Sip your way across Cork City with Cork on a Fork Fest’s lineup of unique local drink events.
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| You'll find whiskey aficionado at the Opera House at the weekend. |
From wine tastings and paired dining experiences, to brewery tours, cocktail masterclasses and Cork on a Fork’s very first BeerFest!
Festival goers to Cork on a Fork Fest this week will have the opportunity to sample local drinks and hear about the process. Choose from craft beer experiences to local distillery tours, fine wine tastings with the best Cork sommeliers, paired dining experiences, and the festival’s Beerfest.
Taking place from August 14th - 18th, the events aim to
raise a glass to the rich heritage and innovative spirit of Cork’s beverage industry.
Here are some of the events you won't want to miss.
Festival Drinks Stage: Free ‘Bar Chats’ and Tastings
For the first time, the festival is hosting a number of free ‘Bar Chats’ and tastings with the local drinks industry at the Cork Opera House from 1pm-6pm over the weekend. These include:
- Irish Distillers & Irish Pints: Join Kate Ryan from Flavour.ie as she chats all things drinks with Carol Quinn, archivist at Irish Distillers, Ali Dunworth, food, drink and travel writer and author of Irish Pints. Kate Dempsey of Kinsale Mead and Bhagya Barrett of Rebel City Distillery. Saturday 4-5pm.
- Whiskey Chats Live Podcast: Host Laurie O'Dwyer will be joined by Barry Walsh from Killahora Orchards, Cork Whiskey Society President and wine expert Liam Murray, and Mark Lonergan, ex-manager of The Shelbourne whiskey bar & now drinks consultant. They will have a bit of craic and great chat around a table about an amazing array of drinks, being shared & sampled with the audience. Sunday 1.30pm-3pm.
- The Craft and Tradition of Irish Whiskey, in conversation with Noel Sweeney: Did you ever wonder what's involved in the Irish whiskey making process? Pop along and listen to a fascinating chat with Master Distiller Noel Sweeney. Noel has worked with the biggest distilleries in the country and most recently collaborated with Michael Flatley on Flatley Whiskey: The Dreamer- which you can taste at the event. Sunday 3.30pm-4pm.
- Tastings will also take place in the lobby with Kinsale Mead, Five Farms, Flatley Whiskey, West Cork Distillers, Irish Distillers, and Rebel City Distillery (Maharini Gin). Saturday 17th August and Sunday 18th August 1-6pm.
Events are free but registration is required.
Cork Wine Pairing Challenge & Tasting
The Irish Examiner’s senior food writer Joe McNamee enlists some of Cork’s top sommeliers for a special food and wine pairing challenge at the Bar Chats area at Cork Opera House. The goal is to find the best wines to pair with tasters of premium produce from the county of Cork. The audience, who get to taste every wine and its matching food, will act as judges to decide the best pairing. Participants include MacCurtain Wine Cellar, L’Atitude 51, The Glass Curtain, Paradiso, Black Pig, Franks and special guests. Tickets include 6 small glasses of wine and food tasters.
Sunday 18th August 4.30pm-6.00pm
Rebel City Distillery Special Tours
Rebel City Distillery is hosting a number of special tours over the week, including a Cork Cocktail Masterclass, a Chase the Fairy – Absinthe Experience with Ireland’s frist and only premium Absinthe Experience and a Tour with the Founders.
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| The gorgeous Garman made still at Rebel City Distillery |
NV x Foxglove Cocktails Street Party
Cork's tequila bar NV Bar is partnering with Cork's premium mobile bar Foxglove for a Cocktail Street Party. Enjoy themed drinks, exciting cocktail tastings, live mixology demonstrations and interactive cocktail-making sessions. A great night of music, margaritas and more in store!
Saturday 17th, 5pm-late. Marlboro Street.
Tutored Beer Tasting
Elbow Lane Brewery on Oliver Plunkett Street will throw open the doors of the smallest brewery in Ireland over the week to showcase its limited-edition range of award-winning beers. Join head brewer Russell Garet for an informal, informative and fun tasting in the restaurant, trying each of the beers and hearing about the brewery and story of the beer. Have a choice of one of their 100% recycled Organic Cotton T-Shirts, 4 tasting beers and pinchos.
