Beer & Travel History: A Grand Day Out in Kilkenny - October Ales & Orchards

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about William Cobbett's visit to Kilkenny and his thoughts on the city, people and the beers of Ireland in general ... and while down my rabbithole of beer history research I came across an article about a visit by a group of Waterfordians to Kilkenny that I thought would be a nice follow up for balance ... with a more positive slant for Kilkenny and for the local beer.

It was published in The Waterford News and Star in September 1873 and I've included the article in its entirety below ... but a couple of intriguing parts stood out to me with relation to the  Smithwicks brewery, which they visited...

'... the Black Abbey Brewery, otherwise St. Francis's, owned and worked by [...] E. Smithwick...'

The Black Abbey is a completely different site to St. Francis's Abbey and it's a little strange that a visitor should confuse the two ... furthermore at this time Sullivan's would have then been the closest brewery to The Black Abbey. Perhaps the writer of the article had one too many on the trip and confused the two, or did someone not want the visitors to know there were two breweries in close proximity to one another in the city, and choose to amalgamate both in our visitor's mind? The writer had visited the city on a number of occasions so either way it seems a strange comment. (I can't of course rule out that it was also known as the Black Abbey Brewery but I can't find any reference to this name, and it would seem highly unlikely...)

We'll never know but it's a lesson to all researchers to be wary about what you read in old newspapers...

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'We were taken into what may be termed the "Refreshment Room" on these annual visits, into a large cellar filled with October ales, eleven months old, clear as amber when filled out, ardent as malt when imbibed. [...] with a measure of strong ale in hand and it had to be drunk... '

I wonder if that 'Refreshment Room' is still in use? I confess I've never done the tour so I don't know...

The comments on the storage time, colour and strength - both in flavour and, presumably, alcohol are interesting to read, and sound a far cry from the Smithwick's of now apart perhaps from the colour - but there was a red-ish ale in Kilkenny even back then it would seem ... if not what we think of as an 'Irish Red Ale'!

Not that we should think that Smithwick's have always just brewed one beer - and they don't anymore anyhow, and nor do they brew in Kilkenny of course - as beer history books list the varied output from the brewery in its early days...

But again it's nice see some of this information in print and I came across an advert from The Munster Express in 1866 with regard to Smithwick's opening a store in Waterford to help satisfy demand in the city, although it was possibly a logistical help with exports too.

It also shows that there was a good connection between Waterford and the Smithwick brewery, which would make sense given their relatively close proximity on the new-ish railway, and explains why our visitors would make a point of visiting the brewery on their trip to Kilkenny. (Beresford Street was what is now Parnell Street in Waterford.)

{Edit} Here's another advert showing more detail of what they were brewing in 1897 ... Stouts, Mild, Bitter plus an IPA and Dinner Ale ... and a good amount for export too it appears.

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'... we were taken my Mr. McGrath through the extensive orchards, under the experienced Mr Hayes, and I must say I never saw anything to near equal the great profusion of luxuriant crops of apples and pears I there witnessed. The crop proves Mr. Hayes to be one of the top of his luscious profession.'

I never thought of there being an urban orchard at the back of the brewery but the Ordnance Survey maps of around this time do indeed show a great deal of space down towards the river. Top quality apples and pears in the Smithwick's orchard it appears - non for cider or perry?!

... and wouldn't we all like a 'luscious profession'?

So, it looks like Kilkenny has been a tourist destination for quite a while, and although Smithwick's site is no longer a working commercial brewery, the new, reborn Sullivan's Brewing Company do a few specials in the small kit in their tap room and Costellos Brewery have a full production brewery just out from the city centre, which is great for a city with such a brewing history. (I've written previously about beery places in the city too...)

I wonder will either make an eleven month old, amber, strong October ale that I can quaff in a cellar?

I can dream I suppose...

Liam

Thanks as ever to my local library...

Travel: Bonn, Germany Part I - Christmas Markets, Castles and Beethoven's Birthplace!

So here we go again...

I have a reoccuring fear that our annual pilgrimage to a Christmas market each December has become so regular that it is in danger of becoming boring. Even though we usually pick somewhere away from the normal tourist crowds, I was still worried that wherever we chose this year would just be the same as every other trip - like some kind of Every-Weihnachtsmarkt, Germany ... with the same old stalls selling the same old items.

I would hate for that sameness to creep in to our trips, so we put a bit of thought and research into our destinations from year to year...

