Taste of the Week. Ummera Smoked Organic Irish Picanha Beef

 Taste of the Week

Ummera Smoked Organic Irish Picanha Beef

Ummera, winner of the Golden Fork Award for their smoked Irish organic salmon in the 2020 Great Taste, have another winner in their Smoked Organic Irish Picanha Beef. I recently ordered a box of produce from the Timoleague producer and the Picanha, with its out of this world flavour, is now our Taste of the Week. 

Owner/operator Anthony Cresswell: "The Rump Cap is a highly regarded cut of beef in Brazil where it is called Picanha and Ummera have adopted the name, despite people saying it should be Irish, to which we reply and what about Entrecote Steak? It also adds uniqueness; I mean have you ever heard of Irish Picanha? Probably not!"

Anthony recommends serving it with a fresh salad and a light dressing and that's just what we did with the Aberdeen Angus beef. The salad came via Neighbourfood, a bag of superb mixed leaves from Horizon Farms, delicious, semi sundried tomatoes from Sicily in a mixed oil, equally delicious quartered artichoke globes in a mixed oil also from Sicily along with, from the Pyrenees, freshly dressed Arbequina olives (tiny but with a huge flavour). Quite a plateful! 

The Picanha is available in whole pieces with weights varying from 500gm to 1 kg to 1.5kgs and should be sliced thinly. Very Highly Recommended! 

It's not the first time, I've had this as Taste of the Week. During the Ballymaloe LitFest, I got the very first bite of it at Anthony's stall in the Big Shed. That was in 2016, the same year that it was voted the Best New Organic Product at the Irish National Organic Awards

Ummera

Call on +353 (0)23 88 46644

For all enquiries please email info@ummera.com

Stockists here

Wine for Good - a charity fundraising initiative from O'Briens Wine in aid of ALONE

 O’Briens Wine Make Everyone A Winner.

Update from O'Briens (22/12/2020): Raised a total of 30k for Alone through our Wine for Good charity fundraiser, O'Briens would like to thank their customers, wineries, winemakers and Irish wine suppliers whose generous support have made this initiative possible. 

Wine for Good - a charity fundraising initiative from O'Briens Wine in aid of ALONE

A few months back, O’Briens Wine announced a charity fundraising initiative, Wine for Good, to take the place of the fund-raising they normally do at their November wine-fairs (knocked out by Covid19). ALONE was the nominated charity and the individual donation requested was €100.00.

Others were donating in kind, namely O’Brien’s wineries, winemakers and Irish wine suppliers. And the wines coming in meant that anyone who paid the €100.00 had the chance of winning a bottle or bottles worth anything from €75.00 to €250.00. Sent off my hundred as fast as I could and just as well as the 200 tickets was sold out in no time!

A few weeks later, a parcel arrived at the door. I was like a kid opening a Christmas present. And as happy as any kid (well, big “kid”) when I spied my “prize”: Domaine Seguin-Manuel "Les Cents Vignes", Beaune 1er Cru 2013 (AOC). And not just a bottle but a Magnum! It was generously donated by Thibaut Marion, owner of Domaine Seguin-Manuel.

An alluring mid ruby is the colour of this Pinot Noir. The aromatics are charming with scents of red berry fruit, spice and floral notes, a hint of toast too; complex yet delicate. More complexity on the palate, vibrant and engaging, silky bright fruit (cherry and blackcurrant) and that spice again and a little vanilla too while tannins are soft. Delicious from start to persistent finish. Just like the O’Brien initiative.

This wine is produced from a tiny plot of 40-year-old Pinot Noir vines in Beaune's Premier Cru area 'Les Cents Vignes'. The grapes are hand-harvested to ensure only the healthiest fruit is used. After fermentation the wine is aged in the finest quality French oak for 12 months.

At 7 years old, the wine has aged perfectly in the Domaine's cellars, developing the complex tertiary aromas and flavours for which top Burgundy Pinot Noirs are so famous. 

Domaine Seguin-Manuel was founded in 1824 in the Côte-d’Or region of Burgundy. It was purchased by Thibaut Marion in 2004 and he farms his 8.5 hectares of small premium vineyard plots organically.  

BALLYMALOE FOODS PARTNER WITH FOOD CLOUD TO GIVE THE GIFT OF FOOD TO THOSE MOST IN NEED THIS CHRISTMAS

BALLYMALOE FOODS PARTNER WITH FOOD CLOUD TO GIVE THE GIFT OF FOOD TO THOSE MOST IN NEED THIS CHRISTMAS 

Ballymaloe Foods to donate meals to Food Cloud and jars of Ballymaloe Relish 

 

The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges this Christmas, and it has been exceptionally hard for individuals and charities. Christmas has historically been a critical time when it comes to fundraising and will now take on added significance this year. With this in mind, Ballymaloe Foods has partnered with Food Cloud to try help out those who are most in need this Christmas. 

