Trading through testing times. The English Market Traders continue to serve the people of Cork

Trading through testing times

The English Market Traders continue to serve the people of Cork 

The English Market has served the people of Cork since 1788 in the face of famine, flood, war and multiple recessions. As many of the English Market tenants continue to trade, it is almost certain that ‘global pandemic’ will soon be added to its list of triumphant battles.

Many of the food entrepreneurs and family businesses within the English Market have stepped up to recent challenges by diversifying and adapting from the traditional approach, to help support their communities, keep supply chains moving and ensure the viable continuity of their businesses. 

The English Market remains open for business in the heart of Cork City Centre as the traders today as in 1788, are as focussed as ever on “Serving the City”.

In addition, many of the innovative English Market Traders have recently introduced home delivery and order and collect services to support their customers who may be cocooning or unable to visit the Market during these times.

There is approximately 30 independent food retailers within the English Market open, providing a full supply of the very best of Irish produce including, freshly caught local fish and seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, local farm reared meat and poultry, as well as some of Ireland’s best cheese, wine and preserve options - among a host of other foodie delights from both near and far. 

For customers visiting the English Market, there is the added advantage of free parking throughout the city and many social distancing, safety and security measures in place in the Market to keep shoppers and traders safe.

The English Market is open Monday to Saturday, 8am-6pm (although some traders are operating reduced opening hours), for further information please visit www.englishmarketcork.ie. To keep up to date with individual Trader information and regular updates visit @theenglishmarketcork on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Please find below the current detailed list of Traders open in the Market - with those offering click and collect or delivery services highlighted.

Company Name	Tenant	Details
Alternate Bread Company	Sheila Fitzpatrick	The Alternative Bread Company was established in 1997 by Sheila Fitzpatrick and sells a large range of handmade bread and baked goods, including a range of 100% organic sourdoughs, traditional Irish soda bread, syrian flatbread and a wide variety of gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and sugar free products. The Alternative Bread Company is open for business, operating during 8am -4pm. Offering a call and collect service and also offering a delivery service for elderly people - To place an order phone the shop on (021) 425 1347.
Ballycotton Seafood Ltd.	Adrian Walsh / Diane	Ballycotton Seafood is a family owned business, established in 1985, Ballycotton Seafood is open business as usual in the market with a full selection of superb fresh fish and seafood available. Also offering free local Cork delivery service (minimum order value €20) to place your order phone 021 4613122. Also offering call and collect service - phone the market stall on 021-4272093.
Best Meats	Paul / John Boyling	This traditional butchers was established in 1976 and now has had three generations of family preparing the “Best Meat” for the people of Cork since opening! Best Meats produces a range of fresh quality beef, lamb, pork and chicken. Their best selling product is their top quality beef. Business as usual. Slight change in hours - now operating 9am-5pm. Offering call and collect service from 021 4270563, pay over the phone available.
Bresnan Meats	Michael Bresnan	Bresnan’s Butchers was established in 1898 and is now a 4th generation butchers offering a high quality range of locally sourced meat. Bresnan’s is the family with the longest unbroken presence in the English Market which ensures a high level of care and custom in its service. Bresnan meats offer the best of home grown farm to fork, beef, lamb and pork from their Market stall business as usual from 9am-6pm Monday to Saturday.
Bubble Brothers	Billy Forrester	Bubble Brothers offer a carefully selected range of affordable, interesting wines and champagnes from around the world, alongside a variety of Cuban cigars.Open for business as usual in the market. Also offering free delivery for all orders of more than €100, to any address nationwide. Visit www.bubblebrothers.ie to place your order.
Café Marius	Sebastian Antoine	Cafe Marius take pride in offering local products, working exclusively with County Cork farmers and traders at the market to promote the importance of shopping local and supporting other traders. They have a selection of cakes, teas and coffees available. Open for takeaway only from their market stall.
Coffee Central	Mary Rose Daly	This family-run stall was established in 2000 and is on its second generation of management. Coffee Central offers a range of organic gourmet coffee and specialty loose leaf teas. Open in the market for takeaway only from Thursday to Saturday, 9am-5pm.
The Chicken Inn	Tim Mulcahy	Tim Mulcahy of The Chicken Inn, a third generation family business that is best known for providing quality and fresh poultry, pork and bacon, has recently launched their “Poultry in Motion” local delivery service offering customers free local Cork home delivery on orders €30 and above . Open For business in the market. To order, send an email to chickfoods.acc@gmail.com with your order, full name, address and telephone number.
Chocolate Stall	Rosemary Daly	The Chocolate Shop opened in 2000 as a specialist chocolate shop: unique in Ireland, it is independent of any manufacturer or franchise and therefore free to source only the best quality chocolate from the best artisan chocolatiers throughout the world. The Chocolate Shop is available for home delivery and click and collect from their website www.chocolate.ie
Coughlan Meats	Paul / Alan Murphy	Coughlan meats are a fifth generation family butchers serving the people of Cork for over half a century. Alan and the team pride themselves on having all locally sourced products. This butchers specialises in providing a range of quality beef, lamb, pork and poultry products. Open business as usual in the market and also offering click and collect service of from www.coughlanmeats.com
Durcans	Tom Durcan	Tom Durcan Meats specialise in sourcing and selling the finest quality local meats from dry aged Irish beef, succulent Irish spring lamb, locally produced fresh Irish pork and the freshest homemade speciality sausages. Tom Durcan Meats are open in the market and also offering order and collect and a free local delivery service. Order online on tomdurcanmeats.ie or phone the shop on 021 427 9141 to place your order. They will even add items from other stalls to your order on request!
Hassetts Bakery	Michael Hassett	Hassetts Bakery offers a wide range of products including artisan breads and confectionery. Open for business and have recently launched an order online service from www.hassettsbakery.com. You can order your freshly baked bread, pastries & confectionery and they will have your order ready for next day collection once ordered before 12.30pm.
Heavens Cakes	Joe Hegarty	Heaven’s Cakes is run by husband and wife team Team Joe & Barbara Hegarty. Both are classically trained chefs specialising in Cakes and Pastries. All produce at Heaven’s Cakes is handmade, using local ingredients wherever possible. Open in the market on Friday and Saturday only from 9.30-6pm.
Hederman's	Frank Hederman & Caroline Workman	Hederman Smoked Salmon is a first generation artisan producer of smoked wild and organic salmon, which they have been producing in Ireland’s only authentic timber smokehouse for nearly forty years. Hedermans is open business as usual in the market, have just launched a new Click and Collect service in addition to their delivery service, available to order from their website www.frankhederman.com.
K O'Connell's	Pat O'Connell	K O’Connell’s was established in 1962 and has been a thriving business since its opening nearly 60 years ago. O’Connell’s pride themselves on their customer service, the freshness of their products and their ability to source exotic fish for their customers. Their best sellers include salmon, cod, hake and prawns. Open for business from the market offering an amazing selection of fresh local seafood. Also offering a newly introduced  home delivery service - to place an order phone 021 427 6380 or email freshfish@eircom.net. Please specify which way you would like your fish prepared and the team will have it ready just the way you like it!
Landons Bacon	Stephen Landon	After farming for generations the Landon family established this stall in the English Market in 1990. They pride themselves on selling only the best and freshest of Irish pork and bacon. All of their products are prepared in house and all produce is locally sourced. Their rashers and bacon are highly acclaimed and are very popular among the people of Cork. Open for business as usual, Offering delivery to elderly vulnerable people during this time - contact Stephen on 086 862 0077 to place your order.
My Goodness	Virginia & Donal O'Gara	My Goodness was established in 2015 by Dónal and Virginia O’Gara. My Goodness is an award-winning ethical health focused business that specialises in vegan, raw, sugar free, gluten free and fermented probiotic products. All ingredients are sourced from local and organic suppliers where possible. My Goodness foods are open business as usual in the market and available for Click and Collect and home delivery through Neighbourfoods.ie .
Noonan's	Kathleen Noonan	This stall was established in 1955 by Kathleen Noonan and is now managed by Pauline Noonan as the second generation to run the family business. Noonan butchers specialises in pork with best sellers including the skirts and kidneys, bodice, crubeens and offal. All produce is sourced from Irish local producers with traditional old fashioned curing. They can do a delivery service - if needed, just to ring her on her mobile. They have their full product range available everyday and new hours during this time are 9.30-4pm.
O'Mahony Family Butchers	Eoin & Katherine O'Mahony	O’ Mahony’s was established in 1974 by Katherine O’Mahony. At this Stall you will find the very best, locally sourced meat such as specialist cuts of dry aged beef, Ballea Farm Lamb, rose veal, buffalo and venison. Open for business Tuesday-Saturday 9am-2.30pm . Offering click and collect from www.omahonysbutchers.com and will drop your order to the boot of your car.
O'Reilly's	Donagh O'Reilly	A O'Reilly is now a third generation family butcher. O'Reilly's continue to serve traditional Tripe and Drisheen to the people of Cork, as they have for the past 100 years. Call ahead to place your order on 021 427 0925 and collect, or one of the team will kindly drop it out to your car.
O'Sullivans Poultry	Glenys Landon	O’Sullivans began the business by rearing free range turkeys and chickens on their own farm in Cork. They moved into trading in the English Market in 1990. You can expect to find a variety of options available from free range chicken to wild Irish game. Open for business as usual in the market.
O'Sullivans	Tim O'Sullivan	Tim O’Sullivan Meats was established in 1939. Now Tim O’Sullivan is the 3rd generation butcher to lead the company and provides quality and fresh meats to local customers. This butcher sells beef, lamb, pork and poultry products and is best known for providing a large range of ready-made stir fry marinated products.
On the pigs back	Isabelle Sheridan	On the Pigs Back was established by 1992 by Isabelle Sheridan, a French native. This stall prides itself on its passion for Farmhouse Cheeses, Homemade Pates & Terrines made from family recipes. On the Pigs Back stock a full range of Irish Farmhouse Cheese as well as daily fresh Arbutus Bread. Open business as usual in the Market and also offer a nationwide delivery service from www.onthepigsback.ie and available to order through neighbourfood.ie.
Pots n Pans	Michael McBarron	Pots N Pans was established in 2004 and sells a range of household, kitchen and crockery supplies. Open business as usual in the market with social distancing practices in place.
Moynihan's Poultry	Noel O'Callaghan	Moynihan’s Poultry provides a variety of fresh Irish poultry products and eggs. The brand is proud to provide all shoppers with locally sourced poultry products which come from 100% approved Bord Bia farms. Moynihan’s poultry range of poultry cuts, eggs and value-added products ensures that each customer has a wide variety of options to choose from. Open for business as usual in the market.
Super Fruit	Michael Corrigan	Superfruit was established in 1969 by Michael Corrigan. This family business sells fresh fruit and vegetables from its popular market stall. This is worth a visit if you are looking for guaranteed farm to fork freshness. Open for business as usual, trading as normal with all welcome.
The Good Food Shop	Marc O'Mahony	The Good Food Shop is a certified organic trader and sells a wonderful selection of top quality fresh, organic fruit and vegetables as well as household staples and a vast range of specialty food items. Open for business as usual, with the normal opening times 9am-6pm. Delivery service available - email or phone in marcomahony@hotmail.com Possibly the only shop in Cork(Potentially Ireland) with yeast available - to bake bread. Fresh yeast and dried yeast delivery on saturday morning.
The Meat Centre	Ken Barrett	The Meat Centre was originally established in 1980 by first generation butcher Ken Barrett. A wide variety of fresh meats are on offer such as beef, lamb, pork and bacon. All produce are of the finest quality and are fully traceable from farm to fork. Open for business as usual in the market.
The Real Olive Company	Jenny Rose & Tobias Simmonds	The Real Olive Company was established in 1993 by Toby Simmonds and was the first olive stall in the country. Starting with just a few barrels of olives and growing now to include about 40 varieties of olives along with an extensive range of other Mediterranean produce, such as fresh pesto, hummus, tapenade and extra virgin olive oil as well as their own dairy -Toons Bridge Dairy. The Real Olive Co. deliver nationwide from their online shop www.therealoliveco.com
The Roughty Foodie	Margo Ann Murphy	The Roughty Foodie is now a third generation family run business. You can expect to find local and fresh real honest ingredients when visiting this market stall - they provide non perishable food gifts, seasonal fruits, local raw honeys, homemade jams and Irish crafts. The Roughty Foodie is open for business as usual and also providing a free local delivery service within the city limits, of their delicious 'Cocooning Food Hamper' filled with local produce for just €70! Call Margo on 087 635 2415 to place your order.
Toonsbridge Dairy	Jenny Rose & Tobias Simmonds	Toonsbridge was established in 2009, when The Real Olive Company recognised a high demand for Mediterranean cheeses that were imported and being sold to accompany their olive selection. Jenny-Rose Clarke of The Real Olive Co. took this as an opportunity to create a range of locally hand-made Mediterranean style cheeses, which has since become an award-winning stand alone brand of its own. Toonsbridge Dairy and The Sandwich Stall are open for business in the market. They are also offering an order and collect service. To place an order, call (021) 4806500 .

Zorah Making Its Mark. Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking

Zorah Making Its Mark
Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking

“Now is the restart of the Armenian wine legend,“ declared Zorik Gharibian, owner of the Zorah Vineyards.

Zorik was speaking at the start of his online masterclass, organised by Liberty Wines, last Wednesday. “We lost the link with our history of winemaking.” He referred to the genocide (between 1914 and 1923) and, more recently, Soviet rule which declared that Armenia would be their brandy supplier, a long period when wine played second fiddle. Indeed, the current World Wine Atlas says that “at least 80% of the grapes.. are still distilled into the national drink”.

Zoric

Armenia may well be perceived as “new” on the wine scene around the world. Perhaps so. But Zorik is optimistic: "We have all the tools needed to be a winemaking country, 100s of native varieties, our high altitude vineyards. Armenia has it all.”

Back in the mist of time Noah, no less, would have had much the same feelings. His Ark landed on Mount Ararat, the country’s holy mountain, and the first job was to plant a vineyard and the wine was used to celebrate.

The Zorah vineyard is in the light green section

And the long history in wine that Zorik is rightly proud of is well illustrated in two of the country’s ancient places, one just “in front of Zorah”, discovered in 2007, after he had already set up his vineyard in the Vayots Dzor region. Right here, in a cave (Areni 1), ancient amphorae were discovered and were dated at 6,100 years ago. “They had used the same techniques as us and the grapes were similar too.

Another site from Armenia’s Golden Age, this close to the capital Yerevan, emphasises the wine connection. Here, no less than 480 large amphorae were found. They were in use some 3,000 years ago, “wine-making on an industrial scale”. Zorik’s slide even showed Sumeric script on the neck, detailing the year of harvest and capacity.

Unruly! Zorah's bush vines

They were buried in the ground, up to three quarter level, with a quarter above, a method unique to Armenia. “I was the first in modern Armenia to believe in the amphora”. And he tried various placements, from the whole vessel below ground to the whole unit above but in the end found that the ancient method produced the best results. The Armenian amphora (known locally as karasi) is longer than others, “the most sexiest amphoras I’ve seen around”.

Another important date in the country’s history is 301AD when Armenia “became the first nation to accept Christianity”. Soon there were monks and vineyards everywhere and even now there are monasteries all over the place, always monks and grapes. “Wine has always “been inside our culture”.

Amphorae

So back to Zorik's start, or re-start, in Vayots Dzor, the smallest and least populated region with the highest altitude. He established the Zorah winery on a plateau at 1,400 metres. “Here, there is a great diversity… grapes and other fruits… no pollution... no industry at all.”

There is “a drastic difference" between day and night temperatures here. "The soil is sandy, with great drainage, and we harvest at the end of October. There are no roads after my vineyard, just the mountain.”

No roads after Zorah

Areni Noir is “king of the red grape varieties here … and has no international relations, unrelated to any other variety". At 200m higher, he came across ancient bush vines (200 years old or so), apples and walnut trees too. Here he makes his Yeraz wine, his best wine of which he is so very proud. But he and his team have to fight hard for the fruit. While the old bushes are very large the yield is very limited. So far, he produces just three wines as “they must be more than perfect before release”. Progress is slow.

Progress may be slow but Zoric is always thinking ahead. One aim now in hand and getting there “little by little” is the Heritage Project. The aim here is to create a collection of wines from native Armenian varieties, not necessarily from Zorah (who would be curators, I suppose). “I think it will be worthwhile for wine lovers around the world.”

And another project is geared at reviving the ancient craft of making the amphora. At present there is a scarcity. “I go village to village, knock on doors.” In one house, and he had the photo to prove it, the old lady had a huge amphora and didn't want it anymore as nobody in the family was making wine. 

The only problem was the large vessel was in the middle of the house that had been extended around it, so Zoric has to pay for the knocking and rebuilding of an old wall. Zoric, who ran a fashion business in Italy, has friends in the wine industry there (some help out at Zorah) and expects to get help from Italian master craftsmen to train the Armenians.

Besides, he hopes that this will accelerate progress in the local wine industry. “I am happy and proud to encourage, including members of the diaspora, entering into wine. And a few are now using amphorae. Armenia surely has a future with our traditional ageing, our indigenous varieties and our highlands, this is what we must push.”

And push he does: “I keep repeating my presentation.. great potential coming up. And not just a story with mystic notes.. the liquid is there! We can put ourselves in a position of prestige."

He sees challenges rather than problems. That became clear in the question and answer session. “Our grapes are thick-skinned, very tough, suited to our environment. Frost and hail we get, but they are naturally here. Frost is an enemy? No, a challenge yes.

Now you know where Armenia is!

And then there’s phylloxera. "In Armenia yes, but not in my region. It recently arrived in a nearby valley where investors were allowed bring in international grafted varieties. Luckily nothing arrived here yet. I’m proud of my terroir, a unique place. So I hope it never arrives!”

You’ll have noticed that the letter “Z” kept popping up in the paragraphs above. And here is one more example. The colourful design Զ at the top of his bottles is the Armenian letter “Z” with a map of the country (in white) included.

Check out Liberty Wines for their selection of Zorah wines here 

For more on Zorah itself, see https://www.zorahwines.com/.

Pics above are slides from the online masterclass.

Back in the 1974/75 season, when Armenia was still part of the Soviet Union, Cork Celtic were outplayed by Ararat Yerevan in the second leg of a second round European Cup tie in the Armenian capital.

Chateau Turcaud Keeps Coming Up Trumps in Bordeaux. Check out this convincing double, one red, one white

Château Turcaud Keeps Coming Up Trumps in Bordeaux

Check out this convincing double, one red, one white

Château Turcaud Entre-Deux-Mers sec 2018, 13.5%, €15.55 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This Grand Vin de Bordeaux is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (65%) and Semillon (35). Best served well-chilled. You’ll also notice a Terra Vitis stamp on the label, meaning that the vineyard is run on “sustainable viticulture” principles.

You'll note a good depth of yellow in the colour with aromas of pineapples and citrus, some blossoms too. On the palate, it is more intense, more assertive than the nose alone, with a lovely wave of mainly citrus fruit flavours, an excellent mouthfeel, well balanced and with a good finish. Very Highly Recommended.

This delightful wine is at its best as an aperitif or with marinated salmon, foie gras, fish terrine, scampi, scallops, lobster, fish in a sauce, white meat, and most cheeses. It can benefit from decanting a half hour to a full hour before the meal, and is ideal served chilled but not too cold. Generally at its peak after 2 to 5 years.

Maurice Robert bought Château Turcaud in 1973. Nowadays it is run by Stéphane and Isabelle Le May (Maurice Robert’s daughter). I climbed to the top of the famous local Abbey Le Sauve Majeure and, from the 159th and final step, had a great view over the surrounding countryside. I didn’t know then the view included the immaculate vineyards of Caveau Turcaud.

