The Barn: Changes, yes, but still a Comfort Zone

The Barn: Changes, yes, but still a Comfort Zone

comfort

While your eggs won’t be cooked in the compost here, as they do in another barn (Blue Hill, Stone Barns NY), there is much to be said for tradition and traditional recipes. Take the burger at The Barn, between Mayfield and Glanmire, for instance.

Burgers joints have been popping up all over the Irish food place in recent years, all trying to out-do each other with outrageous combinations of ingredients. Mostly though, it has to do with size: double deckers, stacks. More about quantity than quality. More waste; less taste.

Burger

No double decker here. No song and dance about the Barn burger. And I was a few bites into it before I realised that this was one of the best burgers I’ve had in quite a while. 

The Prime Beef Burger on a Brioche Bun came with excellent cheese, delicious mushrooms and was served with chips, salad and Garlic Mayo. The beef was certainly prime and I have a preference for brioche buns (even one half is enough!). Superb. 

Now, having said all that, now that facilities have been further improved, just wonder would the Barn consider some innovation in the menu (including a mention of provenance), and wine, offering.

Melon and fruit starter

With our original venue failing to let the public know of a much later than publicised opening time and with us not wanting to wait around in the countryside for an hour, we were at a loose end until on the way back we spotted the Early Bird sign at The Barn.

And, yes they were doing that Early Bird menu, offering a 5-6.30 window, even though it was Saturday evening. So okay, we could have had a main course or more off the regular menu but had Early Bird on the brain and choose that, not quite realising we were committing ourselves to three courses (priced at €25.00). It worked out well enough though.

wings

Did you know The Barn has recently completed a long-running major renovation? The comfort element here, always high, has been enhanced. One of the other benefits it that you can now sit outside on sunny evenings and sip your aperitif. Indeed, dine out there too, depending on the thermometer, of course.

We were inside as we started. Nothing overly exciting on the short list but my BBQ Marinated Chicken Wings, with Garlic Mayo and Salad was well up to scratch, very enjoyable and the provided bowl and wipe (sometimes, incredibly, you have to ask for these) came in handy. 

Hake

No mess for CL as she enjoyed her Melon and Fruit Platter with Passion fruit reduction and fruit coulis, a nice light appetiser, a regular here and seldom seen anywhere else.

She continued with their Fish and Chips which consisted of Hake, lightly battered with their crispy batter, served with mushy peas, lemon tartare sauce and chips. The hake was top notch, the batter nice and thin (no big empty air bubbles) and the sauce outstanding. Happy out.

Apple pie

The choice of dessert was from the Daily List, not from their famous trolley. No superlatives here. I had been disappointed with their regular Jam and Cream Mille Feuilles a few months ago so gave that a skip in favour of Dessert of the Day: a large chunk of coffee and walnut cake with a dollop of cream. Not bad at all. Particularly loved the creamy coffee bits. 

cake

And CL noted that the Freshly Baked Apple Pie, little chunks of apple this time, was markedly better than the one (more of a paste) she had here a few months ago.  

A couple of anonymous wines (one red, one white) brought the bill for two to sixty two euro. But reasonably happy overall with the food, the service and the place itself.

al fresco

Amuse Bouche

Dr Joseph Fry opened his chocolate company in the mid-1700s, marketing the powder for medicinal purposes, but it was his grandson, Joseph Storrs-Fry, who achieved the historic breakthrough. Combining Van Houten’s pressing machine with the Watt steam engine, he began mass-producing cocoa cakes and experimenting with the mix of butter and flavourings to produce something they could mould into shapes. By 1847, Fry had the balance..just right, and began selling..the world’s first chocolate bars.

from Dictatorland, The Men Who Stole Africa, by Paul Kenyon (2018). Very Highly Recommended.