Cork on a Fork Beerfest
New this year is the Cork on a Fork Beerfest, sponsored by the Franciscan Well which will see a host of beer events pop up across the city including a Free Docklands Brewery Tour, a Cooking with Beer Dinner at The Woodford, Tom Barry’s Ice-Cream Sunday (made with beer), and Pizza Making 101 and beer tasting at the Franciscan Well. Many of these events are already booked out but hurry and snap up the last few places.
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| Elbow Lane are offering a Tutored Beer Tasting |
VQ shared table sponsored by Birra Moretti
Proudly sponsored by Birra Moretti, the VQ Shared Table is a chef collaboration that will see 400 guests dine at a shared table on MacCurtain Street. It will showcase local produce and the flavours and experiences of the VQ area. Look forward to delicious sharing plates from The Glass Curtain, Isaacs Restaurant, Paladar, The Metropole, Cask, Eco-Fish, Gabriel House, Gallaghers, The Dean, and Thompson’s, along with wine pairings and local drinks from Maharini Gin and West Cork Whiskey and pork sauce made with Kinsale Mead. Also supported by Son of a Bun, The Shelbourne Bar, and MacCurtain Street Wine Cellar.
Wednesday 14th August, 5pm
Wine, Charcuterie and Cheese Tasting Event
Indulge your senses and savour the perfect pairing of exquisite wines, charcuterie and a carefully curated selection of cheeses at the Kingsley Hotel.
Thursday 15th August, 7-8.30pm
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| Kate and Denis of the Kinsale Mead company will be busy during the festival |
Maharini Gin x The Met Afternoon Tea
Indulge in an exclusive afternoon tea at the Metropole in collaboration with Maharini Gin and Rebel City Distillery. The specially curated festival menu celebrates the vibrant flavours and artisanal craftsmanship of Cork. Each dish is thoughtfully designed by the chefs to pair with the exotic botanicals of Maharini Gin.
Daily during the festival.
L'Atitude 51 presents ITALY X CORK - Cork Porchetta & Italian Wine with a Cork accent
Enjoy Porchetta sandwiches on the L'Atitude terrace with the finest ingredients from local producers and a glass of the very first vintage of ‘Malrotti' wine - an Italian wine with a strong Cork accent - made by Cork’s very own Jack Crotty (formerly of Neighbourfood and Rocketman) with his wife Serena in their bijou vineyard in Piemonte in Italy. L’Atitude will set up a makeshift kitchen on the boardwalk (Union Quay). This is an informal festival-style event - no allocated tables/seating. There will be live music to add to the festival vibe.
Thursday 15th August, 5-7pm
Spirit of Summer with Hayfield Manor & Rebel City Distillery
Join Hayfield Manor and Rebel City Distillery for a Spirit of Summer, an evening of exceptional food and drink as they offer a taste of Cork. The event begins with a refreshing welcome drink and canapes reception with an introduction from the Rebel City Distillery Founders Robert & Bhagya Barrett. This is followed by a delicious menu specially created by their Executive Chef, Mark Staples, to complement the Rebel City Distillery Spirits.
Thursday 15th August 6.30pm
Sourdough and Wine Harvest - bread-making and natural wine
Immerse yourself in the art and science of sourdough bread-making, natural wine, and sustainable agricultural practices, and hear about the challenges facing farmers and tillage farmers this year as a result of climate change. You'll see how one Cork producer, Benjamin Lebon @seeds_bakery_kinsale is bringing back bread to its holy standard. Dr. Fanny Leenhardt-Cohalan @wellbread.ie will bring you through heritage wheat varieties, which are freshly harvested just 15 km from Cork city! Pascal Rossignol @lecaveauwinemerchants will take you on a journey from the bountiful fields of sustainable agriculture to the fermentation process that gives rise to the unique characteristics of natural wine.
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| All set up for a whiskey tasting. |
The Montenotte Wine Club presents the Wine & Sea Soirée
The Wine & Sea Soirée is an exclusive dining experience at The Montenotte. A 6 Course Fish themed Invitational Dinner & paired Italian Wine.
Drink responsibly. All events are over 18.
Cork on a Fork Festival is organised and supported by Cork City Council in partnership with local hospitality businesses, Fáilte Ireland, Pure Cork, Cork Business Association, the IHF Cork Branch, Cork Airport and sponsors.
See the full festival programme on www.corkonaforkfest.ie and follow along on social media @corkonaforkfest for the latest updates.
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