Stonewell Sting. Maybe the drink of the summer!
Stonewell Sting Limited Edition Craft Cider, 5.50% ABV, Ballymaloe Food Festival
One of the most refreshing drinks of the summer.
I'm pretty sure I was the first person, aside from the Stonewall crew, to taste this exquisite cider, now our taste of the week. I got that first "sting" at their stall in the Ballymaloe Food Festival earlier this month.
Colour is pale gold, with a few
press release
Two Green Shoots Launch Immersive New Summer Experiences
Celebrated chefs and producers featured.
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| Learn from Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery |
Two Green Shoots in Glengarriff, West Cork, a haven in which visitors can ground themselves in nature and escape the everyday, has launched two immersive new summer experiences
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| Russel Garrett, Master Brewer, Elbow Lane Smokehouse & Brewery |
To celebrate its 10th Anniversary this year, Elbow Lane Smokehouse & Brewery, the country’s smallest brewery has created a new
GD Vajra Monterustico Dogliani (DOCG) 2022, 13% ABV
€24.95 Bradleys
“Powerful attack of black fruits, lots of freshness, long finish.” You may like this!
This organic red from Piemonte is made from 100% Dolcetto. The grape name translates as “little sweet one”, and it is, but the wine is very dry! Quite a contradiction!
It has a deep
Taste of the Week.
Clonmel's Mad Beans. More than a business
Clonmel's Mad Beans have combined their passion for quality coffee with a commitment to social responsibility. Founded by Martin and Jenny Blanchfield, the company "is the culmination of years of
Convenient Food from the English Market!
You want to avoid being stuck in the kitchen on a hot summer's day - and we will have them! You'd prefer to be in the garden enjoying some nice food.
Here's one suggested meal solution, based on a quick visit to the English Market. "Ingredients" include the always superb Smoked Chicken from Ummera (buy at the Good Food shop). The Sushi is available from the Maki stall. The olives were a present from Spain while the Glenilen Mango and Passionfruit Cheesecake is widely available from various farmers' markets and Dunnes Stores.
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| Ummera Smoked Chicken is added to |
Beer of the Week
Yeast and Hops combine in another knockout from Ballymahon's Wide Street
Wide Street Sidechain Brettanomyces IPA 5.7% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys
They know their music in Ballymahon and for sure they know their beer as illustrated by this knockout IPA.
Colour is a hazy lemony/orange, with
AN IMPRESSIVE NEW LOOK FOR THE ICONIC SHANNON SUITE AT |
THE LIMERICK STRAND HOTEL
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The Limerick Strand Hotel has just unveiled their newly refurbished Shannon Suite after an impressive €200K refresh.
Millimetre Design, were tasked with creating a bespoke new look, where every detail is tailored to perfection. Inspiration for the interior design was drawn from the River Shannon, which breathes life into Limerick city and given the
Cleto Chiarli, Vecchia Modena Lambrusco di Sorbara (DOC), 2022, 11% ABV
RRP €32.95. Stockists: Mitchell & Son, Pinto Wines
With millions of gallons of industrial Lambrusco flowing from Emilia Romagna, the province has somehow managed to become an artisan powerhouse.
About 170 million bottles a year are produced and it is the dominant wine here. No shortage of quantity then and I was somehow lucky enough to get my hands on one of the quality ones, this by Cleto Chiarli. This is where the recent book VINO (very highly recommended!) comes in handy as they have a shortlist of the More Exceptional Producers of Lambrusco in Emilia-Romagna and Cleto Chiarli is one of them..
So what is Lambrusco? It is a style of dry sparkling red wine made from several clones of the red Lambrusco grape. Our Cleto Chiarli is made from
Cork on a Fork Fest announces first events for 2024 programme
Get a taste of Cork’s unique food culture at the 5-day food festival which returns from 14th-18th August 2024 ~
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Get ready to savour the unique flavours of Cork at ‘Cork on a Fork Festival’, returning from August 14-18 2024 throughout Cork City centre. This celebration of food brought to you by Cork City Council and local businesses will showcase Cork’s unique food culture, culinary excellence, dining experiences and quality local produce over five days of food, trails, events, talks, demos and festival fun.
Cork on a Fork Fest has just unveiled the first events for its
Tickets for The VQ Shared Table at Cork on a Fork Fest Now Available!
A long-table dinner experience on MacCurtain Street, August 14th 2024
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Drink of the Week
Killahora Pét-Nat Rare Bittersweet Cider 2022, 6.0% ABV, Ballymaloe Food Festival
Pale orange is the colour, with a fountain of little Bubbles rising through the haze to the top. The apple in the aromas is subtle rather than strong. In the mouth, there’s a nice balance of acidity and tannins.
On the palate, it may be best for me to take a step back and just endorse what Killahora say: This is a real expression of our natural terroir and will appeal to those who may enjoy other wild fermented liquids such as lambic beer, especially Oude gueze, and natural wines. The complexity that can come from ciders such as these will undoubtedly surprise and delight those who try it.
And yes I am delighted with it as I also like those Belgian beers. This bottle contains wild fermented ciders aged in neutral Irish whisky barrels and allowed to mature in their cellar. Each production is unique…it is 100% Killahora terroir-based juice, wild fermented, cask aged and unlike most ciders you’ve tried.
With its acidity and tannins, it is a real food all-rounder. They advise to serve it with cooked meats, oily fish or roasted vegetables. Or, of course, serve it lightly chilled and enjoy it as an aperitif.
Pét-nat – pronounced pet-naa – is short for Pétillant Naturel, meaning naturally bubbling. It is a return to tradition in sparkling wine production and here is used in cider. The method may be borrowed from the winery but no one would mistake this complex sipper from Glounthaune for a wine!
press release
A slice of heaven at Dunmore House with Boatshed Pizza
Perfectly nestled against the stunning backdrop of Clonakilty Bay, Dunmore House is a
