https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=254&v=eh7lp9umG2I
Since I’m getting my train tracks on today, I will be numbing myself with codeine and booze for the weekend. Cheers, filthbags!
CALLING ALL GIN FANS: WITNESS THE BEST BARTENDERS IN THE BUSINESS AT THE BEEFEATER MIXLDN COCKTAIL COMPETITION IRISH FINAL
Beefeater, the world’s most awarded gin*, invites gin fans to register for the chance to attend the most exciting mixologist event in Ireland this year. Join Beefeater Master Distiller Desmond Payne, Global Brand Ambassador Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge and a host of Ireland’s best bartenders at Fade Street Social on Wednesday September 30th at 6pm for the Irish finals of the Beefeater MIXLDN Global Bartender Cocktail Competition. Members of the public can register their name and be in with a chance of receiving a ticket for two places at this exclusive event by emailing aoife@conwaycommunications.ie
Gin enthusiasts attending on the night will have the chance to witness some of the best bartenders in the business battle it out to become the national winner. Each finalist will showcase their cocktail skills by creating a gin cocktail they feel best encapsulates the spirit of London, the home of Beefeater London Dry Gin. Finalists will have their cocktails judged by Beefeater Global Brand Ambassador Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge and local ambassador Ciara Farrell, with guests on the night also asked to vote for their winning cocktail.
Ah, heya, Ciara.
Not only that, ten lucky ticket holders and their guests will have the chance to experience a gin tasting session with Master Distiller Desmond Payne. With over 45 years’ experience in the industry no one knows more about gin!
Since its launch in 2011, Beefeater MIXLDN has continued to grow in popularity with entries from 30 countries taking part last year, and more set to participate in 2015. In the same way London takes influences from around the world to constantly re-invent itself, MIXLDN 2015 invites entrants to take a classic gin recipe created no later than 1950 and re-work it using modern London as inspiration with Beefeater or Beefeater 24 as the spirit base.
The winner on the night will receive a three day trip to London, where they will represent Ireland at the global final in January 2016 and enjoy a series of exclusive experiences, as well as access to some the world’s most iconic institutions and renowned leaders from inside and outside the bar industry, to help inspire and develop their craft further.
The winner of Beefeater MIXLDN 2015 will become Beefeater’s Apprentice Brand Ambassador and will have the opportunity to support the brand’s team of Global Ambassadors for one year. After in-depth one-to-one training at Beefeater: The Home of Gin in London, the Global Champion will represent Beefeater at exclusive events in their geographic region and will travel to some of the world’s most prestigious bartender events, including the Moscow Bar Show and the Berlin Bar Convent.
*certified by Digitab research in 2015
Be A Culture Vulture For Free
Towns and cities across the country are gearing up to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ireland’s annual cultural extravaganza, Culture Night, as it returns on Friday 18th September. From museums, galleries, libraries and theatres to cathedrals, parks and government buildings, venues from Dublin to off-shore islands will throw open their doors for FREE tours, workshops, readings, performances and demonstrations for all the family.
This year’s Culture Night, with the theme ‘Revolves Around You’, will have the biggest number of participating locations of 40 across the island of Ireland.
Food and drink highlights-
Downstairs Dublin – The Irish Times are once again curating and creating talks, architectural ideas, installations, foodie fun, gardens, a give-away library, projections and pop up events for a truly unique experience in the heart of Georgian Dublin. The food highlight for this year is ‘Soundbites’, a tantalising taste experience where as well as food, the menu will include topics of conversation. Participants will eat with a stranger and be led through a number of different questions and topics during the meal. It’s a chance to meet someone new, explore and engage, perhaps learn a little something – and eat something delicious of course!
