CorkBillyBeers #47. Craft with White Hag, Wicklow Wolf, Lacada (with Brehon) and Hofbräuhaus Traunstein.

CorkBillyBeers #47

Craft with White Hag, Wicklow Wolf, Lacada (with Brehon) and Hofbräuhaus Traunstein.

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All Good Here!

The White Hag Ninth Wave New World Pale Ale, 5.4% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys

Hard to believe that the IBU number here is 15 IBU, a lager like reading while, by the way, that of the well-known and loved Sierra Nevada Pale Ale equivalent is 38.

Colour is a mid-amber, cloudy, and topped with a short-lived white head. Aromatics are mild also, apricot, mango and citrus, all from the hops, in there. No sparing the hops that are added at various stages in the production of the brew creating some really bright tropical fruit flavours but always with a strong undercurrent of hops. 

Quite a greeting on the palate, creamy feel and insistently fruity (citrus to the fore) from the American hops, but all is kept in check as this balanced effort makes its way towards a very satisfactory finalé indeed.  Lively, flavourful and very drinkable. Another for that second glass, or should that be second can, designation!

Easy drinking, refreshing and thirst-quenching. And Very Highly Recommended.

They say: “We are a modern independent craft brewery from Sligo, on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. We brew innovative and groundbreaking beers, inspired by ancient and classic styles.” 

They brew a lot of them! The able and masterly brewers here ensure they are good.

The White Hag are deep into their myths and this New World Pale Ale is named after the “Ninth Wave” that formed a formidable barrier for anyone wishing to cross over to New York and Boston. 

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Wicklow Wolf Raindrop Mixed Berry Sour, 4.2% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This summer’s “extension” provided some extra time for sours and our Raindrop from Wicklow Wolf was one. “A lip-smacking sour” according to the message from the Den. “A refreshing sour ale that will leave you wanting more.”

You can't miss it, this melange of raspberry, blackberry and blueberry, in its vibrant red colour and ripe fruit aromas. And those fruits also appear on the palate, as part of a crisp and refreshing tartness. A sour yes, but not one of the extreme ones.

I picked this up in error as I meant to try their Raindrop 0.5%, the non-alcoholic version. But no big deal, this is very drinkable, lip-smacking as they say, and Highly Recommended. Will just have to call again to Bradleys and pick the correct one!

Geek Bits

IBU: 10

Hops: Bravo

Malts: Pilsner, Chateau, Flaked Oats, Carapils

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Lacada (with Brehon) Dunseverick West Coast IPA, 5.5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Lacada is a community-owned Co-Operative brewery based on the world-famous North Coast of Ireland. That’s also where you’ll find Dunseverick Castle, after which this West Coast IPA is named.

Dunseverick, the beer that is, has a gold/amber colour and a soft white head that has a fair bit of longevity to it. Gave it the old finger-dip test and got a bit of resin back. The aromas also have hints of pine. There’s an impressive trio of hops lurking here and you get the robust results on the palate, deep and bitter, but there is also a good balance present.

That is key and I give it a big thumbs up. Very Highly Recommended.

Lacada Brewery has its origins in a love of beer and brewing, a love of place, and a love of people. It began with a father and son brewing together and grew to become a group of co-operative minded, good beer-loving aficionados.

Both Lacada and their collaborators on Dunseverick, the Brehon Brewhouse from County Monaghan, are happy with the results. As it is a limited edition, you may find it difficult to get your hands on a can or a keg.

The castle by the way is just east of The Giant's Causeway which dates back to the 5th Century. One of the five great royal ancient highways of Ireland, Slige Midluachra, had its Northern terminal point at Dunseverick Castle.

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HB Bayerisches Pils, 5.1% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

Looks so inviting in the tall glass. A light golden colour with battalions of bubbles streaming upwards into a soft foamy white head of medium longevity. You can smell the hops, Even get an early fresh and bitter taste by dipping your finger in the foam and taking a little suck. Or just dive straight in, and enjoy the dry and refreshing palate, the light sparkling body and that hoppy finish.

Many German brewers followed the example of Pilsner pioneer master brewer Josef Groll who, in 1842, developed the beer in Pilsen, Czech Republic, a beer that would gain popularity across the world. But, the brewers say, this Bavarian Pilsner by Hofbräuhaus Traunstein is milder, more balanced and easier to drink.

They say: “We have set up our own storage cellar for our Pils, tailored precisely to its needs, where it can ferment in peace until it is perfect - elegant and bright, with a subtle malt body….. a taste experience for connoisseurs who love a balanced hop note.” 