New Chef and Tempting New Menu in Pembroke Restaurant at Imperial Hotel

New Chef and Tempting New Menu

 in Pembroke Restaurant at Imperial Hotel

It seems the public has already heard about the tempting new menu in the Imperial’s Pembroke Restaurant as the place was full when we called last Tuesday. Jerome Joyce is the new Executive Chef at the Flynn Family owned Imperial Hotel and has been busy with the new dishes. And his first converts were the staff. Each one that we met is fully conversant and already has a favourite or two - rarely have I come across such enthusiasm.

So now we are in to try but of course we can't try everything! We do however have enough to know that this is an excellent set of dishes, top class local produce very well handled and presented indeed. There is a separate steak section (locally sourced Hereford) but the menu is really well balanced overall with something for meat-eaters, fish-lovers, and those that eat neither aren't forgotten either.

We had a plate of tasty breads to choose from as we studied the menu. Among the starters, we could have had the tempting Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Feuille de Brick, Mango Chutney, Confit Vine Tomato, Salted Pine Nuts, Pea Shoots (8.95).

My pick though was the rather unusual Lemon Sole Tempura Batter, Red Pepper and Tomato Stew, Basil Mayo, Lemon and Olive Oil Emulsion (8.95). Unusual in the sense that you don’t see this very often on a list of starters. This version, with the red pepper and tomato stew, was excellent. 

And another beauty that we enjoyed was the Organic Duck Liver Parfait, Cinnamon and Star Anise Poached Plums, Homemade Brioche Loaf, Hazel Nut, Green Bean Salad (7.95). A good one too, enhanced by the Poached Plums. All part of our excellent start to a lovely evening in a very comfortable place indeed.

Taittinger champagne features on the wine list (they do a well priced flight in the bar) along with a port and Beaumes de Venise (one of my favourite dessert wines). A good selection of white and red also, many available by the glass including white favourites such as Albarino and Sauvignon Blanc and popular reds like Montepulciano and Cotes du Rhone. 

We go for the Picpoul de Pinet, Saint-Peyre, France (fresh and fruity with a long lingering finish) and also the intense and elegant Domaine Peirière Pinot Noir, France. Each comes at €7.50 per glass, €29.50 a bottle.

CL spots a favourite fish and the Halibut (26.95) Fennel Pollen Brioche Crust, Kale, Chorizo, White Bean and Broad Bean Cassoulet, Crispy Crab Claw, doesn't disappoint at all. Might have preferred a little less chorizo but the Fennel Pollen Crust is a delightful touch, a little crunch with a little aniseed. A lovely dish, so well presented. Interested in the Fennel Pollen as I’m saving some seeds at the present.

I rarely turn down duck and so I choose the West Cork Duck Breast, Brussel Sprouts and Smoked Bacon, Duck Fat Roast Potato, Black Berry Gel, Broad Beans (23.95). Well thought out, well executed, and well presented. Great combination of flavours and textures and I was well satisfied.

Indeed, we both were. But we were persuaded to check out the dessert menu and decided to share the Strawberry Panna Cotta with Elderflower Infused Strawberries, Ginger Textures, Rhubarb Tuile. Colourful and easy to eat, a sweet finalé to a superb meal.

By the way, you may check out the dishes and can see the great choices now available in the Pembroke here. 

The Pembroke Restaurant opening times are as follows:

Breakfast from 7.00am to 10.30am - Monday to Friday

Breakfast from 7.30am to 11am - Saturday and Sunday

Carvery Lunch from 12.00pm to 3.00pm - Monday to Saturday

Carvery Sunday Lunch from 12.00pm to 3.00pm

Dinner from 5.30pm to 9.30pm - Sunday and Monday  

Dinner from 5.30pm to 10.00pm - Tuesday to Saturday

Contact: 
021 4274040 or by emailing pembroke@imperialhotelcork.ie

A Trio of Excellent Reds from Mary Pawle Wines

A Trio of Excellent Reds 

from Mary Pawle Wines

According to Ana Fabiano in her 2012 book, The Wine Region of Rioja, you can expect good things from the winemakers of Rioja Baja. Their spirit is “based on enormous reverence for their land, respect for the heritage of their ancestors, and a commitment to carry it forward”. By the way, she mentions Luis Jiménez as one of the producers worth seeking out in the area and we have two of his below.

