John Power and his delicious spirits of lovely Beara. Gin and Whiskey in the catch. And his amazing tour!

John Power and his delicious spirits of the lovely Beara penisula. 

Gin and Whiskey in the catch. 

And his amazing tour!

Enjoying Gallagher's event with John and Valerie Power (on the left)

If you want to talk to John Power about his favourite whiskey then just mention Beara Black Cask Blend Whiskey.

John selected the casks at the Great Northern Distillery. ”Our Black Cask Blend Whiskey is finished in Beara with the infusion of clear spring waters from the Caha Mountains that divide the peninsula and separate Cork and Kerry, before being carefully bottled.

Spirits of Beara

Beara Irish Whiskey is a unique blend of single malt and extra char cask-finished single-grain Irish Whiskeys. Hearty pot still notes with some spice and a hint of melon & ginger. Full-bodied with soft delicate sherry undertones, and toasted wood, perfectly balanced with fruit, spice and some chocolate notes.

It can best be enjoyed neat, with ice or with just a splash of water to open up the rich malt and toasted oak flavours.”

He didn't mention cocktails but they were all the go on the day last August that I first met John and his wife Valerie. We were in Gallagher’s Gastro Pub in Cork’s MacCurtain Street for an event that was part of the highly successful Cork on Fork Food Festival.

The Beara-Ly Standing cocktail (above), made with Beara Black Cask Whiskey, lemon, red berry sherbet, egg white, crushed almond, and meringue, was the perfect sweet ending to a lovely afternoon at the annual Cork on a Fork Festival. It was paired with a Lemon Gin infused polenta, mascarpone honey glaze roasted almonds, and mixed berries, creating a truly decadent and delicious experience.

More recently, I asked John if there was something unique about his spirits? 

“In our gins, we use Sugar kelp seaweed from our shores, Fuchsia buds from the hedgerows of Beara and Atlantic Salt water from the Beara Atlantic coastal waters. Our whiskeys are finished at our Distillery where they are cut using spring water from The Caha Mountains.”

US visitors enjoying the loft experience

Black Cask is John's favourite whiskey and his favourite gin is Beara Ocean Gin Original. And that gin featured in another cocktail at the Gallagher’s event. Unusual Abundance was the name: Beara Ocean Gin, sugar kelp, nettle and lime cordial, and honey.

Gallagher’s came up trumps when they matched this with a really amazing and well-named Salmon Sensation, a delicious combo of Lemon & Lime Beara Gin Cured Salmon, poached cherry tomatoes, sesame seeds, garlic basil, apple celeriac remoulade, samphire and nori seaweed foam. Every bit on the plate played a role; the salmon itself was memorable and those tomatoes were something else. 

John, as can guess, just loves his home place. “We are inspired by our place, the beautiful Beara Peninsula and we want to portray our area in our spirits. We are Origin Green approved and make every effort to recycle our packaging etc.”

Power and his team really enjoy bringing their spirits to you but now people are coming to Beara to enjoy them in their "native" environment. Tours of the Fisherman’s Loft are turning out to be quite an attraction for visitors from near and far.

The welcome from John is a hearty one!

Fisherman’s Loft? You may well ask. Like many a man from the Beara Peninsula, John has been a fisherman himself but there is a disappointment in his voice when he confesses that some time back, he saw little future in the industry and so, in 2017, set out on the spirits trail.

As part of the visitor attraction, he hit on the idea of a small museum where he has gathered many items associated with the local fishing industry and has presented them in an unfussy way in the loft. So add those artefacts, the whiskey and John’s good humour and wit and you are on the way to a very enjoyable evening indeed.

Just one stop on the beautiful Ring of Beara

Here’s an invite from John: Join us for a tour of our quaint distillery and tasting experience in our Fisherman's Loft. As you taste our award-winning gin and whiskey, complimented by Lorge's luxurious chocolate, let us transport you to a world where tradition, passion and maritime allure converge in every sip.

As you enter our tasting room, you'll be greeted by a captivating ambience, adorned with rustic maritime artifacts that tell the tales of this coastal region. The weathered wood, fishing nets and nautical curiosities create an atmosphere that takes you to a bygone era, where the sea and the land intertwine in harmony.