This bottom-fermented beer from Traunstein (Bavaria) comes in a brown bottle with an IBU number of 28. Carbonation has been analysed as high and it is regarded as mild, balanced, tasty, balanced hoppy, elegant, subtly malty, fresh, sparkling, .… Pretty much your go-to everyday beer.

Greenes Restaurant Celebrates Peruvian Cuisine this week with Guest Chef Jonathan Ordoñez

Greenes Restaurant Celebrates Peruvian Cuisine this week with

 Guest Chef Jonathan Ordoñez 

Nicolas Alegre (left) of Greenes Restaurant, Cork; Jonathan Ordoñez of Paschi Cocina Peruana, Madrid. 

Jonathan Ordoñez will travel from Madrid and join the Executive Head Chef of Greenes Restaurant, Nicolas Alegre, for an evening of Peruvian cuisine on Thursday 12th October.

In Nicolas Alegre's first year at the helm of the team in Greenes kitchen, he has developed the menu to include a Latin American influence paired with the classic dishes the restaurant is known for.  This Thursday, 12th October, Nicolas will welcome guests for an evening of food and drinks celebrating Peruvian food. 

Peruvian Jonathan Ordoñez is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Peru, he worked in a number of prestigious restaurants in his home country before travelling to Madrid to share the flavours and culture of Peru in his restaurant Paschi Cocina Peruana. Paschi Cocina Peruana is described in the Michelin Guide 2023 as ‘Paschi opens tastebuds to the flavours of Peruvian cuisine, with the occasional nod to Chinese and Japanese cooking’. 

The event takes place on Thursday the 12th of October, with limited spaces available. The price is €75 for the tasting menu with an option of wine pairing for €42.50.  To reserve your table book via greenesrestaurant.com. 

For more information, see the website www.greenesrestaurant.com

Local and Seasonal. Tempting choices in Princes Street as Nash 19 supports local producers

Local and Seasonal. Tempting choices in Princes Street as Nash 19 supports local producers

Nash 19, founded in 1992 by Claire Nash,  has expanded, during and post-Covid, from a restaurant into a Food and Gift Shop, Wine Bar, and Sternview Gallery. Changes galore then in the Princes Street venue but one thing remains and that is Nash’s unwavering support for local producers. 

We joined the queue at No. 19 last Friday and, after a warm welcome, were soon seated and studying the extensive menu, a menu that changes more or less daily. The produce may be local, quite a bit from the neighbouring English Market, but that doesn't mean that the restaurant is exempt from outside influence: it won't be the same old same old. You’ll see words such as Dukkah, Bouillabaisse, Sashimi, Stroganoff, and Tzatziki scattered on the menu pages. 

The local producers are also acknowledged and, on the day, names such as Tim Mulcahy (Chicken Inn), Cashel Blue, Hederman, Gubbeen, Bandon Vale, Waterfall Farm, K. O’Connell fish, Rossmore Oysters, Longueville Cider, Union Hall fish, Garryhinch, and Ardsallagh Goats, were among those included.

The choice here is quite amazing. I counted about 20 dishes (six of which were marked with a little fish drawing at the side) and didn't include desserts - didn't make it that far! Lots of wine is available too, of course, more so than a few years ago. My drink on the day though was one of the very best around, the superb classic Sparkling Apple Juice from Con Traas at the Apple Farm in Cahir.

For all that though, the star of our two courses was the House Pâté, Chicken Liver "Free Range", Crusty Sourdough, and Pickled Plum (13 euro). Claire herself is very proud of this one and rightly so, the best paté we’ve had this year.

I had been tempted by the Pork fillet and Garryhinch wild Mushroom Stroganoff, Rice dish but went instead for the Goats Cheese Salad, Ardsallagh Soft and Ash, Candied Nut, and Conference Pear (16.70). CL usually opts for this type of dish so when she didn't I did and enjoyed it, especially the two versions of the cheese and those candied nuts and the salad of course.

Salads are now shifting from the crisp summer leaves to the more robust type and that was also the case with CL’s Chicken Breast Salad Bowl, "Free Range", Relish, Dukkah, Tzatziki (16.70), another seasonal local and well-appreciated dish.

We would have had liked to linger a while longer and check out the desserts but we were on a tight schedule (very rare for us these days!) and had to move on and say goodbye to Claire and the smiling helpful staff, still busy as we departed at 2.30 or thereabouts. 

