Thursday, March 2, 2023

BeoirFest’s Brian Began His Beer Trail in Belgium. A trail that is taking him around the craft world. Coming soon, a Japanese Brewery owned by a Cork man!

BeoirFest’s Brian Began His Beer Trail in Belgium.

A trail that is taking him around the craft world.

Coming soon, a Japanese Brewery owned by a Cork man!

Brian at the Solo Brewery in Crete with Nikolas, the brewery manager. The brewery is interesting because it’s founded by a Norwegian, Kjetil Jikuin. He’s an ex-airline pilot who founded the first craft brewery in Norway, Nøgne Ø, and moved to Crete when he sold that.




BeoirFest is operated by Brian O'Connell. “It's basically something that grew out of an interest in beer and the lack of things to do during lockdown.” It is spread across quite a few digital platforms now and well worth dipping into, for either a live session or a recording.


We got the opportunity of talking to Brian recently and found it quite fascinating as I’m hope you will. Make a start at https://beoirfest.com/ 


How did you get into craft beer?

I guess that depends on the awkward definition of “craft” but for me moving to Belgium was an eye opener.  Beers like Leffe, Duvel and Chimay are big brands but they are also really good and available everywhere. And once I discovered them then I slowly discovered some of the other beers like Orval, Flemish Reds, and Lambics.


As a result of this route IPA’s, which arguably still define craft beer for the majority of people, were something I only found much later. 


On the road: Brian (r) at Leuven Innovation Beer Festival where you can see both Tom Delaney from Land & Labour and Antonio from Lupum in Portugal, both of whom have been on the chats.


And how quickly did that expand to your interest in the details of production?

I think that would really have been the discovery of Lambics generally. For the first time I became really aware that the way I thought beers were brewed wasn’t the only way it could be done. And over the last few years since I started doing these BeoirFest chats I’ve learned that there is still a rich heritage around the world of traditional beers. As local beer scenes become more established they tend to incorporate those traditions and I think there could be some very interesting beers come out of it.



Have you always had an interest in things digital or did that grow along with wanting to spread the word about craft?

The digital side came first. I’ve been interested in electronics and programming since I was a kid. I actually qualified as an Electronic Engineer and worked for various multinationals. The software side of things was always the one that interested me more than hardware though and I slowly moved to more software development. It was really because I had access to an event platform that I wanted to experiment with at the same time as the lockdowns occurred that made me decide to start the chats. It’s changed quite a bit since then but thaws the start.

The grandfather's yeast at Jovaru



You started with Irish brewers? Did that quickly expand to taking to international brewers? Was it easy to make contact abroad?

I started with this idea that I wanted to learn a bit more about beer and brewing, and since I didn’t know enough I thought if I have a few brewers on BeoirFest at a time I wouldn’t appear so stupid! There really was no reason for anyone to talk to me but  I got a great response, and everyone seemed to like the format. 


I really thought that would be it but it turned out I enjoyed it so much I wanted to continue, and that meant I had to go outside Ireland. So I just contacted breweries and because I had something to point to by then I think a lot decided to join. As you probably know yourself brewers are passionate about that they do and love talking about beer, plus one of the key things is that the brewers exchange some beers beforehand which gives them a chance to try something new.


I’m kind of adding to it now with individual chats as well, mainly from brewers outside Europe. There are time differences that make those hard of course, but it’s all evolving.

Brian at the Jovaru Brewery in Lithuania with owner operator Aldrone



Any memorable visits, home or away?

On a technical level most breweries are pretty much the same I guess. It’s the people and the story that makes it interesting. 


So for that reason I’d really have to say making the trip to Jovaru in Lithuania is the most memorable. This is a legendary Farmhouse Brewery run by one woman. She uses converted dairy equipment in her barn, a special yeast she inherited from her grandfather, and doesn’t boil the beer. 


She brews one beer (with one honey variant) but it’s become legendary. I was lucky enough to be the only visitor on the day and spend hours there. Fresh from the tap it really is like no beer I tasted before and seems to change with every sip.


For the beer, the surroundings, and the history it has to be the most memorable visit I’ve had.

