History: Adulterated Porter - Fine ... or Dandy?

While looking through some old papers in the local library in Carlow, as part of my ongoing research into a couple of long closed breweries in the town, I came across this article from The Carlow Morning Post dated October 22nd 1818.

On one hand it shows that the quality of beer in the early 19th century probably left a lot to be desired, and might have added to the demise of certain breweries when something cleaner or better came along. On the other hand it shows that experimentation with adjuncts in beer is nothing new, although perhaps not for purely experimentation sake.

I'll leave it up to you to decide whether Mr. Gernon with his Liquorice & Molasses Beer, and Mr. Codd with his Bitter Orange & Cayenne Porter were ahead of their time ... or not.

Although I think that the green vitriol is probabaly best left to treating moss in lawns...

Liam

History: Carlow's Lost Breweries - The Search Begins...

Yesterday I had my first taste of trawling through microfilm in the local library - an eye-wearying but interesting task.

My subject was a local brewery that once existed on the site where now stands Carlow town hall. The earliest information I can find names it as 'Hamilton's Brewery' in the late 18th Century and it is known as 'The Old Brewery' in the late 19th century, although by this time it had been used as an overflow to the local workhouse and nothing was being brewed here as far as I can tell.

I found this advert, which ran for a number of weeks in early 1854

It sounds like breweries were scarce in the town and so far I can't find reference to any others at this time. - although the Historic 6" OSI map for 1839 shows two including this large one.

(The other was situated closer to the Burrin river and its memory remained in the name of 'Brewery Lane' until the area was demolished to build the monstrously ugly post office and social welfare offices in the 50s/60s ... but more about that in another post.)

I don't imagine I'll find brewing records but I hope to find out more about when it was first built and its owners over the hundred or more years it existed in one form or another - I have a few of those names already thanks to various historical directories and other publications

I had better bring my glasses on my next trip to the library!

Liam

Leftovers - Best Beer/Food/Travel Nonposts 2015

Okay.
I admit it.
I'm a lazy, lazy Blogger sometimes.

Last year my Blog should have had perhaps 10 more posts but the Lethargy, Apathy and Fatigue Fairies worked their wicked ways on me and some of the most important posts of the year were left behind in dog eared notebooks, worn receipts and cloud-loaded photos.

So to right-a-wrong I've decided to do a short post about my best nonposts of 2015!

Best Meal Out

Although our meal in Sage was excellent, Bodega in Waterford probably topped it fractionally. (And anyway I did a post about them during the year so they don't count for this!)

A gorgeous tapenade appetiser, fantastic salt cod and chorizo cake for starter and the best, most tender pork belly I've ever tasted for main course, served with sauerkraut and mash.

Combined with a quick and efficient service, great wine and beer menu, and a shot of sublime Blackwater Distillery/Blacks of Kinsale Curious Still Hopped Vodka (My spirit of the year btw!), which tasted of parma violets, it was an evening I still rave about to any who will listen.

Best Meal In

This was a rabbit, mushroom and chorizo pie with mascarpone and puff pastry I made over Christmas. Sadly I forgot to take any pictures of it, so I've an excuse to make it again and post the recipe!

Best Beer Out

This is a tricky one but of all the beers I've had in various festivals and bars the best one I never Blogged about was in a Yellow Belly beer brewed by Declan in Simon Lambert & Sons in Wexford town. More surprisingly - for me - it was their lager. My notes read:

'Wow! Meaty, chewy lager, malty peanuts(?) and real lemonade. *****'

Make of that what you will but I don't give 5 stars lightly! I do remember it had loads of biscuity body and a fat feel to it that lingered just long enough on the tongue. I was still talking about it on the journey home the following day.

Best Beer In

Another really tricky one, and although I've had some fantastic Irish and foreign beers this year I went for a Belgian for a number of reasons.

Hanssens Oude Gueuze struck a chord with me as it reminded of the first time I had it in Ghent - my favourite Belgian city - and it freaked out my extended family over Christmas as I sat drinking it after dinner one evening. Many thought it a cider and couldn't understand how anyone could drink it, given its peculiar qualities.

It was fantastic with that gorgeous cheese-ridden farmyard funk and cider vinegar that I love, and paired well with the various cheeses I was stuffing myself with...

I sipped it, raved about it and admired it for about an hour.

