Taste of the Week with Jack and Janet.

Taste of the Week

Jack McCarthy's Pastrami and Janet's Country Fayre Ploughman's Chutney.

Another visit to the English Market and another Taste of the Week, the superb Jack McCarthy pastrami from On the Pig's Back. We also bought some of Jack's

Vino Di Anna Vendredi 13 Vino Rosso. A lovely light red wine that “majors in red fruits and drinkability”

Vino Di Anna Vendredi 13 Vino Rosso, 13.0% ABV

RRP €29.45. Stockists: 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork, Le Caveau online

A lovely light red wine that “majors in red fruits and drinkability”

This organic wine has come all the way from the northern slopes of

Jacques. Encore. A warm welcome. Excellent food.

 Jacques. Encore.

Crab

Jacques, now into its fifth decade, continues to set the gold standard for Cork restaurants. Our visit last week was a delightful confirmation that it remains as exceptional and reliable as ever.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the

Coyles, Clifden's New Gem, offering good food and coffee

Coyles, Clifden's New Gem, 

offering good food and coffee

The news spread like wildfire through Clifden: Alice Coyle, the mastermind behind the popular Cork Fab Food Trail, was opening a food and coffee shop on her native ground! We all knew Alice for her incredible food design skills, having designed the stunning

Beer of the Week. Wicklow Wolf 10th Anniversary American Amber

 Beer of the Week

Wicklow Wolf 10th Anniversary American Amber

4.8% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

American Amber will always have a special place in our hearts at Wicklow Wolf. 

The Newtown Mount Kennedy  Brewery has very good reason to get a little nostalgic about their American Amber, our latest

The Met Summer Special Menu

press release

The Met Summer Special Menu

The Metropole Hotel is excited to announce the launch of

A PODCAST CELEBRATING THE UNISON OF IRISH FOOD & DRINK. Ep2 is live.

press release

EPISODE 2 OF BEÁR BIA IS LIVE - A PODCAST CELEBRATING THE UNISON OF IRISH FOOD & DRINK. THIS EPISODE IS A SHOWCASE OF THE PRODUCERS AT BORD BIA BLOOM FESTIVAL

Oisin and Dee with Dennis Dempsey (left) and Birgitta Hedin-Curtin (right)

Dee Laffan and Oisin Davis are on a mission to highlight the finest Irish food & drink pairings through their brand new podcast "Beár Bia." Translated to

Egawa Sushi: A Fusion Frenzy in Cork City's Kyle Street where Japan meets Brazil.

Egawa Sushi: A Fusion Frenzy in Cork City's Sushi Scene

You'll find her in Kyle Street. Not the girl from Ipanema!

Move over, California rolls! Cork City's sushi scene just got a splash of vibrant fusion with the arrival of Egawa Sushi on Kyle Street. You'll find them in the former Brazilian Golden Bites space, Egawa offers a unique twist – Japanese sushi with a Brazilian flair - note the international flags (Japan and Brazil!) displayed on their Instagram.

Intrigued by the

Beer of the Week. Kinnegar’s mixed 4-pack. Cold IPA. Pale Ale. Pilsner. Raspberry Grisette

Beer of the Week. Kinnegar’s mixed 4-pack. 

Cold IPA. Pale Ale. Pilsner. Raspberry Grisette 

Donegal’s Kinnegar has just launched their summer adventure into 4-pack territory and this very convenient format is out there to be enjoyed. “Look forward to a refreshing journey through these four great beer styles. We don't often indulge in tasting notes but this time we set Sean the task of putting the experience in words.”

Cold IPA 5.3%, 400 ml can Bradleys

Colour of this Cold IPA, a once-off by Kinnegar and part of their new 4-pack this summer, is a light gold with bubbles galore racing to the soft white head. Peach, apricot and grapefruit feature in this light hoppy beer with a very refreshing finish indeed.

Kinnegar report it as a big success.  “Can’t you make it part of the core range?” they’ve been asked.