Bonn isn't on the list of names trotted out each year when people think about a city to visit at this time of year, especially when the tourist magnet of Cologne is just up the road. But as ever - and because of my above mentioned fear of boredom - we chose to venture on the less travelled path, and Bonn was somewhere we knew very little about so it ticked that box in my travel-needs list. That combined with its ease of access via a couple of decent airports and affordable - and available - accomodation, plus a walkable looking city centre with a decent sized market that sprawled across a few streets and squares, meant we took a chance...

And we were glad we did.

At the Christmas market itself the quality and variety of the stalls were superb, it seemed that the various stall holders were vying with each other to produce bigger displays or better products, all presented with that welcome bit of theatre that is essential at this time of year. Most noticeable was  that, apart from a couple of the usual suspects, most of what we saw was local or at least local-ish, plus the quality of everything from the food to the gifts and drinks were all excellent. We were impressed with all the handmade items such as jewelry, pottery and wood carvings, although admittedly a lot of it was in the higher price bracket but it still appeared to be value for money.

The food ranged from plank-cooked salmon (top right below) to flammkuchen and of course plenty of wursts! From vegetarian dishes to roast pork and bacon there was a food-type here for everyone. There was plenty for the sweet toothed too, with our favourite being the flavoured, marshmallow filled Schokoküsse ... we even saw a churro stand! As well as the usual mulled wine there were plenty of standard drinks available and I had my first mulled Belgian beer, a really good Liefmans Kriek served in the correct glassware!

The market stretches from Münsterplatz and Bottlerplatz, along adjoining streets to Friedensplatz and with 180 stalls there's plenty of choice ... but it gets very busy at night so I'd recommend heading out to a bar or a restaurant for a drink or a bite away from the city centre if it gets too hectic. (More on this option in my next post.) 

There's more than the Christmas market to see in Bonn of course, as there are plenty of sights too, although on this kind of trip I find that it's nice just to wander the streets and keep the agenda to a minimum. But one building that's literally impossible to miss is the huge multi-towered Bonner Münster - The Basilica of St. Cassius and Florentius - on Münsterplatz (obviously!) although sadly it was closed for renovations when we visited but we did get to look around the beautiful cloister. (Curiously enough they have built a glass office at the side of the church and placed someone in it whose only job appears to be telling people that the building is closed!)

Bonn is also the birthplace of Beethoven, a fact that's hard to miss given how his name is plastered everywhere and not-so-cheery statues of good old Ludwig abound, including the imposing one on Münsterplatz where he scowls down from his plinth at the christmas merrymakers. The self-guided tour of the museum and house of his birth (picture below) is quite interesting, and is full of items and pictures connected to him. It's a pleasant way to kill an hour or so and a must-do for anyone interested in such an important composer.

The city is a great place for retail therapy too with plenty of mid- and high-end brands available, and a nice touch for Christmas is that each of the main shopping streets in the main part of the city have their name in lights. Walking these streets you'll notice that most of the city was destroyed in the war but some old building remain such as the Knusperhäuschen (centre below), and there are plenty of interesting statues and fountains around to take that raw edge off the city. Bonn also boasts an excellent food market on Marktplatz ( More original naming!) and a nice little flower market close by.

There are many other sights too that we missed or hadn't time to see, I've included a link to the Bonn tourism website below to show what else there is to see and do.

Our other reason for staying in Bonn was to visit the magnificent Schloss Drachenburg with its stunning views over the Rhine. The castle is a wonderfully over-the-top, turreted masterpiece and certainly has a serious fairytale quality. It was built in just three years from 1882 to 1884 half way between the town of Königswinter and the older castle at the top of the hill called Drachenfels - Dragon's Rock! Sadly there was a lot of cloud and mist when we visited so we had to strain our eyes to see the river winding its way in either direction below us...

We got there by taking tram 66 from the city centre to Königswinter Fähre and then it's just a short walk to the funicular railway that take you up to the castle. We timed our visit to coincide with a Dickens' style Christmas market that was taking place in the grounds and a light show that bathed the building in colour. The house itself is full of wonderful stained glass, carvings and unbelievably detailed workmanship, murals and paintings. I'd imagine it's just as stunning in summer so whenever you visit Bonn it would be worth going, and perhaps in summer you can abandon the train and climb all the way to the top! (Check the website for opening times - I've included the link below.)

So ... Bonn might not have been on your radar up to now but I would seriously recommend a visit, and in truth we only scratched the surface of what can be seen, as time, the Christmas market and the need to eat and drink were our enemy as usual!