 

Instead of sending gifts to thank their customers, the team at Ballymaloe will be donating 30 meals to Food Cloud in the name of each customer. 

 

They have also just launched their Free Christmas Recipe Booklet with 14 delicious festive recipes and ideas for tasty starters, sides and desserts. Christmas will still taste special with the Ballymaloe signature christmas sausage roll garland, vegan nut roast, white chocolate and cranberry and prosecco fudge cake and lots more! For EVERY download of this Booklet, the team will donate a jar of their world-famous Ballymaloe Relish to Food Cloud who will distribute these jars to local charities and community groups in Ireland for Christmas.

 

Maxine Hyde general manager of Ballymaloe Foods says: “It’s been such a challenging year for so many people and this Christmas is going to look and feel so different for us all. Everyone is trying their best to have the most normal Christmas they can and charitable donations seem more critical now than ever before. We wanted to give something to those people who are most in need and felt partnering with FoodCloud was a direct way we could make a small difference.”

 

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Downloadable Booklet before December 18th here - https://ballymaloefoods.ie/christmas-ballymaloe/

 

Killavullen Farmers Christmas Market Sat 19th 12-4pm

Killavullen Farmers Christmas Market Sat 19th 12-4pm

Christmas is nearly upon us and that means preparations are ramping up. It's going to be a Christmas like no other but the small things will make it special. Killavullen Farmers Market has their famous Christmas Market on Saturday 19th from 12pm to 4pm. Be sure to come along as it is your chance to beat the crowds in the towns and cities. It is also a great opportunity to not only get some fantastic, unique products and gifts, it is also a great way to support small, local businesses and families.

 

All regular stallholders will be there as usual, along with a number of seasonal producers. You will find plenty for the festive season ahead from staples to seasonal veg to unique gifts, all from local producers. One of the oldest farmers markets in Ireland, now into its 19^th year, the regular Saturday market. is in the grounds of the Nano Nagle Centre, on the main road between Castletownroche and Mallow with plenty of parking. The market is continually evolving and continues to surprise each week!

 

Regular stallholders have a range of products from locally grown vegetables all in season, handcrafted baked goods, Arbutus breads and pastries, jams, chutneys and cordials. There is a fine selection of smoked salmon, fresh raw milk and yoghurts. You can also buy a free range organically reared ham on the day.

 

Killavullen farmers market is a great spot to pick up crafted goods including knitwear, kids toys and wood turned products. The second hand bookstore is a must for any reader. All books cost €1 and donations of books are also gladly accepted.

There is plenty of parking and the market is carefully laid out to ensure ample social distancing. 

We wish all our friends and customers a happy and safe Christmas and hopefully we will begin to emerge from the shadows of the pandemic on our return in the Spring.

  

Facebook:

 

https://www.facebook.com/killavullenfarmersmarket/

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Porter, IPA and Artisan Coffee in Eight Degrees Christmas Pack

A Quart of Ale± #25A

Moving on over to craft with Eight Degrees at Christmastime

Porter, IPA and Artisan Coffee in Eight Degrees Christmas Pack 

All six of the Munro series

Eight Degrees The Black Road Campfire Porter 6.5%

Not too long ago, I used to frequent a bar where there were three stouts on offer. It really had to be a Cork bar. And it was. The good old boys, and some not so old, had a certain skill. 

The barman was always ahead of the thirsty posse, filling pints and lining them up. Which was the Guinness? Murphy’s? Beamish? Some fellows could tell by the colour. Others by tapping the full pint with a fingernail. I was always impressed. But I think those good old boys would be lost today with the variety of the black stuff, both stout and porter, available, thanks to the rise of craft beer producers.

Just got one of the most recent in my hands, the Black Road Campfire Porter by Mitchelstown’s Eight Degrees. It, along with Fort of the Fianna Belgian IPA, both form part of the Mitchelstown’s brewery’s Irish Munro series and each features in their widely available Christmas special, the pack completed by a bag of superb coffee from Badger & Dodo, the local roaster.

Initial signs from the porter are good, the classic mahogany/black with a coffee coloured head. Aromas are smoky, coffee. The palate is smooth, complex, caramel and that smoke trace again; chocolate and coffee and sweet caramel take me home.

