Good stuff and lots of it!
Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip, savour and more (well, in this case just stuff to sip) – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy.
Bord Bia’s Spirit of Sharing 2018
Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, recently threw its annual Spirit of Sharing event at the Embassy of Ireland in London. Assembling a number of Ireland’s best and most innovative drink producers for a night of tasting with UK industry and media folk, it was a wonderful time to taste what’s crafty and quenching in Eire this year. It’s a safe best to assumed I RSVPed affirmatively when I got invited.
Here are my top tipples from the evening:
I was intrigued by the ageing and cask experimentation by the folks at Kinahan’s (established 1779). I enjoyed what I sipped from Kinahan’s Heritage Collection: the Single Malt (100% malted barley, first and second fill Bourbon casks) and the Small Batch (37.5% grain first fill Bourbon casks, 37.5% grain second fill Bourbon casks, and 25% malt first and second fill Bourbon cask). Moreover, I’m especially keen to discover what’s on the agenda for future blends and cask experimentations.
I loved the citrusy and lasting on the palate Atlantic Dry Mead made from Spanish orange blossom honey by this new meadery in West Cork.
Whiskey lovers be aware Tipperary’s expressions – the Watershed (first ever whiskey cut to 47% with water from Ballindoney) and the Knockmealdowns (created from only six casks and matured in Ireland for 10 years in Bourbon barrels) are both quality quaffs.
Ireland’s first fruit winery does a delicious job with its Moineir Fine Irish Fruit Wine. The limited edition strawberry wine yields a pleasant and refreshing punch and the limited edition blackberry wine could hold its own at the table with any number of quality grape wines. Yum.
It’s not just about the Irish libations though! Here are some more tasty non-Irish liquids I’m happy to recommend:
Green Lady is a new-to-market sparkling tea drink made with green Darjeeling tea, carob, nutmeg and rose oil (and nothing else). If you like green tea, you might find this an interesting refreshment. If you don’t consider yourself a tea drinker, you might wan to give this a taste and reconsider.
I’ve tried two fantastic beers from southeast London’s Hop Stuff Brewery: the Freudian Strip (an amber and zesty Vienna malt and Mandarina Bavaria hops blend, 5.4% ABV) and the “piney” and potent Double Dry Hopped IPA (7%ABV). Both were very much to my liking and I’d advise any beer connoisseurs to keep Hop Stuff on your radar.
Stag Roasters is a Surrey based coffee roaster providing beans sourced from some of the world’s best coffee growing regions, freshly roasted to order and delivered to your home or business. I was more than pleased with my bag of La Ceiba beans from Guatemala (medium roasted and ground for drip machine per my request) and the smooth caramel tones it brought to my morning cup.