It could certainly figure in your Christmas market shortlist for next year ... don't forget to try the mulled kriek!

Next up will be a post about the beer and food we had during our visit...

Liam

Links:
Christmas Market
Bonn Tourist Information
Schloss Drachenburg

Travel: Wexford Town - Be Entertained...

Okay, I admit it ... I have a bit of a gra* for Wexford...

I'm not 100% sure what the actual draw is but I can tell you that it started with a visit to Lambert's Bar and Yellowbelly brewery a couple of years ago and grew from that to the point where I try to get down at least twice a year, to lurk in strange corners of the town gazing at walls, doors or windows, drinking quietly in bars or just staring out to sea. Perhaps that's part of the attraction as I have a love of being close to the ocean but an intense fear of water, which means that maybe my psyche might be literally trying to psych me out, daring me to be close to the edge of terrafirma but not in the sea itself.

This time I was down with the other half - and by far my better half (well, she may be reading this...), who is also half Wexican I might add - on a quick overnighter, to relax and have a little alone time, which gets increasingly rare when kids, work and life's various bumps and bruises need attending.

Arriving in town in the early afternoon we checked into our lodgings at Bugler Doyle's and headed for lunch in the aforementioned Simon Lambert & Sons, or Simon's Place as it's also called. It was in the bowels of the cellar here that Yellowbelly beer was born and thrived, outgrowing its cramped surroundings and flexing its prodigious muscles into a bigger, better space just out of town. I had a tour of the cellar on my visit back in 2015 by head brewer Declan Nixon, whose passion for experimentation has birthed a thousand (or so it seems) different beers over the last few years, very few of which haven't appealed to me. Following the various Yellowbellys on Twitter is akin to watching a dysfunctional, manic family argue, joke and express some kind of quasi-love in what is quite frankly a disturbing - if endearing and entertaining - way ... but regardless of that, they produce great beers that rarely disappoint and are very likely to elicit 'Oohs!' and 'Aahs!' from the first sip.

Anyhow, Lambert's also do a very busy trade in lunch and we were fortunate to get a seat, as the place was extremely busy on the saturday we visited  ... luckily I'm not above elbowing little old ladies out of the way if there's a promise of good food and drink. I ordered a salad with chicken, black pudding and a fried egg, which may sound like a strange combination but was exactly what I needed, especially when washed down with a cask pulled Rascal's Wunderbar ... wunderbar indeed! Herself had a tasty looking steak sandwich which mustn't have offended her much, as she left very little of it behind her. I even convinced her to have a Yellowbelly lager instead of her usual - and frankly embarrassing-to-ask-for - Bud ... a minor miracle in itself.

We finally felt guilty about the amount of people looking for seats so we paid up - refusing to make eye contact with the little old ladies we had wrestled for our table - and toddled out into the town, very full and happy with our lunch, drinks and service.

Wexford is great shopping town and we wove our way along the very busy South & North Main Streets past shoppers, tourists and herds of feral-looking teenagers, glancing in the many windows that line the street. We weren't really shopping just browsing but I did end up in a quirky secondhand shop and managed to accidentally buy an old embossed, skittle-shaped beer bottle and get my ear bent by the owner. We wandered on to the old town walls and the gate that once guarded the town dwellers from marauding Carlow men no doubt. I guess the locals take all this for granted - a substantial part of the walls still remain - but when you live in a town that has lost all traces of its walls it makes you appreciate these lumps of rocks and mortar all the more...

Wexford has a long and colourful history which is worth looking into, so I'd suggest when you're finished reading this you delve a little deeper if that's of interest - you won't be disappointed.

We bookended our dinner that evening with return visits to Lambert's where I had a very pleasant McGargle's Toothless Dec brown ale and an absolutely sublime sour saison dry-hopped with Irish hops from Yellowbelly called The Harvest King, my favourite beer of the weekend. (No pints by the way, just half ones - drink less drink better remember?)

Later on in a then much busier bar that was full of the after-show crowds I had Are You Not Entertained?, a full-on double IPA which is exactly what I needed after dinner to scrape my palate of rabbit and pork fat...

We had that dinner in The Yard just off Lower George's Street, a rather nice if quite loud restaurant that was very popular on this Saturday night. I chose the potted rabbit for starter followed by a miso glazed pork belly dish, while herself had some excellent goat's cheese croquettes followed by lamb rump, and we shared a very nice, fruity bottle of Les Amies Chanteuses. (As well as a great looking wine list they also stock a selection of micro produced beers, so don't worry if wine is not your thing.)

