O'Hara's Foreign Affair Red IPA 4.8% €3.25 for a 500ml bottle
Saturday is the fourth of July, so what better way to celebrate than with a bottle of Irish-American beer? O’Hara’s have just released a limited edition brew, made in collaboration with Starr Hill Brewery in Virginia, USA. "We are interested in doing collaborations with foreign breweries and we export to the US. As they also make really interesting craft beers over there, it was a natural connection," says Seamus O’Hara . The opportunity to work with Starr Hill came about mainly through their Irish CEO Brian McNelis, who used to work with Ballygowan. "They contacted us initially and we had a lot of discussions. They spent a week here brewing and doing a lot of socialising too. Their head brewer is called Robbie O’Cain so I guess there might be an Irish connection there. The plan is we will do a return match in 2016."
"We went for a red IPA, the idea being to combine an Irish malt red ale style with American hops, as they have a real track record there. Falconer’s Flight hops (a blend of hops from Northwest brewing) are hard enough to get your hands on over here, so they looked after that."
"I think it is a really interesting beer with very good flavour; the aromas really stand out," says O'Hara. They certainly do: aromas of pine combine with a strong malty caramel element. The palate is medium-bodied and full of flavour with lively citrus hops balanced nicely by a sweet maltiness, finishing dry. Deliveries are being made this week to off-licences around the country, so make sure you buy yours in time for the 4th.
Celler Lafou El Sender 2013 Terra Alta 14% €19.95
Diehard fans of Gaudi might want to make the trek to Terra Alta, some distance to the south east of Barcelona. As the name suggests, it is high up in the mountains. Three of the co-operative wine cellars in the region, in Nulles, Pinell de Brai and Gandesa were designed by César Martinell, a pupil of Gaudi. And it shows in the architecture. There must be something inspiring about Terra Alta, as Picasso also spent much of his twenties here, recuperating in the mountain air, enjoying rice cooked over wood fires. Apparently the landscape features in many of his works.
Vines have been grown here since Roman times, but were replaced by olive trees in the 18th and 19th centuries, largely because of the difficulty of transporting wine long distances. Then from the 1920's onwards, there was a move back to viticulture. Most of the wines are made and sold through the co-operatives, and much of that is used as base wine to make Cava, the Catalan sparkling wine. However, there are now almost fifty smaller producers as well, many of them making very promising red wines that have developed a following amongst those in the know. The Lafou El Sender is one such wine. It is delicious and sophisticated, overflowing with plump sweet ripe strawberries and a touch of tangy liquorice. The important thing is it remains light and juicy – thanks to all that cool mountain air. Perfect with barbecues and any red meats; just make sure you serve it cool to keep all of that lovely freshness.
Available from Mitchell & Son, IFSC, Sandycove and Avoca, Kilmacanogue; Deveney’s, Dundrum.