Ruiz Jiménez Paisajes Rioja (DOC) 2015, 14%, €17.70 Mary Pawle Wines

This organic Rioja is an “edition especial Garnacha 2015”, special because it is 100% Garnacha, not a drop of the customary Tempranillo. It is also rather special as “100% of the creative process is in our own hands.”

It is mid to deep ruby, bright and clear, legs reluctant to clear. Aromas of sweet red fruit, hints too of its season in the oak. Fruity and dry, elegant on the palate, this well balanced wine maintains its smooth power right through to the persistent finish, tannins still a factor. Beautifully reined-in power and Very Highly Recommended.

Pago de Valcaliente Rioja 2015, 14.5%, €26.30 Mary Pawle Wines

This organic wine has a cherry red colour. Fairly intense aromas of dark and red fruit fruits, and a hint of spice. Juicy, fruity and spicy, this young wine with its smooth tannins and balancing acidity is a tasty drop indeed and Highly Recommended.

The Valcaliente vineyard is in the Rioja Baja, one of the three areas of Rioja, and the producer is Luis Jiménez. This wine, a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, is aged in a concrete egg.

Domaine Bassac Syrah Côtes de Thongue (IGP) 2015, 13.5% €13.25 Mary Pawle Wines.

Produced by a young duo that started working here in the Languedoc in 2014, this Syrah is organic. It has a nice mid ruby colour and a moderately intense nose of blackcurrant. There is a fair concentration of fruit and spice in the palate. 

You’ll come across some much brasher Shiraz but this is a restrained and well-made Syrah, a rounded and a good warm wine and Highly Recommended. Importer Mary Pawle suggests trying it with Lamb Tagine. 

A young enough wine but do not hesitate to open an hour or two in advance and do also decant. Well worth the effort.

Let's Avocuddle at Waterford’s Colourful Candied Hazlenut

Let's Avocuddle at Waterford’s Colourful Candied Hazlenut

The colourful tree, painted between the front door and the window, and climbing up the wall above both, catches your eye as you stroll along O’Connell Street in Waterford City.

There is a plant based restaurant inside and that interior is colourful too, a variety of tables and different coloured chairs, amusingly illustrated cushions scattered around a narrow shelf and a dresser full of pottery pieces.

Even the food is colourful. Gluten free, peanut free and plant based dishes are the order of the day (and of the evening) here and these dishes are full of flavour as well as we found out on a recent lunchtime visit to Teresa Heffernan’s The Candied Hazelnut.

Teresa, the chef/patron, is a busy girl, producing exciting, vibrant and extremely flavourful food using locally sourced produce. The menu changes daily and besides quite a few bits and pieces come from her very own garden.

With a rather big dinner scheduled for that evening, we were looking for something on the lighter side. Teresa has a good sense of humour too. After the first thing on the menu, Soup of the Day, she wrote: it’s too hot for soup folks! And, for most of this July, so it was.

I was tempted by The Bean Taco Fries served with salad (9.95). A terrific combination. The beans were a treat and you’d find it hard to get better fries.

Bean Taco Fries

At the other side of the table, the Blueberry Pancake Stack with Maple Syrup (5.95) was being eagerly demolished. And no shortage of blueberry. A few loose on the plate but plenty buried in the pancakes as well. Very very tasty indeed.

And we washed it all down with a a bottle each of the VitHit Apple and Elderflower (2.95,), a mid-day drink I’m getting to like, despite it costing forty five cent more here than I paid for it in Killaloe the previous week. They also sell bottled beer and wine by the glass and bottle. The wines (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvigon Blanc and Chardonnay) are all Chilean, all by Alameda, available by the bottle (€20), by the carafe and by the glass.

Some tempting dessert here also but we said we’d better give them a skip on this occasion. We certainly enjoyed our visit to this bright and colourful and high ceilinged dining room.