My rabbit was served with radish, pickled blackcurrants and a slab of soda bread ... this fantastic combination worked really well and was one the nicest plates of food I've had while eating out in Ireland in a long time. The pork was served with a kimchi parcel, rice, cashew cream and pickled mouli ... and  those little parcels of kimchi were the highlight on the plate and I was quite sad when I'd finished the last one! I had some issues with the pork, as the miso glaze seemed to have over-salted the meat to the point where the lovely crackling was inedible and even the rest of the belly slice was just barely tolerable for me - a salt addict. It was still a very enjoyable meal but the salt did overshadow it a tad ... perhaps I'm not as salt tolerant as I think I am? I did mention this to our waiter and she said she'd say it to the chef ... if she did he either took it on the chin or decided I didn't know what I was talking about, which was perhaps the correct assumption. Service was excellent from booking to leaving, where we were given a voucher for a couple of free glasses of bubbly in a related bar on Monch Street, which was a nice - and clever - touch.

When we got to the bar we realised it wasn't our kind of spot, as it seems to have a endless procession of noisy, wobbly hen parties coming and going ... as entertaining as watching them might be it was too loud and brash for us middle-aged, slightly bloated, stick-in-the-muds to enjoy. Instead we rambled on along the quays where we witnessed a man in a van threaten the bouncers of a nightclub while shouting profanities. I'm not sure what his problem or agenda was but I'm pretty sure that hanging half out of the window of a Volkswagon Caddy waving a hurley and name calling was going to get him too far.

We watched the spectacle for a while before cutting back up onto North Main Street where we discovered poor Barry...

Barry was getting a ferocious telling of from his partner. She accused him of bringing shame to her family - among other things - and called him a number of choice words that I won't repeat here. Barry was rambling in our direction with his hands in his pockets and head down, when he finally cracked, turned to face her and voiced his disagreement with her assessment of how their evening had went with a few germanic words of his own. This only caused his accuser to raise her voice louder - which I didn't think was possible - and give him a shove for his troubles. I presume some primitive survival instinct kicked in then as he avoided her next attempted contact and detoured up Rowe Street looking for sanctuary, as his soon-to-be-former-partner tottered after him, flinging more insults in his wake...

Five minutes later as I sipped my 'Are we not Entertained?' in Lambert's I thought ... Why yes, yes we are...

The Sky and the Ground is the other main my-kind-of-beer bar I frequent in Wexford and it was here we decided to have a night cap. Earlier in the day I had a pleasant drink from their more than decent tap selection and a read in the quiet, lovely little snug just inside the door. Tonight we headed up to the Suas bar on the first floor, as the last time we were here they had a great bottle range and I was hoping for something special to finish the night in style. The range on the chalkboard seems to have diminished since my last visit but I spotted two brett stouts from Otterbank Brewery - Declan from Yellowbelly's own brand - either of which would have suited my needs. Unfortunately the chalkboard wasn't up to date and both were gone ... a huge disappointment! I asked about any imperial stouts that might be lurking in the fridge, shelf or cellar but there were none, and sensing the barperson's impatience I settled on a gin for myself and a coffee liqueur for herself, and sat like a grump in the corner, cross and disappointed, mumbling about stouts and getting into a strop.

That changed...

This place is possibly the best place to be on a saturday night to people-watch. Notwithstanding hen parties, hurley bearing fruitcakes and poor Barry ... watching the comings, goings and interactions of people here was fascinating. Merry ladies spilling gin and hitting on whoever the could; a guy having a snooze as his girlfriend sat sourly beside him on a couch - only perking up when a lothario in a too-tight suit and wicked facial hair sidled over to sit beside her; someone at the bar who kept getting asked for selfies by a group of hangers on (Was he famous? Obviously not in my circles...); and a gaggle of ever changing drinkers and schmoozers wandering in and out, interacting with each other and giving the place a huge, buzzing atmosphere.

We sat sipping our drinks, being thoroughly entertained by all of these wonderful people. So if this kind of conspicuous voyeurism is your thing then I thoroughly recommend this spot ... just harangue them about their beer selection! (In truth it's quite good but perhaps needs a little filling out to appeal to contrary curmudgeons...)