Best Trip Away Ireland

Another tricky one but the place I should have blogged about and didn't was Wexford Town. With its busy main street and bucket loads of history it's a great spot ... although when darkness falls it becomes a bit of a ghost town but with beery refuges in the shape of the above mentioned Simon Lambert & Sons and the closeby The Sky & the Ground.

Getting a tour of the brewery in the Yellow Belly's cellar lair was a high point too. Declan gave us a rundown of how their brewery operates and their plans for the future while he was actually brewing. I doubt there is a more passionate, enthusiastic and hardworking brewer in the country, and this shines out in the quantity and quality of beer he produces. His Pale Stout, which we cajoled from the barman in The Sky & The Ground was sublime, with subtle, peaty smokiness combined with golden syrup and a malty nuttiness that I've just failed to describe adequately.

There's loads to see and do too, from the quays to the walls and even the twin churches, one of which has a  stunning Harry Clarke stained glass window. I'd highly recommend it as a weekend away destination. I really need to revisit soon and give it more time and Blogspace.

I have a few posts to catch up on so no mention of Best Foreign Trip Away for 2015, I might squeeze them into 2016!

So there you have it ... I feel a little better now after getting these leftovers off my plate.

Happy New Year!

Liam

Travel: Brussels - Deeper, Darker

She was crying as she walked, letting out huge sobs of pure sadness and despair as she trudged towards us with a cheap shopping bag in each hand, a grotty tissue clasped in her right one. She looked at the ground as she walked in a zigzag fashion up the street towards the Palace of Justice. She had a light frame, gaunt features and straggly hair but did not appear to be a homeless person, like the others we had seen all over Brussels. As she stumbled towards us I stopped dead in the street and watched her approach. The rest of my group were further down the street, admiring the view over the city and trying to spot the Atomium, which is visible from almost every piece of high ground.

Her cries and sobs didn't seem to be anything to do with the hill she climbed or the weight of her bags but seemed deeper and darker than that, like the pain you feel when you lose someone close to you or are driven to the dark depths of depression by something more hurting and oppressive than any physical pain. As she got closer I noticed that she was well dressed but her physical features; her hair, her face, her eyes, reflected a person who had gone past caring how she looked. Her well worn clothes were the only hint that not too long ago she must have been a proud and dignified lady. I wondered what had happened to change her into the wraith-like creature she had now become.

I felt numb. Should I help her or speak to her? Was there any point? Would she understand? Did she want help? I stood there as she walked past me, ignoring me and everyone else on the street and being ignored by others to such an extent that I wondered was she real or some character from my mind or the past, a banshee who had followed or appeared to me here, hundreds of miles from home. I reached my hand out a fraction to see would she react but she just continued on past me, sobbing uncontrollably. One of my travelling companions - Pete - was walking back up to me now, wondering why I was standing transfixed on the street, as he hadn't noticed this apparition of sadness, pity and despair, .

            'Did you see that lady?' I said to him, nodding up the street in the direction she had departed. 'She's crying.'

            'Oh,' he said, a look of genuine concern crossing his face, 'Is she alright?'

            'I'm not sure. Did you not see her?' I said, slightly aggravated, and annoyed with myself for doing nothing.

            'No, I wasn't minding to be honest,' he said. 'I'm sure she'll be OK ...' and with a shrug he headed down the street after the others.

She had disappeared over the top of the hill by now and no sign of her passing remained. Again I got the uneasy feeling that I was the only person who had seen the woman, even though I knew she was real, or at least thought I knew she was real at the time - if that makes sense.

A wave of emotions suddenly swamped me as guilt, sympathy, uselessness, empathy, helplessness and anger washed through my mind and left me feeling lost and alone. Perhaps this was how the woman had felt? By now the others were at the bottom of the hill. They hadn't seen the lady so I couldn't blame them for their lack of concern.

Slowly and deliberately, I placed one foot in front of the other and headed down the hill to catch up with them. Every now and again I looked behind, knowing I wouldn't see her but hoping I would. I never saw her again but her sorrow haunted me for days and nights afterwards.

To be honest, it still does.

Savour Kilkenny 2015 (Part 3): Pulled Pork, Preserves and (Half) Pints

I fully believe I was the first person to 'do' pulled pork in Ireland.