Also on this trip:
Lunch at Spectacular Cliff House
Everett's new Waterford restaurant

Another colourful building on O'Connell Street

Four Beers. Two Comparisons. Two Aces. Festival News

Four Beers. Two Comparisons. Two Favourites.

Table Beers

I bought four beers in Bradley’s of Cork the other day, for comparison purposes, two table beers and two with a large lemon element.

So lets start with the pair of Table Beers, better known to me as Saisons. White Hag, who produced the No. 40 in collaboration with Brew by Numbers, helpfully give a definition of the style on the can.

No. 40 is a true farmhouse saison, it represents a beer style that would have been produced all around the world to quench the thirst of farm-hands, and new-world settlers alike. It is produced from the second runnings of a much stronger beer, that would have been reserved in casks for consumption in the dearth months of sustenance. The table beer was just that, a beer for the table, consumed instead of raw water to ensure health. Light in alcohol, it could be consumed by everyone without fear of inebriation and dehydration.

I’m sure you’ll find definitions with more technical clarity but there you have the gist of it.

White Hag No.40 Table Saison, 2.6% abv , 440ml can

White Hag: Superb collaborative brew with Brew By Numbers. This Table Saison is a classic farmhouse beer in true old world style but with all the frills and fair that modern brewing has to offer. An absolute delight in the sunshine.

An absolute delight in the sunshine, they say, but the sun had gone by the time I got to drinking this very pale yellow cloudy beer with light citrus aromas. That light citrus continues onto the palate and there is a fair bit of cutting on the finish. Didn’t make a great impression though. One can would be my max and then time to move on to something like the Kinnegar below.

Kinnegar Skinny Legs Table Beer 3.5%abv, 440ml can

This new Skinny Legs, “the 3.5% table beer we made together with the participants of our first K2 brewing academy, is rolling off the canning line with a smile on its face”.

Colour is a healthy looking mid amber. Moderately fruity aromas. Maybe not fully powered up on alcohol but much more flavour here. If I were a labourer after a hard day’s work, reckon I’d much prefer to be coming back to this saison rather than to the Hag. No contest. 

Kinnegar have announced that from now on “our new beers will come under the 'Brewers at Play' banner. Because that's what they're really all about — giving the brewers and our customers a bit of variety and allowing us to test new ideas and trends. If we (and you!) like it enough, the beer will eventually get a label all of its own.” Go for it lads!

When Life Sends You Lemons… 

Whiplash Sunshine Under Ground Lemon Smoothie Pale Ale, 5.4%, 440ml can

Colour: Cloudy mid yellow, unfiltered and unpasteurised. Lots of lemon in the ingredients and on the palate. This has notes of Lemon Meringue. Silky and smooth, with a touch of creamy sweetness and a zesty finalé. I rather like this one!

It is brewed "for Whiplash by Whiplash at Larkin’s Brewery in County Wicklow" and is their response to the long-lasting scorcher we had here in Ireland. Of course, when I get my hands on it, the scorcher has retreated. Still, no need to deprive myself of enjoying this beauty.

Techie bits: 

Sunshine Under Ground focuses on Pilsner, Raw Wheat, Oats and sweet, sweet Lactose for its base before getting an addition of Cascade, Lemondrop and natural lemon zests in the whirlpool. Fermented on our house English Ale Yeast, it’s then ‘double dry-zested’ (DDZ?) using more and more of those beautiful lemon zests building and building to 10g/L of zesty fucking madness. The eye-catching artwork on the can is by Sophie Devere.

White Hag The Púca Dry Hopped Lemon Sour (Lime, Mint and Matcha), 3.5, 330ml can

Fairly pale lime colour on this new beer, launched at Hagstravaganza. If you like pure lemon juice, you may well enjoy this. While the Whiplash is a sweet-ish lemon then this is bitterly sour. Tart and refreshing? Well the first part is true. Might well be a thirst quencher. But not my style, at all.

Coming up:
Sourfest at The Bierhaus Cork from Thursday 2nd to Monday 6th. "Huge selection of Sour Beers on Tap!". Plus food, music and tastings.