The next morning we were up early wandering the deserted town, taking in a few sights that we missed the previous day and having a nice walk along the quays, feeling refreshed by the sea air, views and sights - more churches, gateways and walls. Eventually we also found somewhere open for breakfast - a rare thing on a Sunday morning in Wexford town it seems - before heading back to collect our bags and walk uphill to where our car was parked in the Bride Street Church carpark. (Which is great value by the way...)

We wandered into the church to check out the Harry Clarke stained glass window, which no matter what your religious views are is one of the must see things in the town in my opinion. We gazed and studied it for a while, checking out the detail and admiring the superb use of colour before heading out to the car and the shortish road back to Carlow.

Our trip only reinforced my love of Wexford town. Sure it's not perfect - no place is - but for a one night break it comes close as far as sights, shopping, food and drinks are concerned. And as for entertainment? Well, this trip would be hard to beat...

So huge thanks to all the places we visited, even those I may have berated slightly.

Oh, and if you see Barry, let him know we were thinking about him...

Liam

*Love - for those of you not from Ireland or acquainted with this stolen Irish word.

Travel: On Forgetting to Remember...

It was on the Rue au Beurre in Brussels almost 10 years ago that I first remembered my father had died ... absurd as that sounds.

It had been four months since he had passed away. Taken quickly, leaving us to deal with the shock at first, and when it left what remained was sadness and a deep, aching hurt - tinged with anger and regret. And that pain was a constant presence in my head over those first few months, as if his ghost was rattling around inside of me daring me to forget him...

So I had gone to Brussels with a few friends, partly as an escape from the constant reminders of his passing and partly because I wanted to go somewhere to relieve that wanderlust itch, which no amount of reading or writing about travel can truly scratch.

Brussels did both. It was here I discovered Bruegel and Horta; it was here that I discovered a bar with 2,000 different beers; it was here I did the Cantillon tour and first found gueuze and kriek; it was here I was served beers in vases and horns hung on timber; it was here I learned how to pronounce Duvel correctly; it was here I tasted stoemp and sausage for the first time. And it was here I started to really appreciate beer, and began to respect it more.

And because of all of this I forgot about my father's death for the first time ... and not due to alcohol consumption I must add, but due to the sheer volume of information that had overwhelmed my brain and had distracted my thought process.

I was standing on the street, looking in the window of a gift shop on the last day of our trip when I spotted a tiny silver trumpet. It looked well made, with intricate, fine detail and came in its own little case. My father played a trumpet in a few showbands in the 1950s and 1960s, so it popped into my head that this would make a nice present for him. I was about to cross the threshold of the shop when I stopped, with my hand resting on the cold glass door...

It was only then that I remembered, as a wave of despair and pain struck me, that he was dead.

Anger then took over and guilt too, as I couldn't believe that I had forgotten his now permanent absence from my life. I turned from the door and crossed the street to a nearby church, seeking darkness and solitude. I sat down on an empty pew in the gloom and cried...

Loss is a difficult thing to deal with, as most of us know, but in those moments when it hits you again it can be crushingly, achingly painful. Ten years on it still happens, differently and perhaps lessened to a degree by repetitivity but it still creates similar feelings and emotions. In a way I'm glad it does, as it makes me appreciate and work on my relationship with others in my family ... especially my mother, and my own son.

But this is not a poor me/pity me post, although it possibly is about me exorcising my demons in some sort of cathartic way. It serves as a reminder that it's okay to grieve, it's okay to cry, it's okay to forget ... as the re-remembering that then occurs jars your emotions awake and makes you feel more human, mindful and alive - albeit with a strong awareness of mortality, and regret.

And that forgetting happens still...


I travelled a little with my father, and I was lucky enough to bring my parents to places such as Rome, Austria and Switzerland. Places both he and my mother had always wanted to visit but would never have gone on their own. And now when I travel, either alone or with others, there is a strange, irrational comfort in knowing that some part of him is with me on the same journey, seeing the same sights, eating the same food and trying those new drinks - because a part of him remains within me, still rattling around in my head.

My father was a hardworking, gentle, caring, honest man, traits I try to emulate although I often fail to attain. He was highly critical of the world around him, and questioned everything. He hated liars and thieves, had no time for fools and charlatans. We were always close although perhaps not as close as we could have been, and at times he was my biggest critic...

... but I'd give almost anything to sit at a bar in Brussels, or anywhere else in the world, and share a quiet beer with him right now.

Liam

Travel: Valencia, Spain Part VII - Final ~ Missing Pieces...

Hmmm...

128,713 steps...

91.89 kilometres...

According to the health app on my phone that's the distance I walked in Valencia...

