On the craft trail with Eight Degrees, Connemara and Trouble Brewing
Eight Degrees Déjà Vu Hopfenweisse, 7.5% ABV, 440 ml can No 21 Coburg St
Buy-Back Brewers Bounce Back
This Hopfenweisse is the welcome-back shot from the Antipodean founders of Eight Degrees, who had just bought back the brewery. It may be
La Mirande Picpoul De Pinet (AOP) 2023, 13.0% ABV
RRP: €17.35. Stockists: Stockists: 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny
A gorgeous, thirst-quenching Picpoul
Chateau de la Mirande, with its vineyard surrounded by garigue, is located in the Languedoc, in an area with a saltwater lagoon dedicated to producing and cultivating oysters and mussels. And this is just the wine to pair with these bivalve molluscs! This stellar example of Picpoul is Very Highly Recommended.
Green harvesting and organic viticulture are part of
press release
CORK BUSINESSES IN THE MIX
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| Tulip time at Ballymaloe House |
Good Food Ireland® is delighted to announce the finalists for its highly regarded national awards, with an impressive 17 businesses from Co. Cork making the
Fish Box's a winner as we sample the superb fish offerings of Kay’s Kitchen, a new hot food stall in the English Market.
Large array of fishy delights
Cobh on a sunny morning
October 2024
The Bandstand 
Sonia O'Sullivan, always a winner.
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| Looking west: Annie Moore and siblings |
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| Sailing |
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| Looking down on Pearse Square, with Titanic Experience in the background, from the cathedral. |
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| Des Res. The Crescent. |
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| Gorgeous. Jack Doyle remembered |
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| St Colman's Cathedral. Commenced 1868, completed 1919. Designed by E. W. Pugin and G. C. Ashlin in 1868 |
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| Coffees, cakes, curiosities (including vintage Carrigaline pottery) at Belvelly Vintage, 5 Harbour Row, Cobh, Ireland P24N407 |
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| Resting boat. Busy bird. |
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| Casement Square, with a tour group at Lusitania Monument |
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| St Brendan, The Navigator. By marygregoriysculptor.blogspot.ie |
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| The Commodore Hotel, always looking well. |
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| Colourful mural at Cobh Railway Station. |
Jazz Dining Experiences feature as Metropole Hotel
confirms the line-up for this year's Jazz Festival Club.
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Excitement is building at the Metropole Hotel ahead of this year’s Cork Jazz Festival. The full line-up has been confirmed with a host of diverse artists on several stages around the hotel throughout
Beer of the Week
Lineman Electromode APA, 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys
limited edition hits the spot
The recently canned Electromode American Pale Ale is a limited edition (their 5th of the year) from the Dublin brewery Lineman.
It is a hazy orange, yet you can see the microbubbles at play, shimmying their way towards the soft white head. The recipe includes delicious Maris Otter malt, flaked oats, and the West Coast hops Simcoe, Azacca, and Columbus. There is no hard bitterness here and no hard fruit flavours. It is just a super balance with softer fruits such as pineapple and peach.
This supple American Pale Ale is a beer to be enjoyed at leisure. It is Very Highly Recommended and is our Beer of the Week.
It has a medium body and classically firm bitterness, complemented by notes of bright lime, pineapple, and “just a smidgen of peach”.
It has proven very popular since its release. Lineman: "This American Pale Ale has been flying out the brewery door. Brewed with a little more mouthfeel and bitterness from one of our old favourite hops, Columbus, some Azacca, and Citra."
press release
10th Anniversary ‘Skiddy Sour’ Beer from Elbow Lane Brewhouse & Rebel Distillery
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| Russel Garret, Master Brewer at Elbow Lane |
Pig Rouge 2021 Faugeres (AOP) 2021, 14% ABV
€15.00 Matson’s (Bandon, Grange and Youghal)
pair with cremated sausages at a rainy, miserable SUMMER BBQ!
Why would you call your wine Pig? Quite simple, really. The producers are Paul and Isla Gordon (PIG)! This is one of their wines that come from thinking outside the box. “No rules, no regs, just tasty, well-made booze!” And their food pairing suggestion is also outside the small parallelogram: cremated sausages* at a rainy, miserable Summer BBQ!
So there, you get the hang of it. This wine is for enjoyment - don't get too serious about it. It is a blend of Grenache Noir 50%, Mourverde 20% and Syrah 30%. Nico, at Matson’s, says that it is part of a small-scale production, and he is very happy with it: “Great wine, fresh with a little spice, loads and loads of fruit.”
The colour is a mid-to-dark ruby. There are strong aromas of dark fruit and spice. The fruit is forward and deep, with power and finesse in equal measure. That spice, too, has excellent acidity. The finish is pure, long, and balanced. Very Highly Recommended.
I see that they also have an orange version—that should be interesting. I must keep an eye out for it.
Our winemakers are an Irish-Australian combination. Paul is Australian, and he and his Irish wife Isla work (and I mean work) at Domaine la Sarabande, a vineyard in the Languedoc about twenty minutes' drive from Beziers.
The dynamic wine couple is based in the Faugéres appellation in the South of France. Paul honed his winemaking skills in New Zealand’s vineyards. Isla, from Carlow, brings her knowledge and commitment to quality grape growing, which she learned during several years of working with some of the best viticulturists in New Zealand, where they met.
* If the rain quenches the flame, you might like Cold meats/pâtés, Duck, hard mature cheese, Roast lamb/beef, or slow-cooked shoulder of lamb instead.