The Eight Degree folks are naturally adventurous. Who wouldn’t be if you live in the vicinity of their beloved Galtymore. Irish Munros are peaks over 3,000 ft. Many of these peaks belong to the MacGillycuddy Reeks in Kerry, one is in Wicklow, and then, towering over the Mitchelstown brewery, is Galtymore. 

The Galtees are not just decorative. “These mountains are also key to us producing world class beers, producing wonderfully soft water via its red sandstone ridges. The Black Road is the hillwalker route up Galtybeg and onto the higher Galtymore for magical views across the countryside. Inspired by the mountains, we’ve brewed a porter using Belgian and German malts that impart beech- and oak-smoked flavours along with coffee notes.”

Details:

Malt: Irish pale ale malt, beech smoked malt, oak smoked wheat, café malt, CaraAroma, chocolate malt.
Hops: A light bittering of Nugget.
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: 12

I just love Eight Degrees. They tell good yarns, make great beers and are always game for a laugh. And always come up with Food Pairings. In this case: This smooth sipper is eminently suited to campfire foods: bonfire bangers, or sausages, cooked on sticks over a woodfire, potatoes slow roasted in the embers and bubbling pots of homemade baked beans with lots of smoked paprika. 

.

Eight Degrees “Fort of the Fianna” Belgian IPA 5.4%

Clear and gold in the glass, this September issue in the Eight Degrees Irish Munro series takes you to the summit. Whether mountain high or just atop a bar stool, this Belgian IPA is one to enjoy.

The short-lived head doesn't last as a long as a foggy cap on the head of Kerry’s Caher, which just about qualifies as an Irish Munro. The flavour though, strong and hoppy, is long-lived, a bit like the legendary Fianna who, with leader Fionn MacCumhaill, enjoyed their adventures across the Irish mountains long before the invention of those para-glider things. Sorry, Mr Kiwi!

But big congrats to all at Eight Degrees for yet another superb beer in this series. Excellent citrus and floral notes here, smooth and soft and a dry and bitter finish. A very satisfying taste adventure whether mountain high or just atop a bar stool.

They say: We added our current favourite hop Loral into the whirlpool for this Belgian IPA, followed by dry hopping with the elite new experimental HBC 522, which has strong citrus and floral notes. Singing above all this is our Belgian yeast strain of choice: BE256 is a quick attenuator producing a clean beer with hints of spice, clove and banana. Raise a glass to the Fianna.

Details:

Style: Belgian IPA
Malt: Irish pilsner malt, wheat.
Hops: Loral, dry hopped with HBC 522.
Yeast: BE256
ABV: 5.4%
IBUs: 44

Food advice: The delicious bitter flavour of this beer will play happily with a big serving of the best Belgian-style frites and mayo. Add a side of Glenbeigh moules for extra glory, but hold the lemon. You’ve all the bitterness you need in the glass. Try with a Moroccan butternut squash casserole to cut through the sweet veg and play happily with those spices. For the ultimate pairing, get a slice of pumpkin pie; the fruit and floral flavours of the beer will enhance the savoury-sweetness of this quintessential autumn desert.

Get social: #FiannaBelgianIPA

And more news from Eight Degrees: We've also released the final beer in our IRISH MUNRO Series; Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel aged in sherry casks. This is the pinnacle of our 2020 series, a beautiful beast of a beer which can straddle both sides of the Christmas meal. Chill and serve in small sherry glasses to start, with a selection of tapas-style nibbles: good olives, smoky roasted almonds, salty anchovies. For a sweet ending, serve it at room temperature in a brandy snifter to offer a delicious counterpoint to Christmas pudding, chocolate Bûche de Noël, or even a creamy stilton.  

Think I'll keep that one until the big day itself!

Amuse Bouche

 

Kiev

‘I know we can,’ Reacher said. ‘That goes without saying. We can take what we want. But that’s the least of your worries. Because this is about more than just a mean transaction. You ran across the street and ratted the old lady out. You caused no end of trouble. What was that?’

‘Are you from Kiev?’

‘No,’ Reacher said. ‘But I had their chicken once. It was pretty good.’

‘What do you want from me?’

‘Gregory is going down. We need to decide if you’re going down with him.’

from Blue Moon by Lee Child (2019). Recommended.

Cheers 201112: JJ Corry, Black's Distillery, Station to Station, Maharani

 Cheers 201112. 

JJ Corry, Black's Distillery, Station to Station, Maharani

Maharani Christmas Hamper

The perfect gift for the Gin lover in your life.

We were so honoured to have all our gift boxes sell out already! But don't worry we've put together some very lovely Maharani Christmas Hampers. A bottle of our award-winning Maharani Gin, two signature Maharani/ Rebel City Distillery glasses and a little sweet treat. The perfect gift for the Gin lover in your life including yourself.