Currently, tours are available on Friday evenings. The tour is wheelchair accessible and given in English. More details(and bookings) here.

Previous Brewery / Distillery / Meadery posts:

Ballykilcavan The Taste of Laois in your glass.

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

Whitefield's Local Connections.

Mescan

Wicklow Wolf ranges far and wide

Kinsale Mead

Beara Distillery

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

Gallagher's and Beara Distillery combine to present an accomplished taste of the peninsula

Gallagher's and Beara Distillery combine to present an accomplished taste and taoscán of the peninsula.

Delightful pairings a highlight of Cork on a Fork Fest

Beara-Ly Standing, the cocktail that brought the lovely afternoon, part of the annual Cork in a Fork Festival, to a sweet conclusion. Ingredients are Beara Black Cask Whiskey, lemon and red berry sherbet, egg white, crushed almond, meringue. The matching dessert was Lemon Gin infused polenta, mascarpone honey glaze roasted almonds, and mixed berries. Gallaghers and Johnny and Valerie Power all worked together to make this a superb experience. Preparations included a visit to the distillery by Gallaghers staff (hard work?) and lots of experimentation in MacCurtain Street and it all came good last Saturday.

Dee of Babelfís and Myles of Gallaghers got the ball rolling

The four-course meal started with Egg Three Ways described as Asparagus and sun-dried tomato frittata, crispy egg and a potato hash brown, egg bread rouldade, serrano ham and liver paté, Quite a plateful of flavours and texture and all accompanied by the first of the cocktails.

Eggs Three Ways with Royale to the right in the background

It was named the Wild Atlantic Royale made from Beara Pink Gin, mandarin and elderflower balsamic shrub, and topped with prosecco. Oos and aahs all round and the party was definitely on.

Course number two was the really amazing and well-named Salmon Sensation, a delicious combo of Lemon & Lime Beara Gin Cured Salmon, poached cherry tomatoes, sesame seeds, garlic basil, apple celeriac remoulade, samphire and nori seaweed foam. Every bit on the plate played a role; the salmon itself was memorable and those tomatoes were something else. 

And what would sir have with that? Unusual Abundance was the name of the cocktail: Beara Ocean Gin, sugar kelp, nettle and lime cordial, and honey. Kelp is grown in the bay, Johnny told me.

If the second was my favourite plateful, the third proved my favourite cocktail, the appropriately titled El Plato Principal, combining Fat Washed Beara Whiskey, sweet vermouth, black walnut bitters, orange bitters, sugar and Pernod spritz. Amazing with the whiskey getting a chance to shine through. 

Myles explained in some detail (to myself and Johnny), that fat-washed whiskey involves the whiskey, beef fat and the freezer and the technique enhances the flavour of the whiskey and "clears" it making it lighter in colour. Basically, you allow the fat and whiskey to intermingle and then comes a spell in the freezer. The fat goes solid, and all you have to do is drain off your whiskey. Cheers!

The Gallaghers kitchen whizzed off to South America for the matching dish and again came up trumps with the Mexican Tostadas (Corn shell tostadas, black beans & tomato corinader salsa, meatballs topped up with cheese sauce). Loved it, especially the black beans in the salsa.

Dessert. Topped with a fuschia flower!

Number four was next, all for a sweet finish as you can see in the opening paragraph! A terrific afternoon for the punters - live jazz was enjoyed as well as the food and drink. 

A delighted Gallaghers were soon on social media: "It was a very enjoyable afternoon. We were delighted with what the team @gallaghers & @Babelfisbrand put together and with the fantastic support from @BearaDistillery John & Valerie." It was indeed a lovely and memorable occasion.

Quite a few exotic touches in the menu and indeed in Gallaghers' menus in general but they are firm supporters of Irish produce. One hundred per cent of their beef is Irish and other producers supported include Twomey's Butchers Macroom, P. O'Connell and Sons, Ballycotton Seafood, Shellfish Delamare, Traditional Cheese Company, Hegarty Cheese, Pana Bread, and Alternative Bread Company.

More details on the restaurant and menus here. Terrific food and drink and charming staff. And I'm told there is no need at all to avoid their Charmless Man cocktail, as the name is really just a rum sort of joke!

More on the distillery here.