Vigneti Zabu “Il Passo Verde” Nero D’Avola Sicily (DOC) 2022, 13% ABV
RRP €18.95. Stockists: Bradleys, Matson’s, J J O’Driscoll, Baggot Street Wines
Martins Off Licence, The Wine Centre, McHughs Off Licences, Power & Co Fine Wines
Jus de Vine, The Vintry, Wineonline
the 2022 vintage perfectly displays the Sicilian terroir as never before
This 2022 Vigneti Zabu "Il Passo Verde" Nero D'Avola is a compelling Sicilian red, bursting with bold flavours and a complex structure. The deep ruby colour hints at the intensity within, while the aromas of cherry, plum, and a touch of spice tantalise the senses.
On the palate, the wine explodes with vibrant fruit flavours balanced by firm tannins and a lingering finish. The spice notes add a layer of complexity, making Il Passo Verde a true delight for red wine enthusiasts.
The Vigneti Zabu "Il Passo Verde" Nero D'Avola is a stunning exemplar of Sicilian winemaking. With its bold flavours, complex structure, and excellent ageing potential, it will impress.
A Taste of Sicily
Grapes are sourced from vineyards on the lakeside of Lake Arancio in Sambuca di Sicilia. The lake's crystal-clear waters create a unique microclimate that contributes to the wine's exceptional quality.
The 2022 vintage is a standout, showcasing the best of Sicilian terroir. The addition of Nero d'Avola grapes from vineyards near the sea brings a hint of saltiness to the final blend, adding even more character.
Vigneti Zabu is committed to producing organic wines of the highest quality. The grapes for this Nero D'Avola are carefully selected and fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. A portion of the wine is then aged in French and American oak barrels, adding complexity and structure. The powerful tannins indicate their excellent ageing potential. Cellar this bottle for a few years and watch it develop even more complexity and depth.
Zabu suggests pairing it with Medium-Aged Cheese, Meatballs, Roast Chicken, and Vegetables , while Wine Folly says, “Classic pairings include oxtail soup and beef stew.”
Steak may be the speciality at Thompsons' Restaurant these days, but the MacCurtain Street venue offers much more on its menu.
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| Cod |
Thompsons Restaurant in Cork City is fast emerging as a classy steakhouse that celebrates the best of local produce. With a continuing commitment to quality and exceptional service, the large and comfortable MacCurtain Street venue is quickly making a name for itself as a must-visit destination for food lovers.
And they have much more to offer than steak! We ate there last week to see what else the kitchen was up to. The current menu includes Chicken, Fish and Chips, Goan Curry, Poached Cod, and Seafood Linguine. Starters include Frank Hederman’s Smoked Mackerel and a Ballycotton Chowder. There is no shortage of choices in this MacCurtain Street venue.
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| Tartare |
Having attended the Steak launch recently and sampled the range, we deliberately didn't pick steak for the main dish, but we couldn’t resist the Steak Tartare: 28-day dry-aged fillet steak, charcoal emulsion, cress, and Parmesan on toasted ABC sourdough. It is a delicious starter and another excellent example of the skills of young Head Chef Cormac Lynch and his team.
Lynch has been at Thompson’s Restaurant since November 2023. His culinary journey began with volunteering at Cork Penny Dinners. Trained at CIT, Cormac has honed his skills in various establishments, including the two-Michelin-starred Terre in the Castlemartyr Resort Hotel. |
| Wagyu burger |
One fish dish worth watching out for—my colleague was well pleased with it—is the Poached Ballycotton Cod, served with Valentia Island Vermouth beurre blanc, cucumber, trout roe, rose petal, lemon, and parsley baby potatoes.
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Check our ever expanding list of this year's Irish restaurants here.
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McCarthy’s Wagyu is not among the steak offerings but has a starring role in the Burger, along with shredded lettuce, homemade pickles, Coolea Cheddar, and roasted garlic aioli. Not to mention chunky house fries. The flavour from the Wagyu certainly lived up to its reputation.
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| Pear in Mead |
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| A wee drop of Sexton! |
The Swiss Roll dessert has been a favourite here since day one (in 2020) but do also look out for the Caramelised Poached Pear (Shortbread crumb, homemade honeycomb, strawberry and pineapple sorbet, Kinsale Wild Mead, shaved chocolate). It is well worth trying this Kinsale Mead-soaked delight, which I enjoyed immensely.
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| Steak galore! |
The spacious restaurant is well-designed, with cosy nooks and booths catering to different group sizes. Whether dining as a couple or a larger party, Thompson’s Restaurant provides an inviting and enjoyable experience for all.
* The steak comes from McCarthy’s butchers of Kanturk, who hand-select the top-quality beef. Farmer David O'Brien raises the Angus/Hereford cattle on the lush grass of the Golden Vale, resulting in tender and flavourful meat. The whole cuts of beef are dry-aged here with Himalayan salt. You can see it in the cabinets as you enter. We enjoyed the steak launch a few weeks ago but returned on a recent evening to check out what else they had on the menu. And as you can see above, there is no shortage of variety.
** Three things to look for.
1 - The ageing cabinets, on your left as you enter.
2 - The microbrewery at the back.
3 - The sheer variety of the light fittings, everything from chandeliers to tiny tulip
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| Tartare group! |
Taste of the Week
The Farmgate's Seeded White Soda Bread.
Our Taste of the Week has been a favourite here for quite a while, a favourite also in the Farmgate Café in the English Market. They sell it at their stall downstairs but you need to get in reasonably early in the morning as the white sells out quickly!
Blarney Castle and Gardens. Autumn Colour Arriving
October 8th, 2024
Fly Agaric Fungus (ID via Google Picture Search) 
Magnolia fruit (ID via Google Picture Search) 
Rhus changing colour 
Green tree becoming red!