* By the way, if you are thinking of calling in for lunch at weekends, remember it is a busy place, so do make a reservation. Find all the details you need here  

A short preprandial stroll, full of history.

As you exit Nash 19, turn left and head south. 

An early 19th-century one-arch bridge, significant in its own right for the quality of its design and construction (according to buildingsofireland.ie) takes you over the south channel. Walk now to nearby St Finbarr’s South “the oldest Catholic church still in use in Cork City”.

Parliament Bridge is a limestone structure, built in 1806. It is also important to the river and urban landscape and is still in use as an important thoroughfare for the city.

Just five minutes after leaving the restaurant, we arrived at The church, also known as the South Chapel. This is even older than the bridge and was built in 1766; is a rare Catholic Mass House of the period. Located below the High Altar you’ll see the life-size sculptured figure, "The Dead Christ”, by the famous Cork sculptor John Hogan (1800-58).

On a day when some new street sculpture went up at the corner of Oliver Plunkett St and Princes St to be instantly flashed around the internet, I was on a “mission” to get a photo of the Hogan work. The fact that we were married there on a snowy Shrove Tuesday in 19whatever also had something to with it!

From the church, it took us just about five minutes to get to Nash 19 for our lunch.

Blarney Castle and Gardens. Autumn Begins

Blarney Castle Gardens 

Autumn Begins

7th October 2023

Sweet chestnuts

Curious

Framed

Michaelmas Daisies

Red oak

Rhus

Starlings

Beautiful organic wine from the living soil of the Azul y Garanza vineyards.

Beautiful organic wine from the living soil of the Azul y Garanza vineyards.

Colourful cricket!

Azul y Garanza Suelo Vivo blanco (Wine of Spain) 2022, 13% ABV.

RRP: c. €20.00. Stockists: Sonas Newcastlewest; Mary Pawle Wines

In the vineyard, you can’t see the cricket, but you hear it.

You can’t see the soul of a living soil (Suelo Vivo), but you can feel it.

That’s the line on the label of this delicious organic wine from Azul y Garanza. Colour is a light straw, quite hazy in the bottle and glass. Aromas are delicate, of the citrus kind, with hints of fennel in the background. Quite a complex palate, with peach, apricot, yellow plum and citrus in the mix, a very refreshing melange indeed.

Highly Recommended

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Check my growing list of top wines for 2023

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

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A new wine, certified organic, but already getting praise: “fun summertime wine”, “perfect everyday wine”, “the fruit shines”, “a refreshing beast”, “soft yet generous”, and the beer accolade of “crushable”. You can't see the soul but you sure can taste the body!

It is a blend with 90% Garancha Blanca and 10% Moscatel. The vast majority of Garnacha Blanca (or Grenache Blanc) is grown in Spain (Herencia Altes a top choice) and France (look for Ferraton and Chapoutier). It can produce full-bodied wines that go well with bigger fish such as tuna.

The Azul y Garanza vineyards are located in the Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarra. A huge commitment to biodiversity in the vineyards leads to wines of pronounced purity. This particular example is a pure wine from a living soil (Suelo Vivo) that is in harmony with nature.

Superb Garryvoe Hotel lunch, followed by a walk on the beach

Superb Garryvoe Hotel lunch, 

followed by a walk on the beach

Their famous Prawn Cocktail

The forecast for the upcoming Saturday promised an unseasonal 20 degrees plus. I looked out the window on the Tuesday before and thought to myself it is blue sky and sun now. Why wait until Saturday?

Ardsallagh, on a different level!

We headed east making the Bayview our port of call. But got a sinking feeling as we pulled in and soon found it was closed. No panic. Headed off towards its big sister at Garryvoe and soon found ourselves sitting in the very bright comfortable Lighthouse Bistro, the day-to-day restaurant here in this lovely hotel. We have also enjoyed some delicious meals in the more exclusive Samphire, their prime dining venue.

Marvellous crumble!

Sipped a Jameson Black Barrel as I read the menu that led with three specials Chef's Roast (*beef, we were told) with Red Wine Jus; Daily Catch (salmon) with Lemon & Chive Cream; and Golden Fried Haddock, all served with Creamy Potato Puree and Vegetables of the Day.

Moved on down the line to some lighter dishes, soups, toasties, wraps, salads and so on and made out choices there. We are big fans of Ardsallagh and CL picked the Crostini, with Ardsallagh Goats Cheese & Spicy Ballymaloe Relish and Squashed Cannellini Beans with Garlic and tomatoes. Top marks for this combo, really high quality, especially the cheese, the famous relish and the beans, all for €10.80.

