanore Duck, both feature more than once over the two menus. Hongos (€15.50) al la plancha Kamo Yaki, mushrooms with egg yolk, turned out to be a terrific “starter” for us though I’m sure the other mushroom dish would also be fine.

Expect the unexpected. Tripe, an old Cork favourite, features and was given a flavoursome and palate-pleasing twist by Miyazaki. The “Tonchan” came with cabbage, bean sprouts, Fukuoka-style tripe stew, ginger and garlic (€13.50).  

Tripe

A beer by Original 7, the brewery based in the Franciscan Well in the North Mall, is available on draught here. Had to try that pale ale and it just so happened to be a perfect pairing for the tripe!

O’Mahony Butchers of the English Market supplied the beef for our next dish. The fillet came with egg yolk, Cucumber, Moyahsi, and Namul (€16.50). We were tipped off in advance that this was something like a carpaccio and so it proved. But the marinated beef, super tasty with all its accompaniments, was cut, not into thin rounds but instead into finger-sized strips, the better to take up the marinade! Delicious.

Panna Cotta

Our largest dish of the evening featured Skeaghanore Duck (€22.00). It arrived charcoal grilled with Hay Leek, grilled scallion, leaves, Sansho salt and an unexpected garnish of potato with Nori that went down very well indeed.

Sweet Endings

The delicious delights didn’t stop there. I’d say you’d find it hard to get a better apple dessert than his Matcha Panna Cotta with caramelised apple, lycee ice cream and hazelnut praline, our favourite, and we got the impression it is a staff favourite as well. Just two desserts were available and the Gubbeen Smoked Cheese Cake with Wasabi ice cream was impressive also, even if the apple stole the sweet show.

Gubbeen Cheese Cake

Drinks Galore

This 2024 Ichigo Ichie doesn't lack drink options. A craft beer exclusive from Original 7, Beamish on draft, and an amazing, all-natural wine list curated by Le Caveau await. While the three Jura wines sit at the higher end, don't miss the house red and white from Sicily's Cantina Rallo at a budget-friendly €7.50 a glass. And there's much much more in between!

Before Champagne, there was Blanquette De Limoux. Here’s one!

Before Champagne, there was Blanquette De Limoux. Here’s one!

Delmas Brut Cuvée Tradition Blanquette De Limoux (AC) NV, 12.5%

Mary Pawle has one six-bottle case left in stock @ €122 ( that includes VAT @ 23%); she'll have more in by Easter but expect a different price!

Haute Vallée is a favorite terroir for Limoux bubbles. This Cuvee is made from grapes from organic farming and a subtle blend of 3 grape varieties: Mauzac (mostly, at least 90% according to the AOC), Chardonnay and or Chenin.

It comes in a brilliant pale gold colour with a myriad of bubbles racing towards the top where they form a crowded circle around the rim. Aromas are a medley of fruit (white - peache and apple) and a hint of sweetness. It is quite intense on the palate, fresh and fruity plus the biscuity/bready element often present in sparkling wines. The finish, as you’d expect, is dry. This is real bubbles. Think non-vintage champagne at a fraction of the price! 

Very Highly Recommended.

Enjoy as an aperitif and also with grilled fish and cheese. The Limoux AOC says dry versions (such as this) can be paired with an entire meal whilst medium-dry offerings sit well alongside desserts, particularly chocolate-flavoured ones! So start your special meal with this and get a medium dry for the finalé. Serve between 6 and 8 degrees.

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Check my list of top wines

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

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Wine historians believe that the world's first sparkling wine was produced in this region in 1531, by the monks at the abbey in Saint-Hilaire. Indeed, the Saint-Hilaire was being made a hundred years before champagne and I’ve read that Dom Perignon may well have learned a trick or two here.

It was first created by the Benedictine monks of the abbey over 450 years ago. Written records survive from 1531. The abbey is 25 miles south of Carcassonne (a town that many of you will have heard of because of its airport). The main grape in the blend is the Mauzac which is called Blanquette locally. This accounts for ninety per cent of the mix with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay also used (up to a maximum of ten per cent). 

The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024. Honours for Homestead Doolin, Bishop's Buttery, D'Olier St and Terre.

The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024

Honours for Homestead Doolin, Bishop's Buttery, D'Olier St and Terre.

Congratulations to Homestead Doolin, Bishop's Buttery Cashel and to D'Olier Street Dublin on being awarded One Star in The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024 event in Manchester this evening. Quite a coup for the island and for the three restaurants in particular. 

Homestead Cottage

Homestead Cottage, with its delicious cooking, makes a visit to the rural west coast all the more appealing. Further inland, The Bishop’s Buttery offers top-quality produce and great natural flavours to Cashel Palace Hotel, and D’Olier Street boosts Dublin’s dining scene with visually striking and technically accomplished dishes.

D'Olier Street

And to top it all, Terre at the Castlemartyr Resort was awarded a second star. So  County Cork now has another Two Star restaurant to add to its collection. Gaining One Star last year and now a second, Vincent Crepel and his kitchen team at Terre have made impressively quick work of crafting a bold, assuredly Two-Star experience.

Terre

The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024

Welcomes a New Three Star restaurant

The Ledbury becomes the ninth Three MICHELIN Star restaurant in Great Britain & Ireland

6 new Two Star establishments, including 2 Indian restaurants which become the first in the UK to receive Two MICHELIN Stars

18 new One MICHELIN Star

6 new MICHELIN Green Stars awarded for outstanding commitment to sustainable gastronomy

MICHELIN is pleased to present the 2024 restaurant selection of The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland, which was unveiled during a special ceremony held this Monday at The Midland Hotel in Manchester. 

Bishop's Buttery at Cashel Palace.
All pics via Michelin guide

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of The MICHELIN Guide in Great Britain & Ireland.A total of 1,162 restaurants are included in the selection, with The Ledbury announced as the Guide’s ninth Three MICHELIN Star restaurant. A further 6 restaurants have been newly awarded Two MICHELIN Stars and there are 18 new One Star establishments. 6 restaurants have been recognised with a MICHELIN Green Star for their commitment to sustainable gastronomy and 20 restaurants were announced to have received a Bib Gourmand on 29th January, one week prior to the Ceremony.

From Cornwall to Cork, the newly crowned restaurants span across Great Britain & Ireland. London has had a highly successful year, with a new Three Star, 3 new Two Star and 11 new One Star restaurants bolstering the city’s selection. Cumbria adds 2 new One Star restaurants to its already impressive collection, and Birmingham has welcomed its first ever Two Star restaurant. The establishments themselves range in style, from counter dining to country houses. The cuisines are varied too, and this year sees both 2 new West African Stars and the selection’s first ever Two Star Indian restaurants. 

All be booked directly via The MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection showcases unique destinations both across Great Britain & Ireland and throughout the world. Every hotel in the selection has been chosen by The MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality.