A Quart of Ale± #65. On the craft journey with Eight Degrees, Heaney's, Sullivan's and Tom Crean.

A Quart of Ale± #65

On the craft journey with Eight Degrees, Heaney's, Sullivan's and Tom Crean

Eight Degrees Original Gravity Juicy IPA 6.5%, 440 can O’Donovan’s

This new juicy IPA from Eight Degrees has a colour like a field of ripe barley in the July sun. There’s a slowly sinking soft white head on top and 2.11 zillion (margin of error ± 2.5%) micro bubbles rushing upwards through a slight veil of haze. Aromas are quite intense, citrus and tropical. On the palate, the feel is like a Rolls Royce drive with all the add ons, soft, smooth, beautifully balanced, more than enough to brighten up your journey. So go on and take it for a test drive. Lift your jour out of the ordinaire. As my Cajun friend might say (or sing): Laissez les bons temps rouler.

They say: This juicy IPA was brewed with Irish pale ale, wheat and oats before being lightly kettle hopped with Enigma. We used Sabro and experimental hop HBC 630 in the whirlpool, triple dry-hopping with the same hops for added aroma. This beer has intense tropical fruit and coconut aromas and flavours, with a soft body and smooth mouthfeel. Just what we need for brighter days.

As always, Eight Degrees come up with food pairings:
This is the summer of outdoor dining, much of which will be taking place in your own back garden, so pair the Original Gravity Juicy IPA with a homemade pizza cooked on the barbecue – it’s well worth checking out Donal Skehan’s recipe: Thin Crust Barbecue Pizza. Try topping the pizza with thinly sliced new potato, artichoke and rosemary or Gubbeen chorizo with roasted red peppers and Toonsbridge mozzarella for a couple of pairings that will showcase this juicy IPA to perfection. Finish with some grilled apricots, topped with mascarpone and chilli honey or a summery peach melba: poached peaches, a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry coulis to make the stone fruit flavours in both beer and food sing. 

Laissez les bons temps rouler. Encore!

As you may know, Eight Degrees had a serious competition for the design on their Original Gravity cans and this, the first, was designed by John Culhane of Graphic Jam. “The most luminous of all the colours of the spectrum, yellow reflects happiness, optimism, enlightenment and sunshine. My design is based on the concept of humans flourishing and the joy of knowing that better times are coming. CARPE DIEM!” He could have had added: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Okay. Forget the foreign languages for a sec. What is this Original Gravity thing? I’ll let the Brewer’s Friend explain: Original gravity (OG) measures how much sugar is present in the wort before it is fermented. The final gravity (FG) is how much sugar is left over when fermentation is done. For a beer to fit into a certain style, each of these numbers must be within the specified range as the chart depicts. A lower final gravity indicates a dry or crisp flavor, while a higher final gravity indicates a sweet or malty flavor.

Heaney’s Irish Stout 4.3%, 500 bottle Bradleys

Not my first time having this stout from the Heaney Farmhouse Brewery in Co. Derry. It is black, with a coffee coloured head that loses volume pretty quickly. Stick your finger in the head and taste the coffee and chocolate which are more or less what you’ll get from the aromas. No oatmeal here but the palate is rich and smooth, caramel and chocolate and that roasted malt finish, a dry one also, a good bite at the finish. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Competition in the stout arena is quite stiff and this one is now, as it  was last time, well up to the average. Then again, virtually everything the Heaneys produce is in the top bracket.

Heaney’s always come up with food pairings and here they suggest slow-cooked meat dishes or a rich chocolate dessert.

Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout 5.1%, 500ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Black as the famed marble of the county is this stout by Sullivan’s of Kilkenny. The off white head doesn’t hang about. An exploratory finger into that head confirms that this has quite a bitterness and  that same quality is tasted on the palate, with roast coffee prominent and fruit notes also in the mix. And there’s a good long lip-smacking finish.

They say: Enjoy the true taste of traditional Irish stout brewed with roast barley, chocolate and wheat malts and choicest hops. A generous stout with extra depth of flavour. The hops are Admiral, Magnum, and Goldings.

With the many changes in the mainstream Cork brewing scene over the decades, Beamish Stout has maintained an enduring respect even among those who have turned to craft. And if you spot similarities to Beamish here, then well done. 

The brewer of this Kilkenny stout regularly walked past the Cork brewery in his youth and enjoyed the smell of the hops and, after some 15 years producing Guinness in Africa, his aim on the banks of the Nore was to produce a traditional Irish dry stout, to give us more taste, more balance, more roast, more character, more flavour, to make it more balanced, more velvety.

That brewer is Ian Hamilton who has accumulated in total over three decades of brewery and packaging experience in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Africa. He is experienced in production of world-class lagers ales and stouts. Hamilton is widely considered to be one of Ireland’s most experienced technical brewers.

Now where did I go wrong? For many years, I drove home daily past Murphy’s Brewery, opening the car windows to take in those tempting aromas. But I never thought of making a career out of it!

Tom Crean Scurvy Dog IPA 4.2%, 440 can At the Brewery

A clean light gold is the colour of this Tom Crean IPA which has an incredible low abv of 4.2% which puts it into the session category. Micro bubbles galore. Head retention is close to zero but no matter. Aromas are citrusy and that continues on the palate where this crisp and light beer provides refreshment enough. Easy to enjoy this one. Or two.. or three…

They say: A session IPA known to convert wine drinkers to beer drinkers!  Crisp and light with a refreshing after taste, not over bittered, relying on the aroma hops to do all the work.

And they add: A session IPA known to convert wine drinkers to beer drinkers.

Tom Crean Expedition Red Ale 4.2%, 440 can At the Brewery

This was the name that, contract brewed in 2015, launched the Tom Crean family brewery in Kenmare. “Now modified into a different ale, pushing a balanced malty sweetness, with chocolate malts giving rich colour to complement our combination of American and European hops. The beer is named after Tom’s three Antarctic expeditions and our 2016 Centenary expedition to South Georgia.  See the shop and the book Honouring Tom Crean.”

The brewer's book!

It has that rich amber colour with an off white head. The malt makes its first impression in the aromas and continues to lead the way on the palate where you’ll meet caramel flavours in a clean and refreshing flow. Quite a simple drink but quite often less is more and that is the case here.

You may visit the little brewery in Kenmare for guided tours and tasting sessions with the brewer himself, the witty Bill Sheppard. Find out Bill’s methods and hear the fascinating story of explorer Tom Crean.

Red Ales are usually pretty good with food and they suggest pairing it with: grilled or roast meats, mature cheese and goats cheese, cheese cake and caramel or toffee based dessert. That last option is an interesting one - must keep it in mind!

Tipp Top Trip: Apple Farm & Mikey Ryan’s

Tipp Top Trip: Apple Farm & Mikey Ryan’s

The forecast for last Tuesday promised the best day of the mid-August week, and so the decision was made to head for Tipperary, beginning with a visit to the Apple Farm (on the Cahir - Clonmel road) and to lunch at Mikey Ryan’s in Cashel. A good decision, a good day.

We arrived at the Apple Farm in mid-morning - it’s just about an hour or less from the eastern edge of Cork City. The car park was pretty full but we found a spot and were soon shopping. The just picked plums were the main target and we had to restrain ourselves to four packs.

Beef Burger

We also spotted some pristine raspberries here and they were soon bagged as were some Slievenamon View farm organic tomatoes. Juices were added and more, including those delicious apple crisps. And, of course, you couldn't leave all that Con’s Cider behind!

As it happened, while loading the car, we met the man himself Con Traas, responsible for this terrific operation here. He was getting ready to head up to Nenagh with a delivery for Peter at Country Choice, another top notch Tipperary enterprise.

Wildflower area at Apple Farm

We had one more “assignment” at the Apple Farm and that was to take the short stroll over to their wildflower area. Con has established this in recent years to enhance the diversity of his pollinators. It is a lovely quiet spot away from the busy yard and I enjoyed strolling around and taking a few photos.

We would of course enjoy the fruit later. The amazing Opal plums and their delicious flavours took me back to my younger days when I picked fruit at a nearby farm which had a walled garden. The raspberries also were just perfect in size and colour and, not alone did they look well, but their flavours were supreme. Attention to detail around this farm pays off for the customers. 

Neat and tidy between the rows.

Would that we had many more operations like this around the country; then we could cut down on the tons and tons of apples that we import. 

We didn’t eat any of the fruit at the farm and so were glad of that as we had a reservation for lunch at Mikey Ryan’s in Cashel, just a short trip away.

All around the back of the restaurant, the new edition Cashel Palace Hotel (same owners as Ryan's) is taking shape. 

Mikey's have a lovely outside area at the back but the glass lined interior restaurant, where we dined, is also bright, not least because of a series of skylights. Lots of horsey pictures around here too and, if you keep your ears open, you might well pick up a tip and cover the cost of your nosh!

And Ryan’s support local, big time, including Con Traas of course and noteworthy Tipp names such as Blanco Niño, Cashel Blue, Cooleeney Farm, Crossogue Preserves, Crowe’s Farm and local butchers including Una O’Dwyer (Ireland’s only female butcher). Good too to see at least one tap with the White Gypsy logo as we passed through the bar on our way to our table.

We enjoyed some delicious nibbles on a previous visit a couple of years back but alas the The Sweet Potato Crisps with smoked chilli salt are no longer offered! But the black marble bathrooms are still there, still high class, as good as you’ll get in a five star hotel. And keep listening for those racing tips!

Service was nice and friendly and, sipping some apple juice, we soon decided on our main courses. I picked the O’Dwyer’s Premier Burger and Chips (17 euro) plus another euro for the Cashel Blue Cheese upgrade. In the more expensive bracket for burgers for sure but also one of the very best! Very juicy, very flavoursome and totally enjoyable!

Free range chicken burger.

And the verdict from the other side of the table was a big thumbs up for the Spicy Free Range Chicken Burger (buttermilk marinated chicken thigh, sriracha mayo and gem lettuce). At €17.50 not inexpensive but again top class though, in the head to head, the beef was the agreed winner!

Well satisfied after that, we skipped the dessert but did linger over two excellent coffees, a blend by Dublin Roasters 3FE. Bought a likely looking piece of soda bread at the Town House Deli, also on the Main Street. Thought we might need it later on but maybe not with all that fruit in the back of the car?

Quite a collection of sporting, farming and local interests at Mikey Ryan's

Rosé. From Near And Far.

A Rhone rose. Photo from a show
 in the Papal Palace in Avignon.

 Rosé. From Far And Near. 

Willunga 100 Grenache Rosé McLaren Vale 2020 12.5%

RRP €19.99 Baggot Street Wines : Barnhill Stores :  Fresh – Smithfield/Grand Canal: Red Island Wine Co : Sweeney's D3 : The Parting Glass : wineonline.ie

Pale salmon pink is the colour of this one, so pale you think (well at least I did) it’s almost grey. Strawberry is the classic aroma in this Grenache area and our McLaren Vale doesn’t disappoint in that, just-ripe strawberries and hints of blossom. An amazingly fresh acidity features on the palate, keeping the wine (apple, citrus, melon) in balance and there follows a long and very dry finish. Highly Recommended - don’t judge a wine by its colour.

The colour is explained by a vintage note. The hand-picked fruit was destemmed into a fermenter to drain for three to four hours, care was taken to minimise excessive colour extraction to keep the wine as pale as possible. The juice was settled, racked and then fermented in stainless steel using a neutral yeast strain. The wine was chilled post-fermentation and spent a further four months on lees, with regular stirring to build texture.

Importers Liberty: Fruit for this McLaren Vale rosé is sourced from 53-year old bush vines, which gives the wine beautiful concentration and its classic strawberry and red cherry aromas.

Many of us would think, because Australia is a relatively new wine country, that it has no old vines. But it has, quite a few of them. Grenache was one of the original varieties to be planted in Australia in the early 18th century and, up until 1960, was one of the most widely planted grapes.

The producers say Grenache has a wonderfully diverse flavour profile that changes from site to site, and throughout its life in bottle. “It was this sensitivity to site that attracted us to Grenache when we first started Willunga 100 back in 2005. At the time, few people took Grenache seriously, but we loved the gnarly old vines in McLaren Vale that produced outstanding fruit. Our vision was to make contemporary, premium wines with a focus on Grenache, and we’re proud to say, that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

And this rosé is one of them! 

Perrin Nature Côtes Du Rhône Rose (AOC) 2020

RRP €21.99 The Corkscrew : wineonline.ie

This pale salmon coloured organic rose is produced by Famille Perrin, the fruit coming from their Le Grand Prébois vineyard  in Orange. It is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre and Syrah. The aromas are also a “blend”, of fruit (red) and floral notes. Beautiful radiant and fresh fruit flavours on the palate where a superb acidity also plays a key role. Delicious from start to finish, this is Highly Recommended. Serve cold, with light cuisine, Mediterranean dishes, but also as an aperitif with friends.

The 2020 vintage in Southern Rhône was favoured by very good weather conditions and it was also a generous one. The harvest, which was fairly early, began under very good conditions. “The very healthy,  beautiful juicy and very ripe grapes had reasonable alcohol levels, good acidity and already a great balance.”

The Perrin family started farming organically in 1950 at Château de Beaucastel (quite close to Le Grand Prébois ) with the strong belief that it helps to express the sense of place in the finished wine. It is therefore of little surprise that their philosophy has led to the creation of an organic range of wines sourced from the family’s certified vineyards across the Côtes-du-Rhône region.

Ten years ago, I drove into Tavel, the small southern Rhone town, under a banner declaring: “Tavel. Best Rosé in France.” I was delighted to be there and enjoyed sampling the wines, the rosés (only rosés in this appellation). The first one I tasted was no less than 14% abv.

A 2019 article in Wine Spectator declared that Tavel was about rosé before rosé was cool and went on to point out that it has fallen down the pecking order with the lighter coloured Provence equivalents (rarely as dark or as strong as their Tavel rivals), in their ever fancier bottles, now heading the list of desirable pinks! And that seems to be true here in Ireland where you seldom see Tavel. 

Taste of the Week. St Tola's Goats Cheese Ash Log

Taste of the Week.

St Tola's Goats Cheese Ash Log

The St Tola Ash Log is a premium product so no wonder that it features in  our Taste of the Week every now and then. It is in the spotlight again this week with a bit of enhancement from other local products.

I bought my cheese at Iago in Princes Street last Saturday morning. A few minutes later, in the English Market, I purchased a bunch of pears from Margo Ann of Roughty Foodie, having no idea at all that both would end up together on the same plate.

The coming together happened on Tuesday evening, following a day trip to Tipperary where I bought a bottle of the Highbank Organic Orchard (Apple) Syrup (the 3rd leg of the amalgamation) at the Apple Farm.

Back from Tipp, and after a satisfying lunch in Mikey Ryan's, we weren't exactly hungry in the early evening but were thinking of a little snack. Say no more. Sliced one of those delicious pears very thinly, sliced the cheese (not very easy to do, it's very crumbly) and layered them in a not very precise way. Then, gently squeezed on a few drops of the syrup and, bingo, we had a superlative Taste of the Week.

The three parts are easy to obtain around Cork city. You can get the Highbank syrup in both Roughty and Bradley's and probably in quite a few other outlets. Just realised there as I was typing that Sean Calder-Potts of Iago is a brother of Rod from Highbank! Small world, but a tasty one!

A Quart of Ale± #64 On the craft journey with a session of Hope, Black's, Tom Crean and Rye River's Grafters

A Quart of Ale± #64

On the craft journey with a session with Rye River, Tom Crean, Hope and Blacks 

Rye River Grafters Working Day IPA, 6.5%, 440 can Dunnes Stores

This 2020 Blas na hEireann Gold Medal winner comes in a gold colour with hints of amber. A bit on the cloudy side but you can’t miss all those bubbles rising. Citrus in the aromas and also in the mouth. More fruity and bitter than malty and sweet and also making an impression that is more alcoholic than the 6.50%.

They say: Big, bold and tasty, this American style IPA is full-on flavour, delivering a big hit of juicy, citrus fruits. Perfect to accompany a spicy Indian or Mexican dish. Great with salads too.

Rye River are the brewers here and they make exclusive beers for some of Ireland’s biggest retailers including Lidl (the Crafty range), Tesco and Dunnes… “We’ve no plans to stop growing.” Grafters is one of their brands.

Geeks Bits

Malts: Wheat, Pale Wheat, Torrified Oats.

Hops: Columbus, Ekuanot and Mosaic.

Just wonder who is the guy on the label. He looks familiar.

Rye River Grafters Clocking Off Kölsch Style, 5.0%, 440 can Dunnes Store

Zillions of bubbles race through the slightly hazy gold to the top where a soft foamy head slowly shrinks.   Citrus notes, plus a hint of honey, in the aromas and that continues on the palate where an orange bitterness comes into play as well; no shortage of flavour yet nicely balanced, this World Beer Award winner is crisp and clean with the malt sweetness a factor. Excellent mouthfeel as well. The finish is moderately bitter. But drinkability is high - you want to repeat the experience. Very high quality indeed - a beer that’s top notch and definitely one for the short list.

Geek Bits

Malts: Carapils, Pilsner, Vienna.

Hops: Mandarin Bavaria, Tradition

Tom Crean St Bridget’s Irish Lager, 4.5%, 440 can Brewery Sale

During our brewery tour at Tom Crean’s in Kenmare, one of the first beers that Bill Sheppard mentioned was this lager named in honour of St Bridget who was a brewer. In fact he said quite a lot of the early brewers were women and the church wasn’t very happy with that situation. The brewers wore a special hat for the trade and kept a cat (to protect the grain from mice) and that eventually led to some of them being called witches with dire consequences.

Bill also told us that the Celts would go to war for a good brewer and I was wondering to myself if perhaps Bridget and St Patrick’s right hand man and brewer Mescan knew one another! My Mayo mother was called after the saint. Cheers Bridgie!

Lager of course ties up your brewing kit for longer than ale and maybe that was why there was a shortage of lager from the current wave of craft breweries in the early stages. No shortage now though.

A lovely golden colour on this one, bubbles galore and the bubbly head is not retained for very long. Good balance of hops (Slovenia) and malt (German) on the palate with the malt getting an edge on the finale. Not quite the “cut” that you’d expect from your normal modern lager. Bill has his own methods - take that tour! - and this is a very satisfying lager indeed that reminds me of the traditional Central European style.

They say:  We allow six weeks to bring this classic to perfection. St. Bridget, known in Ireland for her saintly status, her feast day (1st Feb) and her cross made from reeds, is less well known for being a fine Irish brewer.

Hope Pass If You Can Pale Ale, 4.6%, 440 can Dunnes Stores

A bubbly gold ale invites you to “try me”. While its head doesn’t hang about, its pleasure does. It is billed as a classic American style Pale Ale, a pretty wide definition. You‘ll note the citrusy aromas. The hop element of pale ale can vary a lot and this comes in that bit down the scale, certainly much less of a hoppy kick than an IPA. 

The producers describe it as an easy drinking malty and slightly fruity pale ale with a subtle hip kick. I’d go along with that. If you’ve been drinking craft lagers, then this could well be your next step! Worth a try for sure.

It is well balanced; the expressive malt and hop flavours complement one another. It is also an all rounder at the table (indoors or out) and chicken, prawns, BBQs and pizzas are among those pairings recommended.

Pass If You Can was the dare of Michael Collier, a notorious 19th century highwayman, who was North County Dublin’s answer to Robin Hood. He was so successful that his townland was dubbed Passifyoucan. Finally arrested in 1807, in his favourite haunt The Cock, he was transported and returned home only to die of cholera! Still, the name remains.

Geek Bits

Hops: Magnum, Mosaic, Citra,

Yeast: US-05

Malts: Pale Ale, CaraHell, Munich, Acidulated.

Blacks Golden Ticket Pineapple DIPA 8.2%, 440 can

The intensity of this IPA introduces itself the second you pull the tab. Take it easy is the message as the aromas surge upwards.  Colour is a hazy orange, not easy to see the bubbles though there are herds of them. The head, starts at about the 3-finger mark, but soon it thins to skin thickness (or thinness).

So back to those strong aromas, featuring pineapple of course. A lot going on here, even a hint or two of pine (the evergreen). And flavour?  Pineapple for sure, “super prevalent” as they say themselves, apricot too and citrus-y elements as well. 

Quite a punch, yet the alcoholic power is well reined in here, no all-enveloping black hole where everything is so concentrated that you don’t recognise anything. Iron fist in a velvet glove comes to mind. Just keep it in mind, respect the power, proceed with caution and a great deal of pleasure. Less caution = less pleasure.

They say: Amazingly fruity scrumdiddlyumptious Pineapple Double IPA. Packed with honey malt, Citra, Mosiac, Azaccea and El Dorardo hops! IBU = 90.

RYE RIVER BREWING COMPANY INTRODUCES A BREWERY-LED BRAND FOR ON AND OFF-TRADE

RYE RIVER BREWING COMPANY INTRODUCES

A BREWERY-LED BRAND FOR ON AND OFF-TRADE

One box; four cans

Rye River Brewing Company, the Celbridge-based, multi award-winning brewery, has announced it is introducing a brewery-led brand as part of a strategy to streamline its brand and channel strategy. The introduction of the new brand will support the next stage of the brewery’s development following a year of significant growth in off licence and retail sales, despite the challenges the global pandemic presented.

"We have developed a successful story in craft brewing without having any of our brands carry the Rye River name, so we decided to bring a brand to life that recognises who we are. Apart from the Rye River Seasonal range, which is small batch, this will be the first of our everyday beers to carry the Rye River name."

The Rye River Brewing Company brand will replace McGargles on draught in pubs and will be available in a 4 x 330ml pack format in retail. A range of McGargles favourites will remain available in retail in 500ml format.

The on-trade brand transition took place in June and has been hugely successful and widely supported by the trade. The demand, growth, and support from publicans at a time of such significant challenges for the hospitality trade is testament to the quality, consistency, and reputation of Rye River Brewing Company’s range of beers.

The next phase of the brand roll out sees off-licences and retailers introduce the brewery-led brand during the month of August. The launch campaign will see substantial investment in above and below the line activation including an out of home campaign and in store digital activation across multiple retail partners.

The Rye River Brewing Company brand will be widely available on draught, and in off trade in 4 x 330ml can pack format.

Mr. Tom Cronin, Founder and Managing Director of Rye River Brewing Company said: “Rye River Brewing Company’s heritage is rooted in high quality Irish craft brewed beer and we never have or never will lose our focus on that. Over the years consumers have been introduced to our product range both at home and abroad through a number of brands. As demand grows for our range of craft beers brewed in Celbridge we believe that a greater focus on Rye River Brewing Company as a brand will help the brewery in its next phase of development. In short, while we may be moving to a brewery brand-led strategy it’s still the same great Irish craft beer, we believe the changes will bring Rye River Brewing Company’s world-class beers to more customers in more markets.” 

It’s a new look with the same great beer!

And those beers? Well thanks to the 4-pack that came with the press release above, I can tell you a bit about them.

Rye River Lil’ Twist Grapefruit IPA 3.8%, 330 can

A golden colour announces this Grapefruit IPA, aromas of citrus and pine follow on. Quite a decent shot of flavour (grapefruit, tangerine) in the mouth, dry and hoppy as the finalé approaches. As they say themselves: “A smooth and sessionable IPA. Brewed in Celbridge, County Kildare, an anytime citrus drop”  Formerly known as McGargles Daragh's Grapefruit IPA.

Rye River Hop Drops Citra Extra IPA 4.5%, 330 can 

This Citra Extra IPA, previously McGargles Sammy's Citra Extra Pale Ale, showcases Citra hops. Light straw is the colour here. Citrus and hops feature in the aromas. And, not surprisingly since Citra hops figure in the hop bill, citrus leads on the palate performance. Quite an engaging little number in its new livery actually, crushable citrus with a clean malt character, all light, crisp and refreshing. A very good result indeed.

Rye River Coastal IPA 5.2%, 330 can

“Introducing Coastal IPA, our newest addition to the Rye River Brewing Co range!”

Golden straw is the hazy colour with white head. Aromas are alive with citrus notes. And more on the palate with a touch of pine too. It is clean and refreshing, which after all is the main point of the exercise and one that is sometimes forgotten about. This is also a beer that I really like.