Afra- Eorpach – Afra-Eorpach present a Cultural Food Cooking Tutorial. Learn how to make well-known dishes from the African Continent. Taste some of the food samples, and enjoy some African music. www.meetup.com/Afro-European-Exploration-Meet-up
Airfield Estate – Take a tour of the house and delve into the Overend family archive. Sample some Airfield recipes from the Overends restaurant Chef, and even have the chance to taste Airfield’s own jersey herd milk. www.airfield.ie
My boyfriend, Rick Stein at Hodges Figgis – Dublin
Chef, restaurateur, cookery book author and television presenter Rick Stein will be in conversation with Newstalk’s Henry McKean in Hodges Figgis Dawson Street between 6 and 6.30pm. www.facebook.com/hodges.figgis
Bluefire on Smithfield Sq – On the eve of their annual Festival, BlueFire are delighted to bring their Smithfield Summer Picnics to Culture Night, but with a twist. Bask in the glow of candlelight, enjoy live music, performances and workshops. Pack some delicious treats and join the fun on Smithfield Square for an evening under the stars! www.bluefiredublin.ie
Teeling Whiskey Distillery – The first new distillery to open its doors in Dublin in over 125 years, the Teeling Whiskey Distillery is the ultimate destination for all whiskey fans from both home and abroad. Visitors on Culture Night will learn how the latest generation of Teelings in Jack and Stephen are carrying on the family’s legacy which originally began in 1782 with Walter Teeling opening a craft distillery on Marrowbone Lane in the Liberties area of Dublin. www.teelinghistory.com
L’Attitude 51 – Cork This is a follow-on event from last year’s hugely successful Wine Geese: The Next Generation event. Visitors on Culture Night can enjoy a virtual tasting which involves Irish winemakers around the world skyping into L’Atitude 51 from their respective locations for a virtual wine tasting. Dermot Sugrue of Wiston Estate, West Sussex; Marian Smith of Elgin Ridge, South Africa and Fleur McCree of Little Beauty, New Zealand joined the participants via skype on a big screen to talk through their wines, which were poured for participants in L’Atitude 51. www.latitude51.ie
Franciscan Well Brewery – Cork
Experience Cork’s Craft Beer Culture with a short brewery tour and beer tasting at the Franciscan Well Brewery. See how beer is made, learn about homebrewing and master the art of beer tasting…and some food pairing. www.franciscanwellbrewery.com
Dublin Bus will provide FREE buses every 20 minutes starting on Bachelor’s Walk, Aston Quay, Trinity College and Parkgate St bringing visitors to and from their favourite cultural quarters. These FREE buses will be fully programmed with on-bus entertainment!
Irish Rail and DART will offer 100 free family passes for travel on Culture Night itself.
In Cork, Bus Éireann will be providing 3 complimentary bus routes to cater for those on the cultural hunt.
The full programme of events and participating venues for Culture Night 2015 will be available onwww.culturenight.ie from the mid August.
Join the conversation online at http://www.facebook.com/CultureNight, http://www.twitter.com/CultureNight andwww.instagram.com/CultureNight #CultureNight # LoveCulture
Download the Culture Night APP for free in the ITunes App Store or in Google Play.
Debbie Does Happy Friday
(via Failbook)
Orangina is Back!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-KgQyAwa7g
Little Baby Cheesus wept, do you remember how fancy we felt as young ones with the orange bubble bottle? 
I used to get Orangina as a treat when playing bingo with my Gran. We kept winning the games and were eventually invited to not come back as geriatric mutters around the hall deemed it a fix. Thus ending my high faluting gambling and WINNING Orangina high. Not long after, Orangina disappeared altogether. I blame the blue rinse bastards.
Me h8rs r me motiv8rs
Although Orangina disappeared from my young notion-y life, we discovered Chubby bottles during the summer of ’96 in Coláiste na Rosann Gaeltacht in Annagry.
That summer was known for a few things-Chubby bottles, massive bags of broken biscuits for a pound, getting the house daughter to translate Alanis Morrisette’s Ironic as Gaeilge for us to perform at the ‘talent’ show..nach bhfuil sé ironic? Ceapann tú? Not to mention poor Sonia getting the squits in the Atlanta Olympics and me being so riddled with hand warts it made the evening Céilís super awks.