Sticky. Sweet!

No shortage of options and some humming and hawing before I ordered their speciality: “Our Famous Dublin Bay Prawn Cocktail, Crisp Gem Lettuce, Sauce Maire Rose® & Our Homemade Brown Bread”. (€18.00). Not your usual stuffed glass full of large rubbery prawns but a free form and generous serving in a bowl. Absolutely gorgeous, including the salad and the sauce and two slices of their really excellent brown bread.

We were in good form after these two dishes and desserts (all €7.50) were ordered! CL is a bit of an expert and gave their Warm Oat & Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice-Cream a big thumbs up, one of the best for sure (I did manage to beg a mouthful!). As it was, I was just as happy with my decadent choice of the Sticky Toffee & Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream.

Said goodbye to the lovely crew that served us and headed out to the sun and the beach, promising we’d be back!

The hotel from well out on the beach.

Life's a beach

There are two longish walks that I like in East Cork, both by cliffs, one in Ballycotton, the other in Knockadoon. Each has an island but only Ballycotton has a lighthouse. Thereby hangs a tale.

The original site chosen in 1846 was on Capel Island near Knockadoon. The wreck of the famous paddle steamer Sirius just west of Ballycotton Island in 1847 with great loss of life caused a rethink and a decision was made to stop building on Capel and build two lighthouses, one on Ballycotton Island and the other on Mine Head, Co. Waterford.

Ballycotton Lighthouse has been operating for over 170 years and up to 30 years ago was manned by lighthouse keepers. There are tours available to the lighthouse and other trips in the area. See https://ballycottonseaadventures.com/ballycotton-island-lighthouse-tours/, the source of the info above for more information.

Starlings in the sun

The walk in the gorgeous warming October sunshine along the Garryvoe beach, after our excellent lunch, set me thinking about the lighthouse - well, it is pretty prominent and I knew I read somewhere that they had started building one on Capel. So back home, I “did the Google”. Very much enjoyed that walk by the way. Don’t think I've ever seen the buildings by the lighthouse so clear and sharp from that distance. 

In between, a trawler moved in parallel with the beach and more than likely some of that catch ended up on local menus such as Cush (Michelin Bibbed), Ballymaloe House and the two hotels at either side of Ballycotton Bay, the Bayview and Garryvoe. By the way, if ever you see plaice on the menu in either of the two hotels, then you’re in luck, especially if it is cooked by Ciaran Scully at the Bayview!

Man with a mission to shake up your Irish Kitchen Cocktails, New book from Oisín Davis demystifies cocktails

Man with a mission to shake up your Irish Kitchen Cocktails

 

New book from Oisín Davis demystifies cocktails

Join Oisin Davis as he celebrates the launch of Irish Kitchen Cocktails in Cask on MacCurtain Street in Cork on Wednesday 11th October from 6 pm to 8 pm.  Tickets to the event include a signed copy of the book plus an Irish Kitchen Cocktails cocktail.

 

Irish Kitchen Cocktails: 60 Drinks You Can Make at Home with Everyday Equipment is the first book from Oisín Davis but it’s one that he has been brewing for quite some time. From club promoter to brand owner, Oisín has over 20 years of experience in the bar and drinks industry. 

In Irish Kitchen Cocktails, Oisín demystifies cocktails and shows you how good they are using Irish drinks and spirits while also highlighting how easy they are to make with the most commonly found kitchen items that you probably already have at home, no special bartending kit required. 

Oisín is on a one-man mission with this book to showcase the variety of top-quality drinks we have here. Oisín says, “For centuries, Ireland has been home to some of the best distilleries on the planet. They have created countless jobs and sustained the farmers who grow their distilling grains. Initially, that was just whiskey, but now we’re also creating incredible Irish gin, poitín, vodka, rum, liqueur, mead, vermouth and fruit distillates. In the same way that the Spanish know their Riojas and the Germans know their native beers, we should be up to speed with our Irish spirits. Understanding the basics of cocktails will allow you to explore these Irish spirits in delicious ways.”

Irish Kitchen Cocktails by Oisín Davis is available for €18 from all good bookshops and many independent retailers around the country as well as online at ninebeanrowsbooks.com. Tickets to the Cask Pop-Up are €20 and include a signed copy of the book plus your choice of cocktail. Tickets are limited and available from Eventbrite.

 

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Oisín Davis on social at @oisindavis @greatirishbeverages

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