You can now find this Coastal IPA, indeed all four of the beers featured here, in 4 x 330ml can packs in retail across Ireland.

Rye River Big Bangin’ IPA 7.1%, 330 can 

It has got a bright mid-gold colour…. bubbles galore…has been hopped to hell and you get that first via the aromas as the typical tropical fruits appear. And that exotic assault also appears on the palate where the Maris Otter malt also shows up well. And a fruity yet dry finish follows. Quite a good finish actually, quite a good beer but do note that high alcohol count. It’s not called Big Bangin’ for nothing. 

They say: “A long standing favourite, Big Bangin' IPA is the same great beer you know and love… but now with a bangin' new look!” Just so you’ll know, it’s the one in the navy can with the black top!

Well, I knew this West Coast IPA and liked it. And that was despite the former McGargle name and livery, a name I never really took to. 

So here’s to Rye River and to all that flows from it!

Ferrit & Lee Standing Strong On Midleton's Distillery Walk

Ferrit & Lee Standing Strong

On Midleton's Distillery Walk

Beef

When local chefs Pat Ferriter and Stephen Lee took over the restaurant known then as Raymond’s on Distillery Walk in Midleton in 2017, they had a very good idea of what to expect. After all, they had long been working in the kitchen there, Pat for 12 years, Stephen for 13.

On the side

They renamed it Ferrit & Lee and began to put their own stamp on it and soon they had established their own niche in the food rich area, pleasing both local residents and any visitors that dropped in while coming or going to the distillery and other local attractions. And at the same time also pleasing many local growers, farmers, butchers, breweries, cideries, a certain distillery and various other suppliers.

And then came a scary challenge they could hardly have foreseen: the pandemic Covid 19. With their backs to the wall, they scrambled to survive, offering their customers a Click and Collect service and then outside dining with tables both at the front and rear of the premises. 

And when the hesitant all-clear was given a couple of weeks back, they were ready to serve indoors as well. We were there last week and, having enjoyed a superb lunch, can confirm that the food offering here is as good as ever. Besides, pandemic wise, we were well taken care also, no shortage of precautions and sanitisers.

Paté

Looking back on it, we were in agreement that the main courses were superb, as good as anything we’ve had in a long time. These guys know their meat - they source it in the East Cork area and are well able to get the best from it.

The menu descriptions were tempting and we had a little “argument” as to who would have the lamb, who would have the beef. Their signature dish is the feather blade of beef and they vary the accompaniments on a seasonal basis. Currently, the Slow cooked Jameson marinated featherblade of beef comes with roast carrots, seasonal greens, squash purée, leek and potato croquette and jus. The cooking was perfect, everything about it was perfect.

And it was the same high praise (there was a lot of sharing going on!) for the Braised new season lamb shoulder with apricot, cranberry, and pine nut stuffing, seasonal potato, vegetables, salsa verde and thyme jus, another superb combination of flavour and texture. That stuffing was superb. And, both these dishes came with a bowl of seasonal vegetables, also top class.

Lots of choices here including steak (of course!), Crispy Battered Cod, Chicken Tikka Massala, Egg Penne Pasta, Confit Leg of Duck, Baked Hake and more. 

No shortage of starters either. We decided to share the Jameson caramelised onion and free-range chicken liver paté with mulled quince chutney and warm brioche. There was an excellent little salad with it as well and we were off to a fantastic start. I know there are quite a few good patés around but this is right up there with the best of them and their chutney is also a star.

I completed my Jameson hat-trick with the dessert: the Baldwin’s Jameson ice-cream with chocolate sauce and honeycomb. Not bad but it was the Seasonal Crumble (rhubarb, strawberry and apple) that took the unanimous vote as best of the two! The trio of fruit was a very successful melange while the topping was absolutely perfect, dry and crunchy.

So, not for the first time, nor the last I’d say, these two punters left Ferrit and Lee in very good form indeed. And not a drop of whiskey between us. But we did enjoy a couple of excellent glasses of the house red - their wine list is based on the Liberty Wines portfolio. Our aromatic Castano Monastrell was soft and rich and juicy, an excellent house wine indeed.