McCormack’s Irish Whiskey was brought to my attention by a random tweet featuring a photo of a French supermarket spirits shelf. The discussion mainly revolved around the varying prices brought about by the taxes charged in the respective countries – but what interested me was the fact that sitting beside a well known staple – Bushmills – is a brand unheard of in Ireland – McCormack’s. A bit of digging reveals it to be a West Cork Distillers brand. For it to be listed in LeClerc stores suggests it’s quite a big seller. A European Supermarket Magazine article from January 2024 has E.Leclerc a ..read more

I picked this Radler up in a Mercadona Supermarket en España. Steinburg appears to have originated in Belgium. Most Radlers benefit by being consumed cold – & Steinburg is no exception. There’s a degree of fresh citrus on this one – yet still lacks that little bit of zing found in others. Refreshingly revitalising in the heat nonetheless. Sláinte ..read more

I’m still not exactly sure what sophisticated drinking is. It appears to involve cocktails. I like my whiskey neat – so I suppose that makes me unsophisticated. Regardless of the book’s title – it does explore the histories, stories, characters & tales of 7 major drinks categories. Brandy Vodka Whisky Rum Gin Tequila & Champagne I found it a highly entertaining, informative & enjoyable read. Just one tale illustrates. In 1852 Charles-Camille Heidsieck was touring America to promote his champagne. With the onset of Civil War Camille ran into a spot of bother, prison & ill heal ..read more

The Pogues Streams Of Whiskey is the 3rd version of Pogues Whiskey to hit the shelves. All of them are presented in visually striking bottles. Black was the colour of the 1st one. A blended Irish Whiskey hailing from West Cork Distillers. Dunnes Stores stocked this at one stage. Red signified the Irish Single Malt version – also sourced from West Cork Distillers. Purple is the choice of this 3rd edition. Also a blended whiskey but representing the London-born-to-Irish-parents-heritage of The Pogues singer Shane MacGowan, Streams Of Whiskey is a High malt blend of whiskies distilled in Irelan ..read more

One of the Irish Whiskeys uncovered in my sojourn to ProWein in Germany was Kerrighan’s. I had a very quick sample as the show was coming to a close & found it an easy going blended Irish Whiskey. On searching for further details it appears to be a Great Northern Distillery offering for a French distribution company by the name of Les Producteurs Réunis. It’s certainly flying the Green for Irish Whiskey in France! Their website also showcases many other brands spanning various spirits categories. Pity I didn’t have time to explore more of them at the show! Sláinte Les Producteurs Réunis ..read more

Crisps & Beer – it’s a winning combo. Especially if whiskey is a common feature! The inclusion of whiskey in both these products differs slightly. Keogh’s season their crisps by smoking with ex-Teeling Whiskey barrels. Brehon meanwhile rest their porter in a whiskey cask. The results are pretty damn pleasing! Keogh’s crisps have a wholesome smoked BBQ flavour which tastes natural & wholesome. Brehon’s Shanco Dubh has a dark yet sweet treacliness on the nose. A pleasing mid-bodied mouthfeel which isn’t too heavy & has depth of character with that whiskey cask goodness coming throu ..read more

There’s a bit of a rum revival going on in Scotland. Some brands import the molasses & do all the distillation, maturing & blending in the country. Others import the distillate & do a combination of maturing, blending & bottling. It can often be hard to discern what is actually done to the rum in Scotland. One brand I encountered in an Edinburgh pub – Tiles Bar if you need to know – clearly had a local theme. Leith Rum had an eye-catching red bottle adorned with a suitable nautical theme to reflect the rich historical maritime connections associated with Leith itself – traditi ..read more

I brought back a half dozen miniatures from my Scottish trip. 4 were purchased in the Wee Couper Of Fife shop in Anstruther – I always call in when passing – 1 was gifted & the last 1 bought at The Kelpies visitor’s centre. Rather than doing them individually – I thought a blind tasting was in order. Strips out any undue bias towards the selection. The Tasting The bottles & identical glasses were numbered & poured with the allocated whisky. Herself shuffled them around – then I re-entered the room & labelled them A to F. A quick fire tasting & scoring session ensued. Th ..read more

The latest release from Terra Spirits of Bailieborough, County Cavan attracted the ire of local gender rights campaigner River Sheridan. The spokesperson for the Cavan Non-Binary Coalition denounced the naming of Mr Whiskey as perpetuating the tired old stereotypes whiskey is a male only drink & projects an exclusory image of Ireland’s historical brown spirit which omits the non binary community. Ms Lillian Farelly – Inclusivity Awareness Officer for Terra Spirits -had previously stated the Mr Whiskey brand is the beginning of our export expansion plans into the American market. We are ve ..read more

I was despatched for poppy seeds for herself & found them in the local Asian Store. While inside I browsed the drinks cabinet & spotted some Malt Beverage soft drinks. Curious – one made it home. 3 Horses Malt Beverage looks like a can of beer. It shares some of the same ingredients, Barley Malt, Hops, Water & a touch of Colouring. Made under licence in the Netherlands by United Dutch Breweries, 3 Horses clearly has a wide distribution with all the languages on the label. Pours like a stout. Extremely rich bready malt on the nose. The malt dominated the palate too. A light carbo ..read more