View from the 159th step!

Château Turcaud Merlot Cabernet Bordeaux (AOC) 2015, 13.5%, €15.80 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

“.. an unhappy vintner will make a closed wine, a wine difficult on the palate; and a vintner in love will make an open wine, one that changes as it rolls around your mouth and then gets better as it slides down your throat.” 

Looks like the winemaker at Turcaud, under the shadow of the splendid ruins of Abbaye de La Sauve-Majeure, must have been in love during this vintage. Must check with Stéphane next time he’s in Ireland!

This lovely Bordeaux blend has a beautiful garnet robe. The nose is fresh, blackberry and red fruit, smoky notes and some spice too. Fresh and fruity too on the palate, all in harmony though, rounded tannins. And that harmony continues in the long finish. Quite a finalé for an entry level wine. An excellent wine at an excellent price and Very Highly Recommended.

Chateau Turcaud recommend pairing it with full-flavoured meats such as rib of beef, game, duck breast, and strong cheeses. and say it is best decanted one hour before the meal. This blend of Merlot (mostly) and Cabernet may be enjoyed even when quite young thanks to its intrinsic fruitiness, and can benefit from being served slightly chilled.

* The opening quote is from Death in the Vines by M. L. Longworth.

Blacks Win Gold For Their Rum At World Awards. Amazing Kinsale Duo Soon To Lay Down Their Whiskey

press release

Blacks Win Gold For Their Rum At World Awards

Amazing Kinsale Duo Soon To Lay Down Their Whiskey

Husband and wife duo, and founders of Blacks Brewery and Distillery, Sam and Maudeline Black, were in high spirits on winning a prestigious Gold award for their Blacks Golden Rum at the World Rum Awards. Founded originally as a craft beer brewery in 2013, this unstoppable couple expanded and opened their distillery in 2015, where they began producing gin in their top-of-the range facility in Kinsale, Co.Cork.  In 2018, they made history with Blacks Spiced Rum, Ireland’s first-ever rum, made entirely from start to finish in Ireland. Continuing to add to their extensive range of award-winning craft beers and spirits, this year their first bottle of Blacks Golden Rum hit the shelves, after maturing in ex Irish whiskey oak barrels for the last five years.

The World Rum Awards are the leading global rum awards, which select the very best in all of the internationally recognised styles, and award and promote these world best rums to consumers and trade across the globe. It was with immense pride that passionate entrepreneurs, Maudeline & Sam, accepted this coveted World Rum Award, a recognition of their master craftsmanship and innovative recipe. Blacks Golden Rum was the only rum to win Gold in its category - World’s Best Column Still Rum 5 Years & Under, and the only Irish spirit to make the winners list. This was the first time Blacks Brewery & Distillery entered these illustrious awards, with their golden rum undergoing a series of three stringent judges tasting sessions. Due to Covid19 restrictions, this year, all aspects of these awards took place behind closed doors, with virtual tasting sessions chaired by head judge Peter Holland. The distinguished judging panel comprised of international, leading journalists, specialist drinks retailers and industry experts.

Speaking in relation to the taste of this Gold award-winning Blacks Golden Rum the judging panel commented, ‘An interesting nose. It starts off with wood varnish and dunder/funkiness. Very ripe tropical fruit and very ripe stone and citrus fruit with a very notable dry orange peel aroma. There is roat vegetal notes too. The palate is quite straightforward and easy. One dimensional with easy tropical fruits and little hints of wood smoke and medicinal characteristics.’

 

Sam Black

‘We couldn’t believe it when award organisers contacted us with the good news. Gold! We are very proud of our golden rum, as we are with all of the beers and spirits which leave our brewery and distillery displaying our name. They really are a testament to the time and talent invested by all of our team in Kinsale, but to receive this recognition on a global scale, especially when up against such long standing and established rum brands it was just phenomenal.’ commented Founder Sam Black. 