Even taking in to account that the maths doesn't quite work out - or I did a lot of walking on the spot that I'm not aware off - those are impressive figure if I do say so myself. And not just me of course, as apart from a couple of solo excursions my family did the same amount of walking, which is especially impressive for my 9 year old daughter.

But we saw a lot, as you will be aware if you have followed the six other blog posts, and considering what we ate on our trip I'm glad we burned off a good few calories. If we hadn't then, I for one would have been put in the hold with an 'Overweight Luggage' sticker stuck to my forehead for our flight home.

Looking through the photos and notes I noticed that I had left off a few experiences that I should have mentioned but couldn't find a way of fitting into the other posts. So here's a short round up of those missing pieces...

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Foodwise I'd like to mention the very cute Bocatería Tandem on Carrer d'en Llop which served us some excellent patatas bravas along with some nice squid, and chicken wings, amongst other bites. Pintxo i Trago on the way into Plaça Redonda, with a nice little beer list and some excellent nibbles set up on the bar. Mamá Delicias on Carrer del Periodista Azzati for its excellent Bocadillos, and finally Ocho y Medio in Plaça de Lope de Vega who served me really tasty Sartén Longaniza with padron peppers on our first day in the city. All of these are worth a look...

Horchata had to get a look in, it's a Valencian speciality made using ground Tiger Nuts. It's strange but likable reminding me of Sugar Smacks cereal from my childhood. I'd recommend giving it a go!

Cafe de las Horas on Carrer del Comte d'Almodóvar is a flowery, baroque-esque masterpiece of a cocktail bar, well worth a visit for a pre-dinner drink or late night cocktail - the coffee looked good too! El Cafetín on Plaça de Sant Jaume is an interesting spot to sit with a Zeta beer and watch the world go by, and at Beer & Travels on Plaça de Manises you can do the same, looking out on the pretty square and enjoying a very good range of Spanish and imported beer and cider - or a glass of wine.

I had to try a Turia beer while in Valencia, originally brewed in the city it's now brewed by Damm in Barcelona. It's supposed to be a Märzen-style beer, and I guess it is although it reminded me of the much maligned Irish red ale. Anyhow, it's a pretty inoffensive beer and worth a shot if you want something refreshing that you don't have to think about too much!

Beer & Travels, mentioned above, also have a bottle shop down the street from the bar that carries a nice range of both Spanish and imported beers, I only got to visit it twice, as it was closed any other time I passed it. La Boutique de la Cerveza is a small but excellent bottle shop on Carrer de Lluís de Santàngel in the interesting and lively Russafa area of the city. They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and worth a call to if you have a little luggage space or need hotel beers! They carry a great range from Spanish micros as well as sought after Belgian ones, amongst others ... worth a trek out from the city centre.

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So that's it, that's my last post about Valencia! As I've mentioned before it's a fantastic city as long as you're prepared to put some walking and work into your visit, sure it's a little grim and grubby in places but then again it's a real city, not a chocolate box image transferred to the real world. The series starts here if you've missed any of it, and feel free to contact me with any questions - I wouldn't profess to be an expert on the city but we did see a lot of it!

Remember ... 128,713 steps ... maybe...

Thanks Valencia!

Liam

Travel: Pearse Lyons Distillery, Dublin - Out of my Depth...

I know very little about whiskey...

So I was a little surprised to get an invite to one of the official openings of the Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin a few weeks back. It obviously came on the back of being part of the blogger pack at Alltech Craft Beer Festival earlier this year, and writing a broadly positive piece about it. Regardless of why, I was delighted to receive the invitation and even more delighted to be able to attend, a rare occurrence where some free time in my real life intersected with my imbibing life as a blogger.

The weather was warm and the sun was shining brightly as I made my way from Heuston Station up Steeven's Lane before hanging a left onto James' Street towards the old church of St. James which houses the distillery. The newly built visitors' centre - a sleek glass and stone building that sits extremely comfortably in its surroundings - is just up the street a little, but as I looked through the darkened glass my heart sank a little and panic set in. There were many, many beautiful people dressed to impress thronging the foyer. I looked down to the gate where an equally well dressed gatekeeper was checking in more well-dressed, well-heeled guests. I looked back through the window and caught my own appearance, with my open shirt over a t-shirt, jeans and my ever-present travel bag, all topped off with a pair of scuffed Skechers...

