Beer of the Week. O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale. A Hoppy Delight.

Beer of the Week

O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV, on draught at the Lord Bagenal Inn in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow

A Hoppy Delight

O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale is a refreshing and flavourful brew that captures the essence of the modern style. With its balanced bitterness, zesty aroma, and long-lasting finish, this beer is a must-try for any craft beer enthusiast and is our Beer of the Week.

The copper-toned body is topped with a lightly carbonated head, inviting you to take a sip. The dry hopping adds a burst of fruit and floral notes, creating a complex and aromatic experience. The bitterness is well-balanced, providing a refreshing contrast to the sweetness of the malt.

A Perfect Pairing

Very enjoyable in The Lord Bagenal Inn, especially after a day's wandering in the beautiful County Carlow, where this beer is produced. Its refreshing flavours and crisp finish make it a versatile beer that pairs well with a variety of foods including my delicious Asian-style Roast Duck and my companion's Chicken Curry in the Inn's restaurant.

Also on this trip:

Arboretum Garden Centre & Cafe

Three lovely riverside towns in Carlow: Leighlinbridge, Bagenalstown and Borris

O'Hara's Craft Beer

BAHT Thai

The Lord Bagenal Inn

Duckett’s Grove

Cafe Mullichain

Taste of the Week. Organic Gravadlax by Ummera Smokehouse

Taste of the Week. 

Organic Gravadlax by Ummera Smokehouse

Anthony Creswell's award-winning Ummera Smokehouse is situated in rural West Cork by the banks of the Argideen River. Here, near the village of Timoleague, Anthony smokes both fish and meat.

In 2008, he introduced their Organic Gravadlax, which was honoured with the Gold Medal in the 2008 Great Taste Awards in its first year of

Easy drinking blend of Trebbiano and a small dash of Chardonnay, zippy and fresh. Madregale Terre di Chieti Bianco

Cantina Tollo Madregale Terre di Chieti Bianco (IGP) 2022, 12.5% ABV

RRP: €13.50. Stockists: 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny 

Easy drinking blend of Trebbiano and a small dash of Chardonnay, uncomplicated, zippy and fresh.

Looking for an easy-drinking white that doesn’t

Savour the Flavours of Culture Night. After Hours at Cork’s Historic English Market

press release 

Savour the Flavours of Culture Night 

After Hours at Cork’s Historic English Market

Preparations are underway for a vibrant evening of culture and community at the English Market, a culinary hub in the heart of Cork City. This Friday, September 20th, from 6:30 PM until 9 PM, the market will open its historic doors after hours for a

BAHT. An Authentic Thai Dining Experience In Carlow

 BAHT. An Authentic Thai Dining Experience In Carlow

Superb Thai food and very comfortable chairs!

A wealth of Thai experience lies behind the menu in Carlow town’s BAHT. The new Thai-owned restaurant sees seasoned chefs and fresh talent bring you authentic Thai flavours. Enjoy dishes infused with traditional medicinal herbs, crafted with passion and care. We certainly gave it a big thumbs up on a recent Tuesday evening when the room was close to capacity.

It is a lovely room on

Thursday Treat Alert As The Good Dairy's Delicious Ice Cream Hits Lidl Shelves

Thursday Treat Ahead As The Good Dairy's Delicious Ice Cream Hits Lidl Shelves

There’s a treat coming up on Thursday for

Three lovely riverside towns in Carlow: Leighlinbridge - Bagenalstown - Borris.

Three lovely riverside towns in County Carlow: 

Leighlinbridge - Bagnalstown - Borris.

The Barrow flows under the old 9-arch bridge and past the ruined Black Castle in Leighlinbridge.

The old Norton maltings in Bagenalstown that may yet get a new lease of life.

A walk into history on the banks of The Barrow

The River Barrowis a link between the three small towns of Leighlinbridge (pop. c 1k), Bagenalstown (2.8k) and Borris (0.7k). The Barrow is one of the Three Sisters and runs through much of County Carlow. 

