Food Takes the Spotlight in UCC's Adult Short Courses Spring Schedule. Application deadline this Monday

Food Takes the Spotlight in UCC's 

Adult Short Courses Spring Schedule

Application deadline this Monday

From beekeeping to wine, and gut health to better nutrition, University College Cork (UCC) is

offering over two dozen short courses including an impressive line-up of food related

courses for adults who wish to combine learning with socialising via its Short Course

Programme.

Now in its 20 th year, the Short Course Programme, run by UCC’s Adult Continuing Education

ACE, hosts a portfolio of courses across the themes of art and culture, literature and creative

writing, history, genealogy and folklore, climate and sustainable living, and personal and

professional development.

Food related short courses on offer in the Spring schedule include:

 Beekeeping Made Easy | Wednesdays 6pm-8pm | UCC

 Wine Studies | Wednesdays or Thursdays 7pm-9pm | UCC

 Sugar, Fat & Fad Diets, A No-nonsense Guide to Nutrition and Health |

Tuesdays 7pm-9pm | UCC

 Gut Instincts: Unlocking the Secrets of the Microbiome | Thursdays 7pm-9pm |

UCC

Launching this semester’s programme, Regina Sexton, Short Course Coordinator at UCC’s

ACE said:

“As UCC celebrates over twenty years of offering short courses to the general public, we're

very happy to present a new programme of 26 courses for Spring 2025. While these courses

showcase the research strengths of the university community, we are also aware of the

social importance of these courses for participants.

“The courses not only help students to extend their knowledge, but they are also spaces

where students can make new connections in a friendly environment of like-minded peers. In

a time when isolation and loneliness are unfortunate realities for many people, these short

courses bring people together in the classroom and on fieldtrips and they are an enjoyable

way of meeting new acquaintances and in developing new ways of looking at the world,” she

said.

The closing date for applications is Monday January 20. Click here for more information on

how to register: https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace/courses/shortcourses/

On the Craft Trail with Brehon Brewery, Western Herd, Third Barrel and Eight Degrees

 On the Craft Trail with Brehon Brewery, Western Herd, Third Barrel and Eight Degrees

Eight Degrees Howling Gale Pale Ale 4.5% ABV, 440 cl can 

Like a smack around the gills 

when you're "clain lifting it" down Ballyhoura hills

I'm not the only one to rate this Pale Ale highly. Howling Gale was the first beer Eight Degrees ever brewed. We’ve all changed a lot since then but not this superb ale, their first, and it is still their most popular beer.

They add: “It’s like blitzing down the Ballyhouras on a bike with an icy wind in your face, this pale ale delivers a refreshing crisp smack around the gills.” Never came down those hills on a bike but I can certainly relate to the smack around the gills, especially with the refreshing finish.

It pours a pale golden colour into the glass, with a white head. And yes, you do get that citrus on the nose, along with pine notes. It is smooth and crisp with that modest whack of bitterness in the finish.

Eight Degrees, now happily restored as a team, got this right from the start. And, also from the get-go, they provided food pairing hints. “Try with fish and chips, smoked salmon or anything off the barbecue…. With a pleasant grapefruit citrus aroma from Cascade and Simcoe hops, it is a great match with spicy or fried food”.

Malt: Irish pale malt, Carapils, Munich, Cara
Hops: Nugget, Cascade, Simcoe

Brehon Red Right Hand Barley Wine 11.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

“gentle to drink, clean, mellow and smooth”

A gorgeous ruby red is the colour of out Barley Wine from Monaghan’s Brehon brewery. It is crowned with a coffee coloured soft head. Despite the high abv, It is a bourbon-aged beer, earthy and sweet. The bourbon influence is unmistakable but quite subtle here. It also has a very high abv, but nonetheless, it is gentle and easy to drink, clean, mellow and smooth. Like any good wine, it comes with a lingering finish, leaving the taste buds anticipating the next sip

Brehon have made a name for themselves with barrel-aged beers, beginning with their Crann Beatha barrel-aged stout. This Barley Wine is well up to standard and, by the way, is a terrific match with Christmas pudding, with the Dunnes Stores Simply Better Black Barrel Whiskey edition in particular. Yum on the double.

