Toured the Midleton Distillery today (5-21-26) and had Myles as our tour guide. Myles was very…read morepersonable and had vast knowledge of the distillery as well as the processes of making whiskey. The grounds were vast and we were able to see various phases of whiskey making. At the end of the tour we had a whiskey tasting of three varieties followed by a cocktail at their bar. This tour was great and there was so much more to see than The Teeling Whiskey Tour in Dublin. I recommend The Midleton Distillery Tour to travelers.

Great experience at Midleton. The property is beautiful and in a lovely town…read more Our tour guide Cassy was incredibly knowledgeable and informative. She expertly answered the myriad of questions she was presented with. We opted for the higher priced premium tasting, which included a tasting of the distillery specific Jameson, Redbreast 15, and Midleton Very Rare. That too was a good experience overall, with a different host guiding us through the tasting, but it was definitely rushed. It was clear that the employee was under the gun to move us along. Each whiskey was wonderful, but it felt odd downing a taste of Midleton like a shot. The tour concluded with an included drink in the bar. Most of us opted for a Jameson and Ginger, made with Fever Tree ginger ale, given the unusually warm weather Ireland was experiencing. We also bought a "Spot" flight to sample three of those brand (Red Spot was amazing). Lastly, the wife and I perused the gift shop and the glorious Midleton vault of rare years and editions. Another employee, Michael, was informative and generous with his time as he talked about the whiskey's history and the significance of the various releases. He had no problem answering our questions regarding bottles valued at tens of thousands of Euros, even though we were clearly not in the market for one. He was able to approach the whiskey from both the perspective of a collector and an enthusiastic consumer. Our time in the vault was almost like a second tour and we spent so much time in it that our adult children began to think we had gone missing. We finally left, purchasing a bottle of the Dair Ghaelach release, matured in casks made from the wood of a native Irish tree (which we learned is very rare). While its cost was dwarfed by many of the rare bottles present, it was definitely more than we are used to spending on a bottle. We intend to keep it as a collector's piece, on par with "artwork." However, Michael would probably encourage us to enjoy it on the many special occasions that life brings us : )

BRADLEY'S Called into Bradley's, North Main Street, to…read morebrowse among their 700 wines. Wouldn't you know it - they didn't have the Four Sisters Shiraz that I was on the lookout for. At least that was my excuse for calling. They had some bargains, one Australian Shiraz I had bought elsewhere before Christmas was marked down by three euro. The Penfold's Rawson Retreat range was also down by that amount and I treated herself (my excuse) to a bottle of Semillon Chardonnay. They also have huge ranges of spirits and beers but I didn't have time to check them all or the arms to carry them. Settled for a few beers on this occasion and am now looking forward to sampling Pilsner Urquell (€2.99), Rick Stein's Chalky's Bark Open (€2.99) and, from Oz, Hahn Premium (€1.89). My father always maintained that Bradley's had the best bottled Irish beer in town but they have now spread their wings and are well worth a visit. Service, by the way, was relaxed and friendly.