Whereas Orangina evokes memories of Mediterranean hollibobs (imagined)/ making it raaaain at bingo (real), Chubby drinks mean scaling rocky mountain West Donegal roads sustained by smashed chocolate fingers and pink shnack pieces. Both have a very special place i mo chroí forever (some probably now cholesterol).
Unlike Chubby bottles however, Ordinginit is here. We’re both making a comeback.
Orangina is now available in stores nationwide in 420ml bottles at an RRP of €1.45 and in selected cafes in 420ml and 250ml glass bottles nationwide.
(vid: Al C YouTube, pics: nouvellevaguela.com, flikr.com)
Happy Friday!
O’HARA’S ‘SORACHI ACE’ FROM THE ‘HOP ADVENTURE’ SERIES TAKES TASTE BUDS ON A WORLDWIDE TRIP
O’Hara’s® Irish Craft Beers has launched ‘SORACHI ACE’ single hop IPA, and the first of the ‘Hop Adventure Series’, developed to showcase the most interesting hops from around the world, with Japan as the first stop.
The beer was brewed to allow the hops to display their full flavour and aroma. The style is a single hop India Pale Ale, meaning one hop was used for bittering, aroma and several doses of dry-hopping*.
SORACHI ACE, a single hop IPA, will be available to try next weekend at both Cat Laughs (O’Hara’s are official pouring partners) and at the craft beer tent at Bloom.
Website: www.carlowbrewing.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OHarasIrishStoutsAndAles
Twitter: twitter.com/OHarasBeers
Instagram: instagram.com/oharasbeers
‘Gin Lane Market’ Featuring World’s Most Awarded Gin At House Dublin
Is that Desmond? If so, awoooooga…..
Starting Thursday 14th May, and running every Thursday until July 2nd in House, Leeson Street, two of Ireland’s finest Gin experts, Ciara Farrell, Beefeater and Rafael Agapito, Head Mixologist at House will share the secrets of the world’s most awarded gin – Beefeater London Dry Gin – in the Beefeater Gin Lane Market Experience.
Beefeater’s Gin Lane Market Experience will be part of House’s Summer Series for eight weeks and invites consumers to choose their bespoke Gin & Tonic based on Beefeater’s Botanical flavours. The experience is FREE and drinks are discounted to €5; FIVE EURITS, PEOPLE!
Beefeater is the very definition of a traditional London Dry Gin and the benchmark of Gins from a distillation, historical and flavour perspective. Traced back to 1863 and still hand made in London today, Beefeater has now created Gin Lane Market Experience to teach Gin fans in Dublin about botanicals, the distillation process and the various ways you can drink a Gin & Tonic. Using nine different distinctive botanicals for flavour, Beefeater steeps the peel of lemons and Seville oranges, whole juniper berries and other natural botanicals for a full 24 hours prior to distillation. This taste experience will be brought to life as consumers pair their favourite botanical with market flavours to create their own bespoke Gin & Tonic.
· BEEFEATER SEVILLE ORANGE: Beefeater & Tonic with The Bitter Truth Orange bitters & peeled orange garnish. Seville Orange Peel is Beefeaters most famous and distinctive Botanical, the fresh, clean, citrus notes make it instantly recognisable. Orange bitters & garnish will draw out the sweet, delicate flavours.
· BEEFEATER JUNIPER CLASSIC: Beefeater & Tonic with The Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic bitters & a wedge of orange. The essential botanical in all gins, the juniper used in Beefeater grows wild in Italy and Macedonia and is harvested by hand. It provides the distinctive taste from which all the other botanicals are layered onto. Paired with classic Bitters for an aromatic experience.
· BEEFEATER PEACH DUSK: Beefeater & Tonic with The Bitter Truth Peach Bitters & lemon wedge. Balance and harmony are all important when making gin. In Beefeater, angelica seeds impart fragrant, hop like notes with a floral character that enhance the musky flavours. Peach bitters & lemon wedge to create the ultimate pairing.