This was before it was cool of course, and I don't mean it in any boastful way. You see for years I've been a major fan of pork shoulder, a cheap cut that my local butcher sells at a very reasonable price. I cook it low and slow and therefore it has a natural inclination to fall off the bone in tender shreds of piggy goodness. So I've always teased it apart and added back in the reduced juices if  it was cooked in the oven, or make up a separate gravy if done on the barbecue. I'd serve it with rice, or mustard mash and if I had people over I'd stuff it into soft rolls with coleslaw and mustard.

So there.
It was me.
I was the first ...
...
Probably.

Of course since then it has become the norm in every meat-driven joint and fast food franchise across the land and can even be bought pre-pulled in supermarkets. We now have pulled chicken and pulled beef amongst other pulled meat products. I became so sick of the pork-wagon-jumping I stopped pulling my own and just try to slice it into big chunks now, letting guests pull it themselves if the so wish!

But every now and again I do get a hankering.

Anyway, back to Savour ...

Having left the Beer vs Wine discussion I had a hunger and thirst that needed solving, and although I was initially going to solve the thirst issue first, my nose and then the rest of my body was drawn to an inconspicuous stand at the edge of the festival. The hankering had struck again!

We were in no panic to drink anyhow, as the day was flowing perfectly. There was a clarity and natural progression to our day so far, so as long as we were on time for our train back home we could do, see, drink and eat what we liked. These festivals have always had a therapeutic quality for me, as there is a sense of detachment from the reality of work, stress and 'The Real World' in general. You can get lost in food/drink-driven forgetfulness and just focus in a purely selfish way on your own needs and wants, with guilt trying in vain to force its way into your psyche.

So Nige - my vegetarian fellow therapy seeker - went in search of falafels and I headed towards the porky smell. I had came across The Goode Life Food Co. at other festivals so felt I was in safe hands and sure enough, their chalkboard had just one item - spit roasted pulled pork. Resisting the urge to shout out, 'You're just copying me!' I placed my order.

It was served in a fresh soft roll with mustard, fried onions and relish, and just as I sat on the wall to tuck into all that oozing glory, the sun went in and it started to rain. I'm sure I looked a sight trying to balance an umbrella, notebook, phone and bag as I devoured my lunch in record time.

And then it was time for a beer ... or maybe two.

The beer tent was getting full at this stage with a nice mob of locals and tourists, and youngish and oldish all smiling, relaxing and enjoying life in a way that only a mix of sated bellies and honest, decent beer can do. Although the marquee seemed larger than last year the number of breweries looked around the same, which disappointed the greedy beer ticker in me. But Irish microbreweries were well represented with O'Hara's, Costello's, Dungarvan, Trouble and Metalman all there, although Trouble had bottles only, which seemed a bit of a cheat!

First up was Equinox from Metalman, a refreshing wheat lager - a spicy yet mild palate cleanser that scraped away the last of the pulled pork and left a lingering citrus kick of lime and lemon.

Next was supposed to be Dungarvan's Black Rock but they had , er, tap issues so I went for their Copper Coast instead, which had its usual soft caramel flavour with a tiny touch of spiciness from the hops, but was probably the wrong choice after the wheat beer.

Carlow Brewing (O'Hara's) was my next stop where I had my first taste of their (then) new beer in the single Hop Adventure series. This time it was the Australian bred Galaxy hop, which turned out to be lemondrop and sour apple sweets combined, and was as well made and easy to drink as all of O'Hara's beers tend to be.

Time was pressing on and we decided to take another wander around the festival to look at some of the sellers who were plying their wares in the various tents, marquees and parked vans.

Some of the highlights for me were:

Wildabout from Wexford with their Nettle Pesto and Celtic Roots chutney.

Rebel Chilli from Cork with an amazing Jalapeno and Raspberry jelly.

The local Speltbakers with a fabulous array of bread and baked goods.

The Truffle Fairy, also localish, and their amazing goats cheese, thyme and lemon truffles.

We finished up back at the beer tent with a glass of Metalman Windjammer - a dry and sharp amber beer with lemon cardamom, tropical fruit and brown sugar. I combined this with an unbelievably tender Kangaroo skewer, cooked fresh with just rapeseed oil and a shake of salt. It was superb!

So that was it, it was time to head for the train, detouring on the way to the packed-to-the-rafters Shortis Wong deli and then a last drink in Billy Byrnes - a glass of 9 White Deer Black Lightning - all good milk chocolate and smoky, black cardamom.