Maharani gin is zested with pomelo, and uniquely spiced with cassia and nutmeg mace, all sourced from an organic farming co-operative in Kerala, India. Produced by Rebel City Distillery, which is located in the old Ford building in the docklands of Cork City. It is the first distillery in Cork City in over 50 years. More details here

Station to Station Wine have...  

Premium Hampers, gift packs with Ireland's best indie spirits and craft cocktails. Zalto Glassware, boxed Port and Champagne Gift Ideas. A serious Cellar List. We have it all.

Check it all out here

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Free hamper time! Black's Brewery & Distillery have news!

Well it's getting to that time of year folks and we wanted to finish 2020 with a bang! We have a very special offer for any of you that would like to become a member of the founders club and invest in a cask next week. Any new members or existing members purchasing a cask over this weekend will be sent the Mega Founders Hamper (worth €750)  for free! Please contact us below if you would like to avail of this offer!  To avoid confusion this free hamper is available when you invest in a full cask from our founders club program. This offer is open to new and existing founder club members. Stock is very limited so if you are interested please reach out now without delay!  All orders need to be confirmed and deposit paid by close of business Tuesday to give time to get your hamper to you before the big day! More info here. J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey The Christmas season is well and truly upon us at J.J. Corry HQ! Before we wrap up the year we have two very special events to share with you. J.J. Corry x Milroy's of Soho  Bonder's Blending Session and J.J. Corry Christmas Pop-Up Details here

A Quart of Ale± #25. Moving on over to craft . Another round of IPA

A Quart of Ale± #25

Moving on over to craft 

Did you hear? Fidelity, with Whiplash, is back in 2021. Dates, ticket details here.

Another round of IPA

12 Acres “Make Hay” Session IPA 3.8%, 440ml can Ardkeen Store

When I was making hay, it was usually a bottle of the black stuff that was produced, more than just a bottle if we were threshing. But either way that was for the older fellows - we pale pioneer-pinned youths had to make do with tea and scones (pretty good too!). This County Laois farm do it differently.

This “Make Hay” session IPA from the 12 Acres Brewery has a lemon colour, a herd of bubbles galloping up through the haze. Aromas are citrus with a touch of clean pine. On the palate, it is assertively hoppy with a mix of peach, mango and the citrus enveloping that malt body and the finish is also hoppy.

This flavoursome easy-drinking IPA has more bite than you’d expect from a 3.8 abv, due to late hops additions (Citra and Amarillo). Other ingredients include their own pale ale malt, some oats and Munich malt. Put it on your session list!

Another well-made beer from the Co. Laois brewery where Our Land to Your Glass is the logo, based on the fact that all of the water used and some of the barley comes from the family farm. “The 12 Acres field on our farm is where we have been growing malting barley for the brewing industry for generations. Now we are craft brewing our own beer and we’ve named it after one of the fields where the barley is grown”.

Kinnegar Bucket & Spade Session Rye IPA 4.2%, 440ml can Ardkeen Store 

Colour is a foggy gold, white head fades away to a the barest of covers in no time, leaving the merest lacing on the glass. This easy drinking Rye IPA is unfiltered and naturally carbonated. You notice the rye influence in the aromas (touch of spice too) and also as you sip this fresh fruity (citrus) session beer from the Donegal brewery who have more than one rye on their portfolio. Fruit and bitterness are well balanced here and the malt too keeps its end up making it one of my favourites from the list, though not one of their core beers. 

Nice little extra time bonus as the Ireland v Slovakia continues past the 90th minute and, after extra time, into the shootout. And then, suddenly, there was a little more bitterness than previously! C’est du sport.

Wicklow Wolf Eden Session IPA 3.8%, 330ml can via Ardkeen Store

This easy-drinking session IPA is pale and hazy. Pine and tropical fruit in the aromas. Those fruits along with bitterness in the palate and here the malts play a part in making this a well balanced beer. Under 4 per cent but a session beer with a flavour packed punch. Pretty much a perfect session drink.

This  is unfiltered and unpasteurised. Hops are El Dorado and Chinook while malts are Pale, Cara Ruby, Flaked Oats. IBU is 35 

They say:Wicklow, because that is where we opened our brewhouse. Wolf, because the last one ranged freely across the Wicklow countryside, and because the hops we plant on our farm takes its name ‘humulus lupulus’ from that wild and proud creature.

