DRINK Magazine Republic of Ireland Issue No.7 by Drinkworldwide

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INTRO INTRO

NEWS/REVIEWS NEWS/REVIEWS

aaword wordfrom fromthe thesource source Keeping Keeping youyou in the in the know know Know Knowyour yourdrink, drink,love loveyour your drink,drink drink,drinkyour yourdrink drinkand and have have a drink. a drink.

SHAKEN & STIRRED

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, SHAKEN & STIRRED it’s just more irrelevant info to Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, help you get a leg over. it’s just more irrelevant info to help you get a leg over.

09 DEGREES OF COOL

How well do you know the guy that is handing you that drink.

12 BARS IN BRIEF

A pinch of pubs, a dash of bars topped off with a shaking of clubs.

18 MIXOLOGY

RECOMMENDED

Zanzibar a touch of Africa in Dublin

14 SPIRIT EXPLAINED

Brandy… Sit back and relex, the only way to enjoy.

22 WWYLN?

Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?

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If you haven’t tried something new lately, now is your chance.

News News

Giving you the facts and nothing but the facts

Russian Allbut forthe thefacts Industry Giving you Region the facts and nothing Ewwwww! one of the youngest Executive Chefs

Is Tipping a place in China? Tipping has never really taken off in Ireland and it’s not hard to see why. All too often I’ve been sitting in a restaurant where the help are only too happy to point out that the service charge isn’t included. If you’re a waiter then take it from me, a sure fire way to guarantee you don’t get a tip is to go looking for it. You can dress it up with the whole, “Service isn’t actually included in the bill, sir”, but its still asking. Worse still are taxi drivers. I have a rule with taxis; if I ever find myself uttering the words “Wow, you learn something new everyday” whilst talking to a driver, then I’ll gladly throw an extra euro or two onto the fare. However I’ve noticed a new trend among certain taxi drivers. It’s less getting a tip and more taking advantage of the drunken punter. It usually occurs at the end of the night. The hustle goes something like this; you pull up outside your house and hand the taxi driver a note from which you’re expecting a couple of Euros change. Your head is spinning and to be honest you just want to get in the door so you can tip your head in the toilet bowl. Your eagle eyed taxi driver has spotted this and informs you he can’t find any change. You are then presented with two choices, forego getting your change or risk a soiling charge. Either way Mr. Taximan wins. My advice is simple. Get the Nitelink. It’s cheaper than tipping and it’s got linoleum floors.

At just 25 years of age, Mathieu is

Dedicates Day for Russian Couples Region to Have Sex Dedicates Day for Couples to Have Sex

Stewart Laidlaw, 35, was banished from Thirsty Kirsty’s pub in Dunfermline, Scotland, in March, Sergei Morozov, who is a regional following numerous complaints governor of a central Russian about hisisexcessive flatulence. (A province, urging to stay at Sergei Morozov, whopeople is a regional shocked Laidlaw said no one had home today haveRussian sex instead of governor of aand central complained before, but congoing to work to help boosttoRussia’s province, is urging people stay at ceded that was probably because birth rate. if thesex woman getsof home todayAlso, and have instead cigarette smoke had been masking pregnant and to hashelp a baby exactly going to work boostinRussia’s the odor untilwhich Scotland’s recent nine is woman on Russia’s birth months, rate. Also, if the gets smoking ban.) national day June 12th,inshe will pregnant andonhas a baby exactly [Dunfermline Press, 3-22-07] be ed towhich win aisnew ninequalifi months, on home. Russia’s national day on June 12th, she will Use your be qualifi ed toMouth win a new home.

FACEBOOK and BEBO

Drinkfront Magazine is has now launched featured a The lounge on both FaceBook and Bebo. new 6 week Thursday nightSocalled for whatever reason , you need a Mouthpiece. Aisgreat idea which Drink Magazine now featured Drink Experience you can to allows people a anytime chance to So listen on both FaceBook and Bebo. by onto www.drinkonline.eu an informed debate withneed a chance for logging whatever reason , you a for the links. to get everyone involved. Drink Experience anytime you canWell worth getting a drink and a by ontohaving www.drinkonline.eu Forlogging more information contact say!! Thursday s@ Lounge for thehere links. Mark at Drink, on Front mark@ until the 13th or March. drinkonline.eu 085 77 77620 For more information contact Mark here at Drink, on mark@ drinkonline.eu or 085 77 77620

FACEBOOK and BEBO

New Appointment

The Tea Room at the Clarence Hotel has just announced their new Executive Chefatasthe Mathieu Melin. The Tea Room Clarence Hotel has just announced their new Executive Chef as Mathieu Melin.