On the train back to Carlow we talked about Kilkenny and the festival. It had been a long day with two excellent talks and buckets of atmosphere and a vibrancy I'd only previously experienced in markets and festivals abroad.

The weather helped, as did the location in the shadow of Kilkenny Castle but it was more than that ...
I wrote down the following words: Vibrant, Eclectic, Ethnic, Electric, Passion, Atmosphere, Buzz, Busy but perhaps I should let them stand alone rather than try to put them into sentences.

From a personal point of view the day was a success too. It was the comfort of familiar travelling clothes, my usual bag, my notebook, my companion and knowing the city and festival itself to a degree. But more than that it was the way the day flowed, like honey dripping from a spoon - unstoppable, clear and mesmerising and the lack of pressure and any real urgency. (Apart from the talks!) A day for forgetfulness and a way of leaving your worries behind temporarily.

It really showed me that great festivals like this are about more than just the food and drink. They're about how they positively impact on the people who attend and those that speak, demonstrate and sell their own products with such passion.

And from my experience that's a major selling point that's rarely promoted.

To food and drink - therapy through taste!

Liam

24th October 2015

(Savour Kilkenny 2015 (Part 1) is here and (Part2) here btw.)

Recipe: Brewer's Banana Bread - with Spent Grain

I'm a bit of a hoarder.

Our shed and both attics are chock-full of all kinds of books, electronics and other items from our past because I hate the idea of throwing out anything just in case I might need it. This affliction has also had an affect on the food, drink and leftovers in the house too, as we try as much as possible to use, re-use, freeze or pickle anything that's hanging around in the darker recesses of the various food compartments.

This reached a new disturbing level a few months back when I started drying vacuum and packing some of the spent grains left over from my homebrew mash.

But what to do with them? My previous attempt at flapjacks turned out pretty good so I decided to press on to something more akin to proper baking, which I'm normally not too good at to be honest, but after a bit of trial and error (Mostly error to be honest!) I ended up with this recipe.

I'm pretty happy with it in general but feel free to tweak it to suit your taste. I used a porter grain that had a chocolatey character but you could add chocolate chips instead of the sultanas ... or perhaps some nuts either.

Enjoy!

Liam

Ingredients:

150g Softened Butter
75g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
75g White Sugar
175g Self-Raising Flour
100g Spent Grain
2 Eggs
2 Ripe Bananas
40g Sultanas

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 175C
• Butter the base and sides of a 22cm x 11cm x 6cm loaf tin
• Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until well mixed
• Blend in the flour, spent grain and eggs
• Mash the bananas, add to the bowl and mix well
• Finally fold in the sultanas
• Bake for an hour or so but I'd advise checking after 50 mins by inserting  a skewer to see if it's baked - if it comes out clean the bread is done!
• Leave to rest and cool before slicing. It can be served as is or sliced, toasted and buttered if you're up to it! (By the way, the texture is quite light and loose so take care when cutting it.)

Savour Kilkenny 2015 (Part 2): Beer vs Wine II - Decanted Banter

As we sat watching Caroline, Colm and Pascal set up for their showdown, I wondered whether we were appearing too eager, like giddy kids fidgeting in the front row of a pop concert. No one else was seated even though the entertainment was due to start in fifteen minutes, which surprised me somewhat as I assumed the event would be well attended. I was also a little surprised that Savour didn't put an 'Up Next ...' chalkboard or poster on the stage to let those wandering through the large marquee - where it was being held - know what was about to happen.

But perhaps they were right, as with the stage literally set, the seats around us started to fill up and pretty soon it was standing room only as the latecomers squeezed in at the back of the seating area. Sláinte author (along with Kristin Jensen) Caroline Hennessy and sommelier Colm McCan took to the stage, with the  Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau acting as an over qualified bottle opener and glass dispenser at the start. Caroline began proceedings by handing out malted barley for the audience to try, insisting that we all have a little taste. I presume that this was a clever ploy to attune people's palates to the beery side of the battle which she was of course pushing. Colm then started pushing for the grapes' side and soon the playful banter was in full flow as each extolled the virtues of their particular tipple, with Pascal giving his somewhat partisan opinions from the wings too when he could get a word in edgeways.