I turned to go, thinking I'd hit a few haunts in the city instead, when I caught site of a few guys with polo-shirts among the well dressed folk. Ah, I though so perhaps I won't be the most casually dressed person here after all? So with a quick pat-down of my hair and holding in my stomach I marched up to the entrance gate, where I was warmly received and pointed towards the entrance doors - without being turned away in disgrace, or being handed a tie to wear.

As I entered the foyer I must have looked a little like a startled rabbit, as I realised that the guys in the polo shorts were actually part of the distillery crew, and actually quite smart looking...

I was indeed the worst dressed person here...

I was the last one ushered through to a small auditorium, where we watched a short film about the history of St. James's and the reasons for creating a distillery here. I lurked at the back, acting nervous and looking shifty I'd imagine, as we watched Dr. Pearse Lyons tell us the story of the church, his connections to it and what it had now become. The history of the site was interesting and Dr. Lyons had a great patter that will certainly appeal to the throngs of tourists they hope to attract to the site.

Afterwards we were directed out towards the church itself, through a graveyard freshly planted with groundcovering pachysandra and I received a grateful drink as we waited for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The church itself gleamed as if newly built and with its new glass spire, it reflected beautifully in the newly built entrance building on such a lovely evening.

Without too much pomp the opening ceremony was performed with the usual scissor escapades, joking and speeches, and then we shuffled into the church to see what it had become, and how a working distillery could be shoehorned into a relatively small building.

It is very clear that there was little or no expense spared in the restoration of the church and the fit-out of the distillery, and Dr. Lyons was quick to point out that this was a project that was wholly in the hands of his wife Deirdre and her team of builders, planners and craftspeople. Everything gleamed and shone, with the two stills taking centre stage - so to speak - on the altar and an extremely expensive looking and impressive brew system from Salm sits to one side, looking hungry for malt, with its tanks sitting open. The new distillery-themed stained glass window glowed in the evening sunlight, with images of coopers and distillers doing their thing. Displays of whiskeys, bourbons, books and beer-scented candles(!) lined the wall in cases made to look like shopfronts, and tables of whiskey samples were laid out for trying and tasting, as gin, beer and water - followed by canapes and sweet treats -  were offered to the invited guests by well dressed waiters.

And so the evening progressed with speeches, singing and schmoozing ... and as one not used to this ligging-lifestyle I must say I found the experience a little surreal. Tenors sang Irish ballads and a piano player gave us a rendition of Happy Birthday in numerous different musical styles, as those waiters wafted by with those gorgeous nibbles and more drinks. Writers of whiskey blogs, drink reviewers from newspapers, other whiskey making people and those who helped create this place all laughing, talking and asking all the right questions - enjoying themselves. I felt out-of-place, awkward, still underdressed and more than a little bemused by all the touristy-touches, songs and stories...

But then it dawned on me ... this place wasn't about me nor was it aimed at me, so I should feel awkward, as I'm an outsider in every way. This is about the Lyons family, it's about the history of the church, it's about the people of this area of Dublin, it's about whiskey lovers and most importantly it's about tourists and those who will pay to visit. I don't think it's even about the money spent or revenue to be gained ... as my overwhelming feeling was for the passion injected into the project and of all of those involved wanting to do the right thing by the building, the local area, the local community and those visitors who would soon be welcomed.

I had been utterly selfish and foolish in my thought process...

I came to the conclusion that maybe it's not always just about the whiskey, or beer, or whatever ... and it's not really about people like me, and nor should it be.

Once I realised all of this I let my nagging negativity wash over me and started to enjoy myself. I tasted all the whiskies and listened to the spiels, preferring the Distiller’s Choice of the four whiskeys offered. There are enough reviews of the whiskies out there from brighter minds and better palates than mine so I'll leave it to them to discuss the finer points of flavour, age and provenance ... but I can say than anyone I talked to was quite open with their information, and this is now a working distillery.

Unsurprisingly my most interesting chat was with one of the distillers, with whom I talked for a half an hour about beer, sampling both the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale - which seemed to have more body and flavour than how I remember it - and the Bourbon Barrel Stout - which had less than I remember. Both of these are brewed up in Station Works Brewery up in Newry, which I must admit has never excited me with their varied offerings - but as here, I doubt I'm the target audience...

Just as I was getting comfortable and enjoying the wonderful building and the people, I realised that I had to leave or I'd be late for my train, so with a quick goodbye to Tracey Flinter the manager of the distillery I went looking for Dr. Lyons or Deirdre to thank them for the evening, but both were in deep conversation. I hopped from foot to foot waiting but eventually had to run for my train, luckily it was all down hill to the station. The doors closed behind me as I dragged my dishevelled, puffing self inside and collapsed on a seat, wheezing and thinking hard in equal measure as the train pulled out of the station and began its journey back to Carlow.