Having made their mark on the global rum stage, there is no stopping this pair who already have their eyes firmly on their next endeavour - the whiskey market. Always looking for a unique angle, and bringing creativity to their business, be that in the form of seasonal craft beer recipes, production methods or eye-catching packaging, Maudeline & Sam wanted to make their whiskey journey special too. They have achieved this by opening up their business to other whiskey enthusiasts who wish to share in their passion with the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club.

Already boasting over 100 members, the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club gives whiskey lovers the opportunity to purchase their own cask of whiskey, starting from €6,500. This club allows members to create their very own personalised and branded whiskey, with a cask expected to deliver over 397 bottles of pot still single malt Irish whiskey, or to use this as an investment opportunity and after the five-year maturation period sell back their cask to Blacks. This buy-back scheme will generate a minimum 4% annually compounded (approx. €280 per year per cask) return on a members initial investment.

Phase one of this €1million project has now been completed, the installation of two copper whiskey stills. With the club still open for new members to join, and with lots of different cask options to choose from for example ex bourbon, sherry or port, the next key date in the diary is the first annual Blacks Whiskey Founders Club party, which is set to take place on Friday 18th September. This annual event gives members an opportunity to network and check in on their whiskey, becoming an actively engaged part of the distilling process. During the day members will have a choice of some social activities such as golfing and a Kinsale Harbour sailing trip,  while in the afternoon there will be tours of the distillery and brewery, with lots of spirit and beer tasting.

Speaking in relation to the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club , Sam Black commented, ‘This really is a unique opportunity for whiskey enthusiasts, who otherwise would not be in a position to produce whiskey alone. It was my passion for brewing and my wifes support that gave me the push to open Black Brewery & Distillery and I want to share that experience with others. Some of our members who have already joined plan to bottle and label their whiskey to gift to family, friends, as corporate client gifts and to sell some on the secondary whiskey market, while for others its an investment opportunity, but one in which they to play an active role in also creating a piece of our famous Irish whiskey heritage. The next few weeks mark a huge milestone in this project as the actual whiskey production begins. I look forward to watching our club grow, adding more people to the Blacks family and getting to meet a lot of these face to face at our annual get-together.’

Blacks Brewery and Distillery are among some of the lucky businesses who have been able to adapt their operations processes in order to remain functioning safely through this Covid19 pandemic. Not only are they still supplying beers and spirits to off-licenses and supermarkets across the country, but they are also playing their part in trying to fight this virus and support the community, with the production of much needed hand sanitiser. Despite their online sales increasing over the last month and sales staff required to focus their efforts here, Maudeline and Sam were still adamant that they were going to use their resources to help, and therefore redeployed members of their sales team, who would have primarily focused on on-trade pubs and restaurants.

Sales staff are now helping in the distillery to bottle and label hand sanitizer. This supply of hand sanitiser is being split between charities, such as Cork Simon and local Kinsale volunteers, and consumers. In addition to charity drops and for consumers through retail stores, when placing online spirit orders through the Blacks website consumers receive free sanitiser and one is also donated to a charity group in their name. Now that the new copper whiskey stills are installed they will also play a role in this sanitation process, as before whiskey production begins in the coming weeks the stills must undergo a cleaning run in manual mode with vinegar, followed by a sacrificial alcohol run which will also be transformed into hand sanitiser.

Commenting on the new edition to their production line Sam Black said, ‘We consider ourselves very fortunate to still be in a position to stay open and meet the demand of customers. It is a very hard time for the entire Irish community and we just wanted to play our part, no matter how small in helping during this crisis. When we became aware of the huge shortage of hand sanitiser for those on the frontline we realised we were in a unique position to be able to assist, and so we quickly went about altering our production process to start manufacturing and getting this into the hands of those who need it.’

To find out more about the award-winning Blacks Golden Rum, to become a member of the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club, or to place an order for some of Blacks Brewery & Distillery famous craft beers or gin visit www.blacksbrewery.com. You can also contact Paul, a member of the Blacks team at paul@blacksbrewery.com or stay connected online at Instagram/blacksbrewery Instagram/blacksdistillerykinsale, Twitter @BlacksBrewery or Facebook/BlacksOfKinsale