Call in for a chat at https://beoirfest.com/




What are the notable differences you found in breweries (production methods, ingredients) around the world?

Ingredients are of course the big differentiators as brewers play with what makes their area special. Things like Brazilian brewers using barrels made from rainforest woods or Paracaidista in Mexico City who brewed a Gose using crushed Agave worms to provide the salt. In Ireland Canvas are doing some really interesting stuff with heritage grains while Black Donkey and White Hag have their own yeasts.


When it comes to technique I think most of the breweries around the world follow the style of brewing that we’re all familiar with using but there really are some very interesting differences, mainly in traditional brewing, but also in the more commercial breweries. Things like  spontaneous fermentation, or not boiling the wort.  Or Keptinis from Lithuania.

At work in Crete


 

And then there are the beers that are brewed without any malting at all. I recently had a chat with Christian Berger who’s recorded a lot of this information at Beer-Studies.com and the brewing traditions in Bhutan are particularly interesting. That’s a session worth checking out if you have an interest in beer cultures.



Your roundtables and other talks have been going on for quite a while now. Where can people listen see, look in?

Yeah, these started with the intention of making them kind of transitory sessions, but they’ve evolved and now I’m streaming most sessions live to YouTube and Facebook, and publishing them as a podcast.

The podcast is available on Spotify or any podcast player. Just search for BeoirFest.


I’d love to have more interaction on the live sessions so if people want to subscribe to the YouTube channel or Facebook page they can know when the sessions happen and be part of the conversation with their questions or comments.



What is coming up in the near future? Anything special?

I’m still doing all these by the seat of my pants so there’s not a lot of planning. Things like the African Brewing Weekend I think should probably have been planned a lot longer in advance, but when the chance comes to talk to someone I just grab it. 


I am starting to chat with brewers farther afield though and in the next few weeks I do hope to talk to a Japanese Brewery owned by a Cork man. I think that could be a great look at what seem a very interesting beer scene. There’s also an American-Iranian lady who’s brewing beers inspired by those her grandfather home-brewed in Iran. Seemingly there’s a still a big home brewing activity in Iran which I’d like to learn more about.


So I’m looking forward to those, but I’m also setting up some of the more regular roundtables with some very interesting European breweries.


I haven’t had an Irish brewery on for some time so I have to change that as well!




Your own favourites (beers or breweries)..maybe five Irish, five non-Irish? Up to yourself!

I think most brewers I’ve come across make really good beers. As I mentioned I discovered IPA’s late in the game so while I like them from time to time I’m not really a big hop fan. I also find that I’ve been tending towards some lower ABV (4%-5%) beers lately.  So all that said the breweries I personally search out are

Roscommon's Black Donkey, on Brian's short list



Irish:

  • Ballykilcavan. I haven’t had anything from them for a while but everything I have tried has been really high quality. They do a great brown and the annual fresh hop beer with their own hops is fantastic.
  • Canvas. Maurice is doing his own thing with a true farmhouse brewery. Most if not all of their beers are made solely with ingredients from their own farm including with heritage grains.
  • Black Donkey. Richard has built a big reputation with his core range and especially the beers brewed with his wild house yeast, Morrigan 1.
  • Land & Labour. Pretty much the standard bearer of spontaneous fermentation in Ireland.
  • Franciscan Well. One of the pioneers and now back in the original owners hands. I’ve never actually had their beers outside of the pub itself, but it’s always a place worth visiting for both the beers and the atmosphere.



Continental:

  • Metaphore. I only discovered this Czech brewery last year but they blew me away with some really amazing beers. Light but full of flavours.
  • Dundulis. This Lithuania brewery are one of my favourites. They are a mix of craft and tradition and their range include everything from IPA’s to fruits, and even a traditional Lithuanian beer called keptinis.
  • Pohjala. For the barrel-aged imperial stouts it’s hard to beat Estonia’s Pohjala. 
  • Hof ten Dormaal: Like Canvas in Ireland Hof ten Dormaal are a full-cycle farm brewery who produce all their own ingredients, including malt. They make some of the best spontaneous fermented beers around.
  • Chimay. One of the few true Trappist breweries around they brew 4 types of ales at their monastery. Chimay Blue is an absolute master of a beer and widely available.
Chimay, highly rated by Brian

Other Brewery Posts:

Ballykilcavan The Taste of Laois in your glass.

