brian clayton » food and drink

whitewater beers in Bradleys

Brian Clayton — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:42:13 +0000

I saw someone mention they’d picked up a new beer from Whitewater Brewery in Co. Down in Bradleys on North Main St. Obviously, this caught my eye so I headed in to see what they have.

I can’t wait to try them – if you’re interested you can pick them up in Bradleys on North Main st. as part of their 4 for €10 offer.

barefoot bohemian pilsner from 8 degrees brewing

Brian Clayton — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:16:27 +0000

They’ve gone and made a pilsner over at 8 Degrees, and it’s rather tasty.
It’s available from the usual places (€1.99 in Bradleys on North Main St in my case). Enjoy!

8 Degrees Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner

alpha dawg, the new special from the Franciscan Well

Brian Clayton — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:15:13 +0000

They’ve been at it again in the Franciscan Well, their new special is an IPA called Alpha Dawg.

I can’t wait to try this out!

I picked these up in Bradleys on North Main st. You can also get it in Hollands in Bray and the Franciscan Well itself of course.

bubble brothers blog reborn, Paul at the wheel

Brian Clayton — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:33:35 +0000

When Julian left Bubble Brothers we lost a great wine blog. Recently, Paul Kiernan, who ran my favourite (and possibly the only genuinely independant) wine blog, under the moniker Grapes of Sloth started to work for Bubble Brothers. Paul has taken over the social media side of the house, and has relaunched the blog, titled “a terroirible beauty”.
The new Bubble Brothers blog is fun and well worth a read. Plenty of competitions too, with decent prizes.

He seems to be finding the time to keep Grapes of Sloth alive too, which is great. Keep it up Paul, who needs sleep?*

* or maybe you’d be less absent minded if you did get more sleep …..

bulmers specials: spiced apple and rhubarb and honey

Brian Clayton — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:14:20 +0000

two specials from Bulmers, Spiced Apple & Rhubarb, and Spiced Apple & Honey.

Interesting!

I picked these up in Bradleys on North Main st, 4 for €10.

trying my vin-aire with a wine alliance quinta-do-judeu-2008

Brian Clayton — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:37:39 +0000

I picked up a new red to try this evening – a Quinta do Juedeu from the Douro.

It says on the bottle to decant, so I decided it was the perfect time to give my Vin-Aire a real try out. And I just got my hair cut, so I made some videos
Here’s the vin-Aire in action:

and the verdict on the Vin-Aire:

On the wine – it’s a really nice punchy red wine. I brought it out for Sunday lunch the next day and it went down a treat
with the family. I’m looking forward to trying the white in the range next!

the Corkscrew wine fair in aid of Focus Ireland

Brian Clayton — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:12:41 +0000

The lads at the Corkscrew in Dublin run a couple of
wine fairs each year, raising money for charity in the process.

This time around, with The Winter Wine Fair, they hope to raise urgently needed funds for Focus Ireland.

So, what’s on offer?

An enjoyable few lazy hours on a Sunday afternoon in Dublin’s prestigious Westbury Hotel, with an opportunity to taste over 100 of the best wines available in Ireland with great discounts on any purchases, all while enjoying the feel good factor of giving to charity.

The details

The Corkscrew Winter Wine Fair, in aid of Focus Ireland
Sunday, November 20th 12.30 – 5.30pm.
Westbury Hotel, Dublin
Tickets €25 and available online

About Focus Ireland

Homelessness in Ireland is on the rise, while funding for charities like Focus Ireland under immense pressure. Their services for people who are homeless are especially important in winter.

If you’re not sure about wine tastings, Blake Creedon (of the Examiner) has a great guide to attending one. They’re always good fun and this one also supports a worthy charity.

limited edition Shandon Century Extra Stout

Brian Clayton — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:02:39 +0000

I treated myself tonight to a couple of bottles of limited edition Shandon Century Extra Stout from the Franciscan Well Brewery in Cork City. Limited to a run of 1000 bottles (I got 197 and 199) you can get it in the Franciscan Well and in Bradleys on North Main St. Don’t leave it too long though, I expect it to be popular.

some new treats

Brian Clayton — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:05:21 +0000

A couple of new beers to try from Oregon and Kildare by way of Bradleys on North Main Street.

from left to right:
Rogue Mocha Porter, Ór Golden Ale and American Amber Ale.

spanish wine tasting at the imperial

Brian Clayton — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:13:33 +0000

I went along to the Spanish wine tasting at the Imperial this evening. They had around 20 exhibitors from all over Ireland. The usual cork folk were there, plus a good showing from the rest of the country. A few exhibitors didn’t stay around for the public part of the tasting, which is a pity.

With about 150 wines on offer, I just scanned the portfolio and then asked for recommendations.
I started with 2 from Barry & Fitzwilliam. They were both excellent, and the spiel and the rep was very friendly and informative.
I moved around and tried a couple from Bubble Brothers, Cassidy Wines, Classic Drinks and Searsons.

My three top picks from the evening were (in no particular order):

CAMPO DA BORJA, ‘TRES PICOS’, BORSAO (Searsons)
Zuazo Gaston Crianza 2007 (Classic Drinks)
Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva 2001(Cassidy Wines)

If you’ve never been to a wine tasting, Blake Creedon had a great guide to making the most of one. It’s a great evening, and you get to try out a range of wines you might not otherwise try. You can really go out of your comfort zone – if you get something you don’t like, just smile at the vendor, gently pour it away and go find something nice
In fact, tell them you didn’t like it. They won’t be offended, and they will know what they have that’s different and be able to find you something you’ll like.