I don't know how long the trip between

Final Countdown Begins for the Taste of Kildare Festival of Food & Drink at Naas Racecourse

Gareth Naughton, Head Chef of Neighbourhood, Naas

 Final Countdown Begins for the Taste of Kildare Festival of Food & Drink at Naas Racecourse

              

 

The Taste of Kildare Festival of Food & Drink, brought to you by Into Kildare and supported by Ballymore and Kildare County Council’s Local Enterprise Office, is just days away! From September 20th to 22nd, Naas Racecourse in Co. Kildare will come alive with a

Enjoy The Lifestyle Experience at Arboretum's Flagship Store In Carlow

Escape the Ordinary: 

A Day at Arboretum, Carlow

The first thing that caught my eye was the colourful urinals in the venue’s toilets! San Francisco artist  Clark Sorenson was commissioned to design the sanitary ware with a floral theme. He got it spot-on as will most, if not all, of the male visitors! 

Craving a Refreshing Oasis? Look no further than Arboretum in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow! This haven for all things green and delicious is the perfect escape from the ordinary.

Fuel Your Adventure at Rachel's Café

After your scenic (and perhaps rainy) drive, recharge at

A Very Highly Recommended Reserva Double from Portugal's Vale De Lobos

A Very Highly Recommended Reserva Double from Portugal's Vale De Lobos 

Vale De Lobos Touriga Nacional Reserva Tejo 2021, 13.5% ABV.

€20.00 (on offer 16) Matson's Bandon, Grange and Youghal

“a round, persistent and balanced wine”

The colour of this 100% Touriga Nacional from Portugal’s Tejo, is a dense ruby. Aromas are complex (plum and blueberry) and the intense violet (typical of the variety) heading the posse.  And they remain through the palate where you will most definitely note spices and vanilla (it has spent 8 months ageing in French oak barrels).

A round, persistent and balanced wine with a

Cherish a unique, special, and unrepeatable wine. Tio Pepe Fino En Rama.

Tio Pepe Fino En Rama Jerez (DO Sherry)

€25.00 Bradleys

Cherish a unique, special, and unrepeatable wine.

Our Fino En Rama, from the sherry triangle, comes in an inviting golden colour. Notes of yeast in the aromas. And immediately it hits the palate - captivating, fresh, intense, smooth and with a

An unmissable wine dinner with Giacomo Boscaini of Masi Wines at The River Lee

 

An unmissable wine dinner with Giacomo Boscaini of Masi Wines at The River Lee

 

 

The River Lee, in partnership with Findlater & Co., presents an exclusive wine dinner with Giacomo Boscaini of Masi Wines, a seventh-generation winemaker of the

Beer of the Week. Wide Street Mill Pils Farmhouse Pilsner. A hoppy Pils from Longford.

Wide Street Mill Pils Farmhouse Pilsner, 5.5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

A hoppy Pils from Longford is Beer of the Week

Ballymahon (Co. Longford) has one of the widest streets in the country and that is where this Mill Pils comes from and from where the brewery takes its name.

The town may be part of hidden Ireland but this superb beer has international influences. Wide Street: “The inspiration behind this beer is an Italian Pilsner style”. It is fermented with the famous German Strain 34/70 at 12C and the hops are of German and Czechian origin.

Hallertauer Mittlefruh is known as the Kaiser of German Hops. This Noble Hops tends to a clean crisp style and has mild bitterness and is ideal for lagers and pilsner. This is indeed a lager with hops on.

Colour of this Longford Pilsner is a pale gold, and cloudy. No shortage of hops here so you notice them straightaway on the nose and soon on the palate, where you come across plenty of that earthy character and a hint of spice and then a good dry finish. Something that bit different and well worth looking out for, a lager with Attitude and Very Highly Recommended.

Wide Street Brewing Company specialises in mixed fermentation methods and 100% Brettanomyces beers. The vision is to brew innovative beers with alternative fermentation methods. Their house yeast is a custom blend of Brettanomyces, saccharomyces and lactobacillus strains from Bootleg Biology, a yeast laboratory based in Nashville, USA. This gives the beer a distinctive dry mouthfeel and enhanced fruity flavours.