Wondering what a Cold IPA is? I was. It is an IPA fermented at lower temperatures than what is normally used to ferment an ale. Brewers often use a lager yeast or a combination of a lager and an ale yeast. Kinnegar: “Another riff on a tune we’ve been playing with for the past year. Practice makes perfect.”

Hazy Pale Ale,4.5%, 440 ml can Bradleys

This session pale is light straw and cloudy. The American hops have endowed Kinnegar’s latest iteration of this quaffable popular style with quite a backbone of tropical fruit, citrus and pine and just a moderate bitterness. Refreshing as expected and ideal for a session.

Sean’s verdict: “Juicy, sweet fruit, high drinkability. An indispensable summer companion. One will not be enough.”

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See updated Beer of the Week index here

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Pilsner, 5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This latest lager from Donegal is straw-coloured with a soft white head and tons of bubbles rising. Much like the craft lagers we know in this part of the world but with a hoppy punch. A touch of lime runs through it to the refreshing finalé. Well worth a try and another excellent can in the 4-pack.

They say: An old-world style with new-world flair courtesy of its distinctive New Zealand hop profile. 

Sean’s verdict: Citrus (lime), grape, clean bitterness

Raspberry Grisette, 3.8% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Grisettes are refreshing, low-alcohol beers with origins in the Hainaut province of Belgium. They are crisp, medium/light-bodied, citrusy beers—brewed to be endlessly approachable. It is also supposed to be a summer beer. I’ve waited long enough for summer, so here goes.

Our Raspberry Grisette from Kinnegar has an orange colour with a short-lived white head and lots of micro-bubbles. It is crisp and dry with a fruity tang from the raspberries. I reckon loganberries would have given it a real kick-ass tang. As it is, this is a very refreshing low alcohol beer indeed. Recommended pairing: with a summer’s day if you can find one in 2024. Preferably outdoors.

Sean’s verdict: Crisp, dry, citrus, raspberry. Sean doesn’t waste words. 

A Taste of Tradition: Connemara Smokehouse on the Wild Atlantic Coast

A Taste of Tradition: Connemara Smokehouse 

on the Wild Atlantic Coast

Tasting Plate

Nestled right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Connemara Smokehouse is a haven for seafood lovers. Founded in the 1970s by John and Bridget Roberts, this family-run business has become internationally renowned for their mastery of traditional Irish fish smoking, with Graham and Saoirse Roberts now at the helm.

The Smokehouse has achieved esteemed

Stepping into the Past, Embracing the Present. Victorian heritage with modern comforts at Foyle's Hotel, Clifden

Stepping into the Past, Embracing the Present. 

Victorian heritage with modern comforts at Foyle's Hotel, Clifden

. Celebrity chefs. Not really. Recognise anyone? Gerard King's painting is always a talking point in Marconi's

Imagine sinking into a plush armchair in Foyle's Hotel's foyer. The ornate wooden staircase whispers stories of a bygone era, transporting you to a time of classic elegance. 

Marconi's

Foyle's, a cornerstone of

Luxurious Low-impact Guesthouse, Barnahown, Opens Its Doors In Mitchelstown

press release

Room with a view. Pic: Kirsty Lyons

Luxurious Low-impact Guesthouse, Barnahown, Opens Its Doors In Mitchelstown

Offering Galtee Mountain Views Plus A Host Of Outdoor Adventures And Experiences

Barnahown, a luxurious new low-impact 4-bedroom Irish guesthouse near Mitchelstown in Co. Cork has opened its doors, offering Galtee mountain views, creature comforts aplenty, and access to a multitude of local wellness, adventure-based, and food-focused experiences.

The sensitively renovated and lovingly-restored 1800's farmhouse provides the

Dive into Oyster Nirvana at Moran's Oyster Cottage

Dive into Oyster Nirvana 

at Moran's Oyster Cottage

Thermidor

Imagine this: a quaint, thatched cottage perched right on the Galway coast, the salty breeze whispering promises of fresh seafood delights. That's exactly what greets you at