I'd learned a little about whisky ... and a lot about myself.

Many thanks, Pearse Lyons Distillery!

P.S. Huge, huge thanks to the guy in the NASA t-shirt who arrived in late and relegated me to second worst dressed at the opening.

Liam

(Full disclosure: Yes, all the samples were free. No I wasn't paid to attend and write this, and yes, I even paid my own train fare - gladly!)

Travel: Valencia, Spain Part VI - Horse Meat, Ocean Life and the Future...

Okay, so I'm sure by now you are getting sick of Valencia but I do need to be thorough don't I?

So stick with me...

I've grouped together three of the main sights together here, size-wise and time-wise they deserve that, but also because I have more than the usual amount of images to include in my brief description, and yes I will keep this one brief.

Here we go....

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First up is the Central Market (Mercat Central) which is situated exactly where you think it might be, acting like the hub of the city. Everywhere should have a market like this, thronged with buyers, sellers and - admittedly - annoying tourists like us. It was an education in every way as we wandered up and down the huge number of stalls selling practically everything food related...

The building itself is huge too, with its high ceilings giving it a wonderfully airy feel, reminiscent of a brightly lit cathedral more than anything else, and this is quite an appropriate analogy as it really is a temple of food, thronged with worshippers. Tomatoes the size of ostrich eggs, and ostrich eggs the size of - er - ostrich eggs take pride of place with super-fresh seafood plus huge cheese and baby cheeses...

Meat lovers are not ignored with many stalls selling cured meats of every shape and make as well as glass cabinets full of aged beef. Want some rabbit? Six varieties of snails? How about a little horse meat? No problem, this is the place to find it...

If you are interested in food and have an hour or two to kill some morning just go and wander ... grab a coffee, munch on a bocadillo and just take it all in...

You won't be disappointed.

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As with zoos, this is a controversial one I know but the Oceanogràfic in the south east of the city is another must visit, especially if travelling with kids. Many ocean habitats are recreated here and there is a deep sense of both welfare and education as you wander around the ultra-modern buildings looking at the exhibits.

And yes it does have a dolphin display...

Much of the time you are wandering underground looking into huge aquariums and in some cases walking through tunnels with fish swimming over your head. It's a surreal feeling when a Great White or a Stingray swims past, half a meter from your scalp! There's a Beluga whale, penguins and every manner of creature from crabs to starfish to see as you wander through the subterranean world, quite literally.

It's not just fish and sea mammals, there a also a spherical aviary holding exotic birds and a few turtles, and a wonderful butterfly house, which also held fascination for the kids as they flitted around from flower-to-hand-to-flower.

One of the highlights for me were the many tanks of jellyfish, as you could appreciate their beauty close up, as they billow about in their tanks ... unlike the anonymous blobs that are usually seen washed up on our shores.

Plants abound here too, and most corners of the park have interesting and clever planting, with a brightly budded Brachychiton catching my eye in particular, but then again how could it not?

I guess you make your choice as to whether to support these places or not - and I'm not without my reservations about the whole concept - but if there is an educational aspect and money is channeled towards research then it's hard not to support them in my opinion.

(One other point about our visit was that the price of food is quite high so I'd recommend bringing a packed lunch, although the pizzeria on site is relatively reasonable...)

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Last of the big three is the most imposing and surreal ... the City of Arts and Science -  Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias - right beside the Oceanogràfic and the end of the Turia park. These group of building were used as film sets and for tv shows such as Tomorrowland and Dr. Who (Thanks Beernut...). Viewed from a distance you can understand why ... but up close they are even more fantastical as they leap from the shallow water of pools or hunker down into the grey and white landscape.

The combined site has a science museum, an IMAX cinema, an opera house and a convention centre. The museum is great again for kids as there are loads of interactive experiments, virtual reality trips, dinosaur fossilised and petrified plants! Keep an eye out for the pendulum clock!

... and the dark side of the moon.

I truth if you just went here and walked around the buildings you would consider that a justifiable reason to visit Valencia.

Its an astounding site, and sight...

(Don't forget that Burger Beer is close by too if you fancy a bite and a drink!)

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That's it from my penultimate post, last up will be a round-up of a few places and things that didn't quite fit in with any other post!

Liam

The series starts here and the final part is here.