Firestone “Easy Jack” IPA 4.0% , 12 fl ozs Bradley’s

“Hoppy goodness with even more drinkability.”  Easy Jack’s got a light amber colour and a white head that reigns briefly.  It’s clear, so you see a myriad of bubbles rising. The bubbles don’t get get up your nose but the hop aromas do. Excellent balance in this can, terrific harmony between hops and malt, and a full body to enjoy as well. A good one but plenty of Irish IPAs are as good and quite a few better.

A few figures: 4% abv, 40 IBU, 5.5 colour, 120 calories.

They say: Easy Jack is a different breed of IPA, brewed and dry hopped with a globetrotting selection of newer hop varieties from Germany, New Zealand and North America. 

Hops

 Kettle: CTZ, Amarillo, Simcoe

 Dry Hops: Mosaic, Mandarina, Melon, Citra, Amarillo

Malts: Two Row, Wheat, Cara Pils, Oats, Munich, Crystal Light

The story: Firestone Walker Brewing Company began innocently enough: two brothers-in-law—Adam Firestone and David Walker—debating the subject of good and bad beer. Their search for a decent local ale finally led them to brew their own starting in 1996. The original Firestone Walker brewery was located in a converted shed on the family vineyard.

Black’s Totally Tropical IPA 5.0%, 440ml can Ardkeen Store

This 2020 release from Blacks of Kinsale is billed as a “beer with a totally tropical taste”. It “brings mango and pineapple to the party” and it does, for sure, certainly with the tropical aromas. 

Perhaps, late in year, this IPA “perfect for a chill summer session”, is out of season. 

IBU is listed as 55. While I was writing that last sentence the white head had vanished, leaving a slightly hazy golden liquid with bubbles crowding up towards the top.

Food pairings recommended are BBQ Chicken skewers, Moroccan Tagine, Tipsy Cake with rum.

Don't Forget to Feed the Birds. Check out this relish jar feeder!

 PRESS RELEASE 

 

MAKE YOUR OWN DIY GLASS JAR BIRD FEEDER THIS FESTIVE SEASON

  Keep our ‘beloved garden birds’ fed over the harsh winter months in six easy steps

 

To mark their continued sponsorship of the annual Birdwatch Ireland Ireland Garden Bird Survey, Ballymaloe Foods have shared how to make your own DIY Winter Jar Bird Feeder as well as some tips we can all easily do to make winter easy for birds.

 

As the weather gets colder, it's important to remember the little birds that pop into our gardens to feed during the winter. Here are some tips on looking after the birds from the BirdWatch Ireland team: 

• Put out food & water between November and March. During these months, natural food sources (fruit, berries, nuts & seeds) are no longer available.

• A diversity of foods will allow you to help a diversity of species. High-calorie foods like fat balls, suet blocks, peanuts, and sunflower seeds are all great.

• One of the essential things during cold weather is to put out fresh water. The icy conditions mean natural water sources might be frozen over, so your birds will need somewhere to drink and wash.

 

Six easy steps to transform your Ballymaloe Relish Jar into a perfect DIY Winter Bird Feeder:

1. Make sure the glass jar is empty and washed.

2. Place two pieces of string or rope on a flat surface.

3. Place a wooden spoon on top of the string/rope.

4. Place a glass jar on its side on top of the wooden spoon so the pieces of string/cord are at the top and bottom of the pot.

5. Wrap the string/rope around the spoon and jar and secure it to a sheltered branch.

6. Fill the jar with birdseed.

 

Yasmin Hyde of Ballymaloe Foods has been using mason jars for years to keep her own garden birds fed. She says "From an early age I have been aware of the importance of extra feeding to help birds and wildlife prepare for spring. My father, Ivan Allen, was a great lover of flora and fauna, especially birdlife. As farming practices were modernised on Ballymaloe Farm, we have continued his work to ensure the wildlife on the land were protected. When birds have access to more nutrients in winter, the spring mating season will be more successful. Chicks will have healthier weights, and egg-laying will happen earlier. Ballymaloe Foods are sponsoring this year's BirdWatch Ireland Irish Garden Bird Survey, and it seemed like a great idea to upcycle our relish jars to help further our wild birds thrive during these cold months."

 

The Irish Garden Bird Survey is BirdWatch Ireland's most famous citizen science survey. Now in its 32nd year, the survey is a strong winter tradition in many households across the country. Information gathered will help provide Birdwatch Ireland with vital information on how our garden and countryside bird populations are faring during the harsh winter months each year.

 

It is open to everyone and begins on Monday 30th November 2020 and runs until February 2021. 

 

Take part here - 

https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/surveys-research/research-surveys/irish-garden-bird-survey/taking-part-in-the-irish-garden-bird-survey/. 

Kindly sponsored by Ballymaloe Foods, Ballymaloe House & Shop & Ballymaloe Cookery School.