August 10th and 11th: Bands, Breweries, Speakers, Discussions as Franciscan Well Celebrates Women in Beer 

16-19 August 2018 | No shortage of good beer at Big Grill Fest, Ireland’s only International BBQ Festival | Food | Fire | Smoke | Craft Beer | Music | Herbert Park, Dublin

Taste of the Week. Kay O’Connell’s Wild Sea Trout

Taste of the Week

Kay O’Connell’s Wild Sea Trout

Nosing around the English Market last Friday and spotted a hand-written* sign up on the O’Connell Fish Stall drawing attention to their Wild Sea Trout. Brought a couple of fillets home and the Official Blog Chef turned them into our Taste of the Week.

This noble trout, full of flavour, is worth every cent. Pan-fried, skin side first. Peas and spinach from the garden were recruited. Potatoes were diced, garlic and herb added, and cooked in a very high oven before the other veg were added and tossed with the potatoes.

So there you, no great fuss but a fantastic Taste of the Week.

* He’ll probably type them when he opens in Bishopstown!

K O’Connell Fish Merchants

English Market

Grand Parade

Cork

Phone: (021) 427 6380

Lunch at Rugby Legend’s Killaloe Restaurant

Lunch at Rugby Legend’s Killaloe Restaurant

Keith Wood's Up and Running at Home Venue

Chicken Burger

When up the country, and what a country it is, we often ignore the straight way home to Cork. Never know what you’ll find on a detour. 

Although, to be frank, when we left Galway and headed for Cork via Killaloe, we had a good idea of what we’d find on the delightful Shannonside. Call to Wood and Bell, we had been told, the restaurant opened last November on Main Street, Killaloe, by local and Irish rugby legend Keith Wood and business partner Malcom Bell.

We had been to Killaloe previously. It, and Ballina across the bridge in Tipperary, are beautifully located by the Shannon, just below Lough Derg. From Scarrif down, we were close to the lake and stopped at one spot nearer to Killaloe, where dozens of families were enjoying the sun both in the cool water (well, I presume it was cool!) and on the grassy banks.

Soon we were in the little town and looking for Wood and Bell. It is easily found, on main street, and we were lucky enough to get parking just outside. We were welcomed in and seated by the window with the menus at hand.

Lunch is served Wednesday to Friday between 12 noon and 3.00pm and you have a pretty good choice: salads, sandwiches, wraps, meatballs,  Nachos, scampi, burgers. Soup and chowder too but maybe a bit too hot for that particular day!

I go for the Crispy Buttermilk Chicken, Roast Garlic Aioli, salad leaves, tomatoes and crispy onions and fries of course. And I get quite a surprise when a burger arrives at the table. But that’s where I find my chicken - pity they didn’t say that on the menu. In any case, I get stuck in and enjoy every little bite.

No mistaken identity though with OBC’s choice: Open Wrap with Roast Mediterranean vegetables, mozzarella, pesto, rocket and olives. Quite a lovely dish, really full of flavour.

Wood and Bell has the advantage of having their own walled garden nearby, overlooking Lough Derg and the River Shannon. The garden, cared for by Wood and his wife Nicola, now produces much of the fruit, vegetables and herbs for the kitchens.

They do a Kids Menu here also and desserts. You can also get wine and bottled beer here (including some craft). We enjoy an non-alcoholic beverage on this occasion, one with a sporting connection. The VitHit range comes in a number of flavours, in 500ml bottles and is reasonably priced. We had the Lean and Green Apple and Elderflower one. Quite a treat!

By the way, they have a spacious and impressive room upstairs where you can enjoy dinner. Check the website for all the details.

After the meal, we headed down and over the bridge to Ballina. There was a cruise just about to set off for the lake. We were tempted but, as we had been on the boat on the Corrib the day before, gave it a skip, promising we’d be back to this lovely place, another gorgeous corner of the Hidden Ireland.