Speaking of their strong beers, be sure and look out for the super Oak & Mirrors Cask Aged Imperial Porter.

They say: The red right hand is symbolic of the historic clans of Ulster. It embodies strength, unity and character, just like our Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine. 

Western Herd Blue Jumper IPA, 6.2% ABV, 440 ml can Matsons

Baptised by Fr Dougal!

The bright amber colour and all those little bubbles of this Western Herd IPA is quite a come-on. The beer’s name is a Father Ted reference.

There’s a citrus and tropical fruit presence in the aromatics and palate, plus a hint of pine and resin, even a little dankness as well. And that vibrant hoppy edge continues all the way. After all, as the brewery indicates, India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a bigger, hoppier version of a pale ale. 

This one certainly is and that background bitterness is with you right to the finish, quite a good finish as it happens, with the malts having a say in the outcome ensuring that it is not all about the hops. But make no mistake, this a hoppy beer, an old school IPA.

Inspired by Father Ted! Yep, the name Blue Jumper comes straight out of the classic Fr. Ted episode where Sr. Assumpta is re-introduced to Fr. Dougal. “You were wearing your blue jumper? Ah Sister Assumpta!” An icon of Irish comedy meets an icon of West Clare brewing.

 The Clare brewery has been in good form on social media in eecent weeks. Having explained the beer’s name, they have a question. Spot the Coastline? “The can design features the stunning Clare Coast line, an epic slice of the Atlantic coast that’s as refreshing as the beer inside. But which part of the coast features on the can?”. Not too sure myself, but I think it is from Liscannor Bay up to Black Head.

Geek Bits

Style Indian Pale Ale

Colour/Appearance Amber in appearance with a clean white head

Aroma Orange and other citrus, pine, and light peach

Flavour Candied orange and a background bitterness

Hops Citra, Idaho 7, Centennial

Malts Pale, Stout Mix, Caramunich I, CaraPils, White Wheat

Yeast LAX

Original Gravity 1.059

ABV 6.2%

Third Barrel Texture Like Sun American Brown Ale, 5.5% ABV, 440 ml can, Bradleys

“absolutely SLAMMABLE American style brown ale”

The colour is a deep red, rather than brown, with a soft off-white head. Caramel and chocolate are in the aromatics, and they are also found in the mouth along with citrus flavours from the Centennial hops, the only one used. Quite an interesting example from Third Barrel and Highly Recommended. The brewers are very happy with this one: “Complex yet absolutely SLAMMABLE American style brown ale.”

 

The history of this style dates back to U.S. homebrewers being inspired by English-style brown ales and porters. US Craft brewers then took it up; while inspired by the English, the Americans weren’t content to be just imitators and took the style in different directions.

One of the Brit beers that came under the US focus was the Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale. This “was a huge influence on a generation of American craft brewers.. in 1983,” according to Jeff Alworth in the Beer Bible. American-style brown ales generally have evident low to medium hop flavour and aroma and medium to high hop bitterness.

Not many Brown Ales are being produced by Irish brewers, and most have been once-offs. Look out for examples from Ballykilcavan (Bambricks), Lough Gill (McNuttys), Lineman (Big Calm), and Outer Place (Silent Orbit). Samuel Smith is already mentioned but the first English Browne Ale to catch my attention was Newcastle Brown Ale, and that came in a generous 550cl bottle.

Refined. Complex. Bold. Blackwater Irish Whisky 'The Full Irish'

The Whiskey Wire 2025

(Other spirits may also appear!)

BLACKWATER IRISH WHISKY ‘THE FULL IRISH’ 48.5% alc/vol, 50cl bottle, Limited Edition. €55.00

Pic via Blackwater

Head Distiller John Wilcox says: ‘refined, complex and bold.’