9 White Deer At Home In Ballyvourney. And On The World Wide Web

Whitefield Brewery Templemore


Any craft drinks or food producer out there interested in a post like this, feel free to get in touch!

 

Blarney Castle Gardens February 2023

Blarney Castle Gardens 

February 2023

Pics taken 25.02.23

Grasses, against the sun



Bamboo arch

Swan incoming

Woodland pond

Landing

Hare and fox

Eye of a swan


Eye of a swan

Donkeys

Crocus



Crocus, castle

Cattle are out!

Blarney House, its sunny side


Pics Taken 15.02.23

Bamboo arch



Heron



Pics taken 07.02.23

Swan ahead.




Daffodil road


Hissing swan


Snowdrops


Reeds. Lake.

Horses stay close to shed this cold morning

Castle, in the fog


Blarney House (from the Lake Walk)

Pics taken 03.02.23

(first set of pics taken with new Sony a6100 from O'Leary's Cameraworld)

Avenue of snowdrops

Spot Rapunzel!



Misty. In the Horses' Graveyard

Blarney House built 1874


The Lion Rock, growing green mane for St Patrick's Day




Wild Garlic




Food Waste online training for hospitality staff available at savourfood.ie.

New food waste online training 

for hospitality staff available at savourfood.ie.




Today is National Stop Food Waste Day. Join the growing number of hospitality businesses who are taking action to reduce food waste while making a positive impact on their profits and the planet with the new online food waste reduction training for staff at Savour Food e-Training.

The course takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and can be undertaken independently at the user’s own pace on a PC or mobile device.

The e-Training is suitable for a broad set of workers within hospitality (including kitchen porters, front of house staff, chefs, management) and can be delivered at induction or as part of continuing professional development.

It will support the environmental programme of a business by giving crucial members of the team an introduction to waste management. It includes short videos and quiz questions, awarding workers who complete the e-Training with a personalised certificate.

Topics covered include:
The issue of food waste and food waste management best practices,
The importance of food waste measurement,
Taking action and keeping up that momentum for lasting change



Though the foodservice industry generates a significant amount of food waste, it is an area with considerable scope for improvement. Some simple steps food businesses can take include better stock inventory, reducing portion sizes, offering doggy bags for leftovers, improving the layout of bins and bin signage.

This online training has been created in consultation with industry partners and tested with culinary students at Munster Technological University Cork.

This training is available free of charge. The Savour Food Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Bibendum and La Rousse . Portfolio Tastings in Cork

 Bibendum and La Rousse 

Portfolio Tastings in Cork


Choices galore last Monday: Sauvignon Blanc from Le Rousse and Chardonnay from Bibendum



Very seldom indeed that you get two wine companies doing their portfolio tastings in Cork on the same day but that was the case last Monday when Bibendum and La Rousse came to town. 


For me, the more impressive wines came from Portugal and South Africa at the well-attended Bibendum event at Hotel Montenotte while a Telmo Rodriguez quartet and a couple of Slovenians alerted the tastebuds in the Glass Curtain where La Rousse displayed their excellent range.


Bibendum

The Glasshouse, an excellent venue


Bibendum were very happy indeed with the impressive Glasshouse in Montenotte, a very bright and colourful room, with views over the city and ideal for this and similar events.


I had been hoping to taste a share of Portuguese wines here and at The Glass Curtain. But, with a combined total of close to 200 wines for tasting, there were just two. Both of these were Bibendum’s and each was excellent.


One was the Conde Villar Alvarinho Vinho Verde (DOC). In an unusual tall bottle (right), it was engaging from first contact, floral aromas, fresh and elegant, rich and full bodied, memorable. It is 100% Alvarinho, the same grape that grows across the border in Spain’s Rias Baixas. Really excellent and worth looking out for.


The second was from the Alentejo, the red Tapada de Villar, and this too was excellent. It is a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and Trincadeira. Intense aromatics, ripe red fruit flavours in the mouth, soft and elegant. Another to note.