Wood and Bell 

Main Street,

Killaloe,

Co. Clare, V94 AK57

info@woodandbell.com

+353 61 517480

Amuse Bouche

Soap clicked his fingers and called for the coats, his voice somehow able to compete with the string quartet’s crescendo. The maître d’ approached tentatively. His voice, when he was within earshot.. was honey; too sweet to be wholesome.

“And how would sir wish to settle the bill tonight?”

“He wouldn’t,” Soap said.

“I don’t quite follow. Is it the lady’s treat, perhaps?”

“No.” Soap puffed his chest.”The food was atrocious and the wine was mediocre. You phoney bastards don’t deserve a dime.”

“Sir, if there’s been—“

“This isn’t a negotiation, pal. Chalk it up to customer dissatisfaction and step aside."

“Surely there is some way we can settle this amicably?”

….

“Yeah, you can get the fuck out of my way, and put a little more effort in next time.”

from Disorder by Gerard Brennan (2018). Very Highly Recommended.

At The Busy New Yorker for Lunch

Lunch at Cork International Hotel

The Busy New Yorker

gin and lemon

It is big, bright and comfortable. And the New Yorker, the restaurant bar at Cork International Hotel, is abuzz as we sit down to try out the new lunch menu. The busy staff remain friendly and efficient as even more punters arrive and the large space begins to totally fill up.

There are two main choices here, both on the same menu card. There is the Deli Menu, mainly a carvery where you can have your meat, fish or curry (all about 12,50). Carvery dishes are served with creamed potatoes and seasonal veg. Also available are sandwich, salad, quiche and various combinations with soup.

taco

We were interested in the main lunch menu. This includes Soup of the Day, the International Toasted Special, Southern Fried Chicken Wrap, Toonsbridge Open Mozzarella Sandwich (on warm tomato focaccia), Ardsallagh Goats Cheese Salad (including Wexford strawberries!), a Caesar Salad, a Health Food Salad and Quiche of the Day.

Some great choices there. Hard to pick one but I went for the Slow Cooked Pulled Beef Sandwich BBQ Sauce, Mushrooms, Onions, Emmental Cheese, Spicy Mayo,Toasted Ciabatta, Sweet Potato Fries (12.50). Packed full of flavour, superb beef, the ciabatta a perfect “wrap” and those tasty fries, all well cooked and neatly presented. Quite a delicious plateful.

beef

And the Chef Special Taco (Your choice of Slow Roasted Pork, Prawn or Chicken) Tomato, Mango, Coriander, Cucumber Salsa, Guacamole Dip, Soft Shell Taco was well appreciated by the OBC. She choose the chicken and the whole colourful, slightly spicy, totally delicious combination, again with those Sweet Potato fries, was another winner.

And they’ve got even more on this list: a Vegetable Thai Green Curry; McCarthy’s Prime Double Beef Burger; Atlantic Fish and Chips; and a West Cork Seafood Platter. Something for everyone here.

Would we go for dessert? Yes, we would. Early on I had spotted the Cork Dry Gin and Lemon Parfait. You know I finished that, every little drop, well every little bit. Our other dessert was the Apple and Cinnamon Pudding, a large chunk of it but nicely moist and well made and well appreciated also.

apple and cinnamon

By the way, if you don’t have time for a full lunch or arrive in between meal times, you may avail of the New Yorker Lobby menu. And the New Yorker now accepts payments made with Apple Pay (limit of €30.00 per transaction). Check out all the menus on the website below.

New Yorker Bar 

Cork International Hotel

Cork Airport Business Park

Co. Cork, T12 H516

(021) 454 9800

Opening Hours at the New Yorker
12:00 – 17:00 Lunch Menu (Daily)
17.00 – 22:00 Full Dinner Menu (Daily)

Out of Africa: A Wine and A Novel. “Inspiration” from the Rhone

Domaine de la Zouina Volubilia Rouge Classic Morocco (VDQS) 2012, 13.5%, €18.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

In 2001, two French golfers went to Morocco to play. A few stray shots later and they bought this estate. Gérard Gribelin (Chateau de Fieuzal) and Philippe Gervoson (Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion) knew their stuff, invested in their new 85 hectare vineyard and soon their Bordeaux experience was reaping rewards in Africa.