· BEEFEATER EASTERN TONIC: Beefeater & Tonic with The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters, lemon wedge & coriander garnish. Sourced from Russia our coriander seeds distil to release gingery sage and lemon flavours. These combine perfectly with the strong citrus elements of Beefeater to produce a spiciness that lingers. Lemon bitters & coriander to draw out our the Eastern flavour.
Discover A Life Uncorked At The 2015 Campo Viejo Tapas Trail
Hola! The highly anticipated event of the summer is back. Fans of Spanish cuisine and wine celebrate the return of the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail to the streets of Dublin and Cork this June and July. New for 2015, food and wine enthusiasts in Galway can also enjoy the culinary culture of Spanish tapas of the Tapas Trail as it hits the city in August for the very first time. Discover the true passion, generosity and vibrancy of Spain in Dublin from 3rd to 28th June, Cork from 7th to 22nd July, and Galway from 26th August to 9th September. For further information and to purchase tickets, priced at €30 per person, log onto www.campoviejotapastrail.ie.
Now an annual celebration of the best of Spanish cuisine and wine, guests on the trail discover ‘tapeo’, the art of enjoying tapas with friends and family at four of the very best tapas restaurants each city has to offer. Spend a summer afternoon or evening strolling in the sunshine, sharing a selection of authentic Spanish tapas created to complement the well balanced, tasty and round, full flavours associated with Campo Viejo Reserva.
The expressive and vibrant Spanish way of life is woven into the trail through colourful art installations by renowned Campo Viejo urban artists Okuda and Remed, on display in each of the participating restaurants. New for this year is a giant outdoor mural created especially for the Tapas Trail by Okuda in the heart of Dublin’s creative quarter at Busyfeet & Coco Café, South William St. This continues Campo Viejo’s love and association with urban art, the highlight of which is a strikingly colourful installation in the heart of its winery in Rioja created by Okuda and Remed inspired by the expressiveness of Campo Viejo.
About the Tapas Trail:
The Campo Viejo Tapas Trail takes place twice a week (Wednesday evening 6.30pm – 9.30pm and Sunday afternoon 2pm – 5pm in Dublin and Galway / Tuesday and Wednesday evenings 6.30pm – 9.30pm in Cork). Guests visit four top tapas restaurants where they are treated to the venue’s three best tapas dishes specially created to complement the well balanced, tasty and round, full flavours associated with Campo Viejo Reserva. Hosts will guide guests along the route inspiring them with local city and Spanish anecdotes and sharing their expertise and insights into the unique characteristics of Campo Viejo wines.
Dublin restaurants participating are: Bagots Hutton, Drury Buildings, Salamanca, and Zaragoza.
Cork restaurants participating are: Arthur Maynes, Bodega, Brick Lane, and Zamora.
Galway restaurants participants are: Cava, House, Sheridan’s, and The Kitchen Café.
Happy Easter!
The annual prohibition of Good Friday (with exceptions for those flying, sailing or in a hotel having a meal and the other lushy loopholes) is here. BOOOOO!!
I presume most of us stockpiled booze last night and promptly binge drank a good chunk of it? Since I can’t go more than a half bottle of wine these days without going into a chloroform soaked rag slumber, I didn’t do too badly. I still bought extra, and then extra-extra just in case. FOMO, wha’.
So, our boozy options tonight are party in the gaff or loitering dangerously in fields with dolly mixtures. Because what else would we do? Hush now and let me top up your glass.
Saturday is usually a write off. As follows where Jesus led, we will start to decompose over the rest of the weekend in a cool dark place. But don’t be too hard on yourselves, sure. 
On the third day, comes the slightly more functioning day of Easter Sunday which is spent spooning chocolate bunnies and hollow eggs.
A few hours of digestion later, we rise once again for what is traditionally bonus drinking night. What, with party time missed on Saturday and all.
And then, Easter Monday, to come blinking out into the daylight for what is known as ‘Bright Monday’ ….probably to have ‘just the one’…
Save me, Jebus!
(pics: shirtshovel.com, 9gag.com, nottamebutgood.wordpress.com)
popandglug.com 