Tom Hanson-Smith of Journey's End


Next up was a rewarding stop at the Journey’s End table where Tom Hanson-Smith was showing three of the wines from their Stellenbosch vineyard (the second wine farm in SA to be solar powered).  The Haystack Chardonnay had a great balance of oak and fruit and gets a major thumbs up.


And I went on to complete the hat-trick with two super reds, the Huntsman (a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache) and Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. The Single Vineyard was premier class but I would be reluctant to leave the Huntsman behind.


There was one other wine that I wasn’t leaving without tasting. It was at the Fine Wine Table. Here, I rebuffed a whole lot of temptation, treating myself only to the Chateau Kirwan Margaux 3eme Cru Classé. No Irish connection there now but, for old times sake, I sipped sinfully before saying au revoir to Mark Redmond and the lovely and helpful Bibendum crew.


La Rousse


Thompson ladies. Le Rousse wine.


A refreshing stroll down the hill then to the Glass Curtain and a lovely warm welcome from Vera O’Grady of La Rousse. She gave me a few helpful tips before I made a start in this excellent Cork restaurant.



I enjoy white Mediterranean grapes and they came up trumps in whites such as Eric Texier’s Roussane, JL Chaves Hermitage Marsanne, Le Soula white blend and Gilles Troullier’s Macabeu. More excellent stuff from Italy, the Monte Tondo Soave Classico and the Mora e Memo Tino Vermentino (left).


And right at the end of that line came Telmo Rodriquez. I met him last in Ballymaloe about nine years ago. He could have had comfortably slotted into the family winery Remelluri but, after an intensive wine education in France, he eventually headed off on his own, to the most unlikely places. Barren hillsides where vineyards had been abandoned. Sometimes a few survived with practices dating back five hundred years, including “beautiful bush vines”. 

Telmo (left) and yours truly. Ballymaloe 2013


He still makes wines all over Spain and his smooth and excellent Basa (Verdejo, Viura) from Rueda is one to note as is the Branco de Santa Cruz (Bierzo), an gorgeous blend of Godello, Treixadura, Dona Alana.


Next for me was an orange wine from Slovenia. The Guerilla Retro Selection (Pinela, Zelen, Rebula and Malvazija) was just beautiful. And they also had an excellent 2020 Barbera. This, also marked by Vera, was different class, quite amazing.


Slovenia impressed
Last, but by no means least, was Telmo again, with two beauties. First top was the young 2021 LZ, a bright and delightfully easy-drinking un-oaked (aged in concrete) Rioja. It comes from the village of Lanciego and is organic, same blend as the Lanzaga below.


The Lanzaga (a field bland of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano) is oaked, organic, elegant, full of dark fruits and a smokey finalé.


Quite a finalé then for me at the Glass Curtain. Time to say goodbye to Vera and head for the hills.

What a double to finish on!



Top Beers 2023. All Very Highly Recommended

Top Beers 2023

All Very Highly Recommended


February 2023

IPA: Blacks Red Eye Redemption; 9 White Deer Black Lightning

Brown Ale: Ballykilcavan Bambrick’s Brown Ale; Whiplash Quiet Crowd Robust Brown.

APA: Western Herd Spanish Point 

Saison: Black Donkey Sergeant Jimmy Barrel Conditioned Saison; Mescan Westport Saison; Black Donkey Sheep Stealer Irish Farmhouse Ale,

.


January 2023

IPA: Cotton Ball Fury

Session: Whiplash Rollover.

BA Beers: 9 White Deer Stag BA Export Stout; Brehon Oak & Mirrors BA Imperial Porter.

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play #27 Black Lager

Porter: West Kerry Carraig Dubh.

Strong Blond Ale: Mescan Westport Extra

 

December 2022

IPA: Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA

Witbier: Whiplash Alma Witbier 

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout; Dungarvan Coffee & Oatmeal Stout; Lineman (with Craic Beer Community) Pulse Irish Extra Stout; Whiplash The Wake Export Stout; 

Ales with Wild Yeast: Black Donkey Underworld Rua Amber Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Allta Farmhouse Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Savage Farmhouse /Saison Ale.