This Volubilia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), with Syrah, Mourvedre and Tempranillo and has a mid to dark cherry colour. Nose is fairly intense with cherry, blackcurrant, meat and smoke. Big supple palate, juicy and fruity and just a hint of soft tannins, a touch of spice also. A velvety soft red with a long dry finish. 

Volubilis, a partly excavated Berber and Roman settlement and an UNESCO heritage site, is 45 minutes away from the vineyard and in this series of wines you’ll also find a white, a rosé and a gris. And that gris featured in the 2017 novel There was a crooked man  by Irish writer Cat Hogan. Both the wine and the thriller are Highly Recommended.

Domaine de la Ville Rouge “Inspiration” Croze-Hermitage (AP) 2015, 13%, €22.95 

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

This gorgeous youngish Syrah is organically produced, matured 12 months in stainless steel (80%) and in oak (20%). Try it, they say, with poultry, red meats ad cheese. I had it with a fairly young cheddar and it was perfect.

It has quite a dark red robe. Plum and spice on the nose, rather ripe plums. Fresh and medium bodied, that plum is an assertive character on the concentrated palate, good acidity though, close to smooth tannins, approachable and easy-drinking, yet with a certain elegance. Young or not, this is a fairly serious wine and Very Highly Recommended. By the way, no guarantee that a glass of Inspiration will lead to a novel!

Con's Irish Cider. The Real Thing!

Con's Irish Cider Medium Dry, 5.5%, 500ml bottle

Got myself some of this delicious cider when I recently called to its “birthplace”, the Apple Farm owned and run by Con Traas near Cahir in County Tipperary.

Provenance needs to be clearly stated these days. This is real Irish cider made from seasonal Irish apples grown on the farm where visitors are always welcome. Indeed, they have a camping site in among the orchards.

A pity that we have to keep banging on abut real cider, real beer, even real food. But there are many producers out there quite willing to muddy the water and often the consumer is confused.

Con has thought long and hard about a definition and has come up with this. Real Irish Cider is made and bottled in its entirety in Ireland using the juice of Irish grown apples, without the routine addition of either water or sugar. See the Apple Farm website for more info.

Con’s Cider has a bright mid amber colour with lots of lively little bubbles. Modest but definite aromas, hints of the fruit. On the palate is where you notice the “real” element, supple and flavoursome, more on the dry side of medium, and with a good dry finish. Enjoy!

That initial burst of flavour in the mouth reminded me of something Brooklyn brewer Garrett Oliver said at Ballymaloe LitFest a few years ago: You hear people say, when they taste a craft beer: This is nice, doesn't taste like beer. He had an explanation: ‘The beer they grew up with didn't taste like real beer!’

Taste of the Week A Sheridan’s Cheese and Jam Double

Taste of the Week

A Sheridan’s Double

Sheridan’s get the credit for our current Taste of the Week. It’s a double and features one product bought in their Galway store during a recent visit to the City of the Tribes and another product bought in Bradley’s of Cork but distributed by Sheridan’s.

The product from Bradley’s is a semi-circle of Cashel Blue made, as always, by the Grubb family in Tipperary, but selected, matured and distributed by Sheridan’s.

So there I was one lunchtime with that Cashel Blue at hand and wondering how I’d enhance it. And then I remembered being served Black Cherry jam with sheep’s cheese in the Basque Country. I had the very thing in the cupboard: a big pot of artisan made Confiture Cerise Noire (my purchase from Sheridan's).

A perfect pairing and a delicious Taste of the Week. Lots of that jam left, so it looks as if I’ll be heading to Bradley’s for more cheese. Indeed, I may well also keep an eye out for that new hard sheeps cheese by Velvet Cloud.

By the way, I also found another match for the cheese, a bottle of Gerard Bertrand’s Banyuls Vin Doux Naturel (from O’Brien’s Wine). Not the whole bottle, mind you, a little sip will do!