The basic idea of this 'discussion' was to pit beer or cider against wine to find out which was the best accompaniment for the samples of food provided by local producers. Caroline and Colm would tell us why their choice of drink went better with the food and at the end of the 'talk' we would all vote to see which was the best choice. Having attended the event the previous year I knew what to expect but I had enjoyed it so much last time I had decided to drag my mate Nige along and experience the fun again. It helped that Nige was a bit of a wine buff so it was something I thought he'd enjoy.

Obviously I was on the beer and cider side.

First up was Trout Pâté from Goatsbridge in Kilkenny on spelt bread from the also local Speltbaker, glorious in its own right but Caroline had paired it with Irish Cockagee Keeved Cider, while Colm had gone for a Spanish Bodegas Menade Rueda Verdejo. The wine - I must admit - had a lovely citrus-gooseberry, dry taste that went really well with the creamy pâté, cutting through its mild fishy flavour and cleansing the palate. The cider was a low carbonated medium style with a gorgeous sweet, golden raisin flavour. Both were excellent in their own way but I did feel that the wine had the edge in this pairing to my admittedly odd palate. Nige liked both of the drinks but did not commit one way or another as to which he preferred. Perhaps I forgot to ask ... or I wasn't paying attention!

Next up was Knockanore Oakwood Smoked Cheese from Waterford and Colm had chosen a French Santa Duc Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes made with grenache and syrah. He sold it to us on its merits obviously but then added a spiel about a local large singing owl that gave its name to the wine - he was obviously going for the novelty value! Caroline had chosen the very local Costellos Red Ale and talked us through the subtle malt flavours we were tasting as we sampled it with the cheese. The cheese itself was mouth-melting and lightly smoked without being harsh, a tricky thing to achieve with such subtle base flavours. For me there was no contest, as although the wine was superb in its own right, with lovely big, bold berry flavours and an earthiness that I liked, it couldn't compete in a pairing with the smoked cheese. The perfect balance of the malt with the cheese won this one for me.

Nige disagreed.

Pascal was talking more now, explaining with the passion and panache that only those with Gallic blood can truly ooze about the origins of the wines, the people behind them and the ethos that drives their production. But Caroline wasn't letting Colm or Pascal schmooze the audience too much as she emphasised the localness of irish beer and cider, and how these products are more relevant and important to this country than imported wine. As our three hosts bantered back and forth I was struck by how much they love what they do. You could hear it in their voices, inflections and tone as well as their facial expressions and hand movements - and by their stances both literal and figurative. I was a little jealous to be honest that they were immersed in work that let them express themselves in such a passionate way about produce they clearly loved.

Anyhow, last up was the dessert round. I'm not really a dessert person and don't consider myself having a sweet tooth but as Caroline stretched for a tin on the couch behind her my interest piqued as I guessed what it contained. Caroline's brownies are talked about in not-so-hushed tones within the beer-food circles I occupy from time to time. I dare say that if Caroline and Kristin's book fell off of a bookshelf in many a kitchen it would land with this recipe facing up! This time, as well as stout and chocolate, she had added whole Oreo cookies to the tray - she wasn't pulling any punches during this battle! She paired the brownies with the 8 Degrees Knockmealdown Stout she had added to the cookies, while Colm had plumped for a sweet malbec from Cahors in France - Chateau du Cedre Malbec Vintage. This had a boozy sweet cherry quality - a 'Wow!' wine to say the least - which made it a fantastic dessert wine in its own right but again for me it was no contest as far as the pairing was concerned, the stout just complemented the uber chocolate brownies perfectly.

Again Nige disagreed.

And so it was time for the public vote:

Cider won the first round, then wine won the second (People fixating on the singing owl name - Pah!), and seemingly it was a draw for dessert (Harumph!) - a result that was designed to keep everyone happy perhaps. And so for the second year running the public vote was a draw.

But to my mind people weren't actually treating the contest as a proper pairing, they were just judging which drink they liked. Maybe that's just sour grapes (Hah!) from me but I did feel that once again beer and cider were jipped.

So after being truly and uniquely entertained by our hosts, who we thanked and chatted to at the end - Nige bending Pascal's ear about obscure regional French wines while I was my usual socially awkward, foot shuffling self, we set off in search of more than just small samples of beer.

Luckily we didn't have far to go ...

Liam

24th October 2015

(Savour Kilkenny 2015 (Part 1) is here btw.)