I feel I was ripped off but have nobody but myself to blame. I knew this was a new distillery with…read moreno historical or architectural significance so why did I book a tour for €60? Yes it came with a "premium" tasting but that should be €20 max. The tour, lasting about an hour, was in part a commercial for their distillery/brewery. Why should I pay them to listen to an ad? Admittedly the tour included behind the scenes of the facility with its modern brewing and distilling operations, and explanations of how it all works. All of which I've seen before at other distillery tours. Which makes me wonder, what's the draw of these tours? Once is really enough, unless it's a place with historical significance like Middleton, which I didn't get to visit. I do question some of what I heard though. On seeing the tank where the CO2 is added to the beers, I asked whether this practice was universal; is CO2 always artificially added? The response was an unqualified yes, even when I asked what they did before industrial CO2 was available? Answer: "They drank flat beer." I don't think so. The tour included the usual explanations of the process of making beer and spirits, from the ingredients through fermentation, aging, and bottling. Accompanied by open jars of samples: grains, hops, gin additives. All of which had almost no discernible smell because they were too old, probably never refreshed since they started giving tours. Besides beer and whiskey they also make gin, vodka, and rum. "Make" is stretching it for the vodka though. They don't ferment and distill the grain there. They buy 95% ethanol from a major corporate supplier and redistill it. This and several other facts weren't volunteered. I asked many questions with followups to get answers out of the guide. He may have been getting annoyed with me for forcing him to divulge these secrets. Then it came to the tasting portion of the tour. This included beer drinkers (the other couple) and whiskey drinkers (me; it was a very small group that day). That was a good way to do it because I got to hear the beer descriptions even though I wasn't drinking them. As for the whiskey, I tried 6, 3 from their standard line and 3 from their "premium" line. None were particularly good, and none were aged past 5 years, though the distillery has been in operation since 2015. Here's where it all got even stranger. As the guide was explaining the whiskeys, he told me to start with the glass labeled 4, after he confirmed with an associate by phone. So I did, pretending to agree with his tasting notes. Then 5. Then 6. I commented on its smokiness. That got his attention. He was puzzled, investigated, and consulted with his associate again. Turns out it was wrong! The first three to try were 1, 2, and 3! So he refilled 4, 5, and 6, then poured more into 1 for good measure. So I had a lot of whiskey! I protested slightly, not seriously, and he laughed it off saying I'd be fine on my bike (he knew because he saw me riding up in my rental). Understand I'm not complaining or faulting him in any way for this, just adding the detail. I know how much to drink and I didn't even finish it all. As for the tour's ending, I didn't like how that went. As soon as he finished his explanations of the beers and whiskeys, he thanked us for coming. We were all still finishing up. By the time he basically repeated the same thanks again, it was clear it was time to go. Not the nicest way to end the experience.

Hidden away in the popular fishing village this tiny brewery is a great find. You can do a brewery…read moretour, but it is so small I wouldn't bother. Just head upstairs to the nice bar - or sit on the sun trap balcony if the weather is nice and sample the wars. All the house beers are really good, especially the stout, and they even sell a decent range of clothing.

Excellent service great beef tenders. Had a wonderful conversation with one of the beer backs. And…read morewas very knowledgeable with the local beers they serve. Honestly felt like home away from home here in Cork!

Stopped into Rising Sons Brewery for a flight of their craft beer. The inside aesthetic was a mix…read moreof a brewery and sports bar. They had great music playing! They currently had (6) of their beers on tap and flights offer (3) beers to taste. We got the Handsum (indian pale ale), Wheat Dreams (german wheat), and Mí Daza (irish stout). The bartender was super friendly and gave us a good background on the brewery, their beers, and why there was a giant hippo hung in the brewing area. They have minimal merchandise but the beers were really good!

The green warehouse of Curious Wines is bright and unmissable and Number 36 brightens up that…read morecorner of the Kinsale Road Commercial Centre. It is also big which means you have loads of room in the aisles and they have plenty of room to display their impressive range of wines. It is the new base of brothers Mike and Matt Kane who have moved form Bandon after 18 months or so there. Space and location were the main attractions in making the move for Curious Wines, whose website has won Best in Ireland (2009) and who feature in the Bridgestone Best in Ireland 2010. "We are now settled in and happy with the location," Mike told me on a recent visit. "We've used the web to let people know of the move and word of mouth, perhaps the best recommendation, is now having its effect." "It is so convenient for so many people, just one minute off the Kinsale Road roundabout. Quite a few made the trip out to Bandon but it wasn't a regular trip and that seems to be happening here." "The proximity of Smyths Toys also means a huge footfall in the centre and indeed quite a few tired parents drop in to buy a consolatory bottle after hours spent on toys. I know the feeling, as I'm a parent myself."

Pretty good tasting beers. The bar itself is definitely quite eclectic and cool. Got pretty busy…read morefairly early on but we still enjoyed a flight.

My daughter found this place, so all three of us came for a taste of their beer and pizza not only…read moredo they have a pub like inside seating but they also have a covered outdoor patio, which is delightful with flowers and lots of city. The pizza was absolutely some of the best I've ever had. I would highly recommend it if I lived in Ireland I would call this place my home anyway fun place great beer, great spirits and it's at a reasonable price definitely worth a stop by.

KARWIG WINES 13.05.10 Off to the Dordogne at the weekend and…read moregot in a little wine practice last evening with a bottle of Chateau Belingard's silver medal Bergerac rouge. According to the http://www.chateaubelingard.com own website, this wine, "known for its Cabernet Sauvignon nose, can happily accompany most dishes". "It is ideal with all types of meat..or with fish or cheese." Tested it with a Spaghetti Bolognaise and later with the Europa League final! It was slightly cool, just like the weather, as suggested and very enjoyable: fresh. Blackberry, medium bodied. Must admit, I didn't get too much of the "cabernet sauvignon nose" but otherwise, it was all there. You don't have to go to France to get your hands on the Belingard wines as Karwig Wines have a selection and the rouge costs €11.15. KARWIG WINES 12.02.10 Karwig Wines do business in a peaceful rural setting near the satellite town of Carrigaline. Amazingly, they have some 800 wines on offer. Founder Joe Karwig says he tends to the Old World Wines himself: France, especially Italy, and Germany of course. "But I'm quite happy to drink some of the New World wines, such as the Pinot Noirs from New Zealand." We asked Joe if there is any new producer country on the horizon. "Well the Eastern European countries are old producers but suffered under Communist rules. That was bad for them. But new companies from the west are investing there, quite a lot of money is going in and a resurgence is expected." Joe himself had been working in the UK with a Germany exporting company in the UK and came over to Ireland in the mid seventies, doing his bit for the same company. At the end of 1978, he started out on his own working out of a Cork bonded warehouse on the City Docks where he was handicapped by restricted opening times, especially at weekends. So he, and his wife Betty, took the gamble. It might not have been the best of times for a new business but Joe stuck with it and now his stock is spread over three warehouses, one in the city and another in North Cork plus the Carrigaline base, catering for restaurants, hotels, pubs, corporate companies and private customers. He has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Joe is a Riesling fanatic: "It is the best white wine. I like the wines from the Nahe River where my favourite winemaker is Dönnhoff. Carl Ehrhard also makes excellent wines. We have a good selection here and indeed probably have the biggest selection of German wines in Ireland and we also have some from Austria which I also like." Karwig carry Rieslings from Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia. By the way, if you want to get to know German wines, here are three from Karwig that will provide you with an important first step: Burgerspital Wurzburg 2008 Silvaner Trocken (Franken region); Carl Ehrhard Rudesheimer, Berg Rottland, Riesling, Spätlese Trocken 2008 (Rheingau); Erbeldinger WeiSer Burgunder Spätlese, Trocken, Bechtheimer Hasensprung 2007 (Rheinhessen). We asked Joe and marketing manager Maurice O'Mahony if rivals were emerging to Champagne's position as the queen of sparkling wine. "People are that bit more price conscious at present but there are also fashions. Nowadays, quite a lot of Prosecco is sold - you couldn't sell it ten years ago. It isn't just about price. Some people do prefer to drink Prosecco as it has less acidity than champagne and has a richer taste." Maurice, who keeps Karwig in focus on his blog,on Twitter and via Facebook, told me that they will deliver anywhere in Ireland. "We do the local deliveries ourselves but use a courier for the rest of the country. We will deliver in the bigger cities in 24 hours but it could take twice that in the more rural places." Full details of the impressive Karwig operation are available on their website http://www.karwigwines.ie/ where you may also sign up to the blog and follow Maurice on Twitter and through their Facebook Fan Page. Best of all, if you are in the area, call in and sample the relaxed friendly approach of this company. Don't be shy if you know nothing about wine. They'll help you out and won't blind you with the science. Maurice: "Every day, we open several bottles for customers to try out. We do our best to have a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere in our shop. We cater for the serious wine connoisseur, the casual wine drinker and everyone in between. We love talking about wine and we pride ourselves on our casual sales approach. We want your visit to be relaxed and enjoyable. And you get to go home with some lovely wine too! " For more, here is the link to the related article that John Wilson of the Irish Times did on Wurzberg http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2010/0130/1224263156797.html

THE KILN Enjoyed my recent visit to the Kiln, the…read morehospitality "pub" of Heineken Ireland. There are no public tours of this brewery and unlikely to be according to a spokesman who said the modern computer controlled processes, largely conducted out of sight, weren't conducive to a tour situation. "Who wants to see a few people pressing buttons?" So if you want to get to the Kiln you'll have to rely on an invitation. I have been lucky enough to get a few over the years and things have changed there in the last 12 months. Previously, you had a choice of Heineken products e.g. Murphy's Stout plus Heineken and Amstel lagers. But since the Dutch giants took over the other brewery in the city, you may now sample Beamish Stout and Fosters Lager. It is still a little strange to see the two rivals now advertised side by side on posters around the Kiln. But I took advantage of the occasion to enjoy a few pints of Beamish this time. Variety is the spice of life!