“This blend contains every permissible grain (barley, malt, wheat, oat, rye and maize), and it shows in the aromas and in the mouth, a serial (excuse the pin) and beautiful contact with the senses. And this Blackwater blend also looks well, in its shiny foxy robe. With the elevated ABV, a drop or two of water will work its usual magic.

Head Distiller John Wilcox is very pleased with this: ‘refined, complex and bold.’ John may naturally be a little biased, but it is no wonder that the Full Irish has been collecting accolades since its launch in 2024.

Quite possibly one of the finest blended Irish whiskeys I’ve ever been lucky enough to try. …A bold and rather brilliant release from the Blackwater Team.’ Business Post

‘One of the most interesting whiskeys unveiled at Whiskey Live 2024. This release … showcases the 3 styles of Irish whiskey .…’ Irish Whiskey Magazine

Blackwater themselves say: This blend rocks. What’s in the bottle? 45% Blackwater produced single malt, 45% Blackwater produced pot still (both five years old) and 10% seven-year-old grain whiskies, finished in stout casks from local Hopfully Brewing Company.”

As with all Blackwater products, it’s not chill-filtered or coloured. Aged in bourbon barrels before finishing in the Hopfully casks. It is a limited edition and comes ina 50 ml bottle (the normal for this distillery).

Blackwater Distillery is situated on the banks of the Blackwater River, in the village of Ballyduff Upper in beautiful West Waterford. Established in 2014, that you may visit us for tours, tastings and masterclasses.

Rated 91/100

*********************

Hard To Choose Between Two Superb Ragus at Bella Napoli!

Hard To Choose Between Two 

Superb Ragus at Bella Napoli!

Ragu Alla Genovese

As we’ve come to expect from Italian restaurants in Ireland, you get multiple choices in a long menu. Cork’s lively Bella Napoli is no exception.

I had read it before last Saturday afternoon’s visit and was inclined towards a Ragu. They have two: Ragu Napolitano and Ragu Alla Genovese.

I was familiar with the Napolitano as I had hugely enjoyed it on a previous visit though the pasta is now pappardelle (the ribbony one!) rather than the tubular rigatoni. Saturday’s menu description read: 8-hour braised beef in an onion & tomato sauce served with pappardelle pasta, toasted sourdough and parmesan shavings.

I was tempted again by the Napolitano, but this time, I said to myself and herself that I’d go for their Ragu Alla Genovese: Slow-cooked pulled beef, onions, white wine served with paccheri pasta, fresh basil, pecorino cheese and toasted sourdough. The paccheri, by the way, is visibly larger and wider than rigatoni. It does the same job, soaking in the flavoursome ragu itself. 

They served toasted sourdough to accompany the ragu, which also helped take up the final taste bits. So, a big thumbs up for the Genovese. Hard to say if it is better than the Napolitano! Looks like I’ll have to call again.

Mussels Alla Busara

Across the table, CL was equally pleased with her choice of mains, the Chicken Scaloppine: Marinated chicken breast, dredged in flour, cooked in butter and lemon sauce, and served with crushed baked potatoes, honey and rosemary-glazed baby carrots. It is a simple enough dish but quite superb as well.

We had started with their Mussels Alla Busara. Busara is a local name for “stew”, and it is an integral part of Croatian coastal cuisine and is also claimed by parts of north-eastern Italy.

The Bella Napoli version consists of fresh mussels cooked in olive oil, garlic, freshly chopped parsley, white wine, and breadcrumbs, served with our homemade puccia bread and lemon wedge. The breadcrumbs, by the way, are used to thicken the sauce. I don't think I’ve come across puccia bread before. It is a type of bread from Puglia, and its small pocket takes a variety of fillings. However, the tasty breads served here were not for filling but for soaking up the delicious sauce that came with the mussels. An excellent dish and the only downside was that a higher proportion than usual of the mussels did not open!

Chicken Scaloppine

If you love your pizza, you won't be disappointed as they have about twenty variations. You may also order a gluten-free pizza base, which will cost an extra euro. Almost as many pasta dishes are available, plus about eight other main courses and various starters and salads, not forgetting sides.

If you manage it, you will find something you like on the dessert menu as well, though we didn’t manage it at the weekend. Previously, though, we enjoyed their traditional Tiramisu and the mega Nutella Pizza (Nutella, strawberries, bananas & icing sugar).

They do walk-ins (from their two entrances (French Church Street and Academy Street), but if you want to dine at a particular time, you’re advised to book. For instance, we saw seven people turned away in one minute around the three o’clock mark on Saturday. You may be lucky. A few minutes later, a group of four was accommodated, though they had to wait a few minutes for a table to be cleared. Bella Napoli is a very popular place, and they also do takeaway.

Ragu Napolitano  (previous visit)

 

Infused with fresh oysters from Clew Bay. Mescan Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout. Beer of the Week:

Mescan Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout, 4.7% ABV, 330 ml bottle, Bradleys 

infused with fresh oysters from Clew Bay

Black as a dark sky when the stars stay home, this Mescan oyster-infused stout looks great. It smells pretty good, too, and, most importantly, tastes amazing with malty notes of chocolate and coffee and a mineral hint of the sea, thanks (probably) to the Clew Bay oysters!

It was brewed with water from Mescan’s own spring on the slopes of Croagh Patrick, using traditional stout malts, restrained hopping, and Pádraic Gannon’s locally grown oysters in the boil, and then fermented with Belgian yeast. This is quite the experience and Very Highly Recommended. Recommended serving temperature is 4-6 °C 

The name Spéartha Dorcha came about because Mescan supports the Mayo Dark Skies project. “Naturally, dark skies promote better ecosystems for our life and well-being. This beer was matured for months under skies free from light pollution and infused with fresh oysters..”

Mescan Brewery began as an idea in 2010 following a conversation between the founders, Irishman Cillian Ó Móráin and Belgian Bart Adons, about the strain of out-of-hours veterinary work. This led to a mid-life career change and new lives as brewers. They sold their first beer in 2014.

This stout was launched in Newport (Co.Mayo) last October, and the event included tastings of Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout and Croagh Patrick Seafood oysters. 

Clew Bay

Angiolino Maule, La Biancara, Masieri Garganega Veneto. A simple wine without frills but lively and mineral

Angiolino Maule, La Biancara, Masieri Garganega Veneto (IGT) 2022, 11.5%

€21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

A simple wine but lively and mineral, without frills

Straw yellow is the colour of this organic white from the Veneto region of northwestern Italy. The aromatics have delicate citrusy notes. The big “hello” comes on the palate, where a tart lemon and lime combo more or less ambushes the drinker. The acidity balances the fruit, and a lingering finish follows, which is always a good sign.

The producers sum it up well: It's a simple wine but lively and mineral, without frills. I agree and am happy to give it the Very Highly Recommended tag.

La Biancara was established at the end of the 1980s, when pizza makers Angiolino and Rosamaria Maule bought a small plot of land, about six hectares, in the hills of Gambellara. Since then, they have worked to develop their personal idea of wine: a wine created by the exaltation of nature, without chemical interferences in the vineyard or in the cellar, to obtain the highest expression of terroir in every bottle. 

A few years back, at a Veneto Masterclass in Dublin, Dario Poddana (Les Caves de Pyrene) praised the Maule family and said they were at the forefront of the natural wine movement, and not just in Italy.

Masieri is made (mostly) from Garganega grapes. Vino Italiano, which praises the vineyard (as does the World Atlas of Wine), says it could be argued that the (white) wines are purer expressions of Garganega than those of neighbouring Soave. Garganega is thought by some to be related to the Greco (another Mediterranean grape that I like) of southern Italy.

Check the Le Caveau list for other wines from this marvellous wine-making family.