New Appointment

For all of25those Industry staff is in Mathieu is exceptionally At Ireland. just years of age, Mathieu around town, Sunday nights at The talented and has extensive one of the youngest Executive Chefs Morgan is for you. The Morgan experience both in Ireland, where Bar in Ireland. Mathieu is exceptionally ishe well known forPatrick its Cocktails and trained under Guilbauld, talented and has extensive Sunday night only getwhere better and in his native experience bothwill inFrance. Ireland, ashethere willunder be anPatrick Industry price trained Guilbauld, for Industry staff. France. With a mixture and in his native of great music, funky visuals and great Cocktails, The Morgan Bar really is the Place to be on a SunAmong the latest of Taipei’s quirkily day night with the rest of Dublin’s styled restaurants (according to Industry Staff. an Aprilthe Reuters the Among latestdispatch) of Taipei’sisquirkily D.S. hospital-themed styledMusic restaurants (accordingeatery, to Vodka drip poison where sitsaves around beds, are an Aprildiners Reuters dispatch) is the served by “nurses,” and drinkeatery, from victim D.S. Music hospital-themed IV linesdiners hooked to “medicine” where situp around beds, arein Doctors used a case of containers hung fromand thevodka ceiling. served by “nurses,” drink from to[Reuters, help save an Italian tourist 4-23-07] IV lines hooked up to “medicine” in being treated for poisoning in containers hung from the ceiling. a Queensland hospital. The [Reuters, 4-23-07] 24-year-old man was brought to Mackay Base Hospital, north Drink will be running ourinown Queensland, two months after tasting series, with expertsago giving hetheir hadunlimited ingested a large knowledgebase Drink will be running ouramount own of the poisonous substance ethylene to the willing you would tasting series,few. withIf experts giving glycol, found in antifreeze, which like to come along to one of these their unlimited knowledgebase can cause renal and iswith often sessions, please get in touch to the willing few.failure If you would fatal. hospital’s administraus tastings@drinkonline.eu likeonto“The come along to one of these tors were also very sessions, please getunderstanding in touch with when explained our reasons for us onwetastings@drinkonline.eu buying a case of vodka.” [AAP NewsWire]

The Entrepreneurial Spirit! The Entrepreneurial Spirit!

GET THE TASTE OF IT! GET THE TASTE OF IT!

Drink Chasers Drink Chasers

Feedback from our valued and not so valued readers. We love you all. Feedback from our valued and not so valued readers. Drink mag, Whats a good place for a little We love you all. party of 20?!? Why do the bartenders get rules Drinkthe mag, Whats[via a good and customer doesn’t? Anon SMS}place for a little I am in temple bar at the moment, As a tourist, thanks for Drink, it party of 20?!? Why do the bartenders get rules Joan [via email] where is the best place for a late certainly hit the spot and the- customer Anonkebab [via SMS} Dear Drink, night [Anon SMS] doesn’t? Dear Drink, [Anon Joan [via email] Really- SMS] liked the article on “Revival Dear Loved the Snow Dial article, good of theDrink, cocktail”, I have noticed a Dear to seeDrink, thethere support of to local lot more cocktail venuesonin“Revival Dublin When is going be bands a decent Really liked the article lately place to that good Loved[via thedrink Snowafter Dial1am article, of the cocktail”, I have noticed a Anon sms] doesn’t make me line up??bands to see the support of local lot more[via cocktail venues in Dublin George facebook] [Sean – SMS] lately Anon [via sms] George [via facebook]

SMS

your feedback on 085 1400 990

What’s What’s Hot Hot

Hosting your own home cocktail party Hosting your own home

* **to new bars Travelling Logging onto www.drinkonline.eu * onto Logging www.drinkonline.eu * @ Citibar Friday nights ** @in Dublin Friday nights Citibar Flash Nights ** in Dublin Flash TheNights Little Book of Drunken Texts * Book The Little of Drunken Texts The onset*of Winter (Lots of warm Bars) The onset*of Winter cocktail Travelling to party new bars

(Lots of warm Bars)

NewsWorld Drink

Giving you the factsinand but the facts What’s happening thenothing drink community! At just 25 years of age, Mathieu is Russian Region one of the youngest Executive Chefs Dedicates Day forwe would likeintoIreland. is exceptionally Here at Drink Magazine, inviteMathieu everyone to our talented and has including extensive Couples toweHave world. In 2008 will beSex hosting a range of events,

experience both in Ireland, where Sergei Morozov, who is a regional cocktail competitions, product tastings, VIP parties and guest he trained under Patrick Guilbauld, governor of a central Russian speaker nights. and in his native France. province, is urging people to stay at home today and have sex instead of All designed giveboost you,Russia’s the consumer, everything you need for a going to work totohelp greatrate. nightAlso, out!if the woman gets birth pregnant and has a baby in exactly Among the latest of Taipei’s quirkily nine months, which is on Russia’s styled restaurants (according to national day on June 12th, she will Drink Going North!is the an AprilIsReuters dispatch) be qualifi ed to win a new home. Get your boots, Becks D.S. Music hospital-themed eatery, your on! diners sit will around beds, are Inwhere March, Drink be launching served by “nurses,” drink from Drink (NI). We are and looking For you bartenders out there, IV lines hooked up to “medicine” in DrinkallMagazine is now featured forward to launching Ireland’s containers hung from the ceiling. on both FaceBookatand Bebo. mini So we are looking forming sister Magazine. [Reuters, 4-23-07]We will have for whatever reason , you need a football league, so if you and some touch all the Drink favourites, just Drink Experience anytime you can of your drink swelling peers would by logging onto www.drinkonline.eu with a of the North’s flair. If you like to get involved please send us for the links. are interested in receiving a copy Drink will be running our own an at For email more information contact you can series, email us drink and we tasting withatexperts giving Mark here at Drink, on mark@ football@drinkonline.eu will make sure you get a copy. their unlimited knowledgebase drinkonline.eu or 085 77 77620 to the willing few. If you would like to come along to one of these sessions, please get in touch with You’ll guess Mmmmm Tastings us on never tastings@drinkonline.eu The Tea Room at the Clarence what……. HotelNext has just their new The Drinkannounced Tasting forum will Executive Mathieu Melin. be held atChef 3rd as March @ the Front Drink Magazine works with some Lounge and our subject will be of the most creative and talented cream liqueurs, so you would like freelance writers from around the to join us, please get in touch, Feedback from our valued and world. not soWe valued readers. are now looking at getthere are very limited numbers. We love you all. ting some fresh blood. So, if you have a passion thefor bara industry Drink mag, Whats a good for place little and want to spread the word, we party of 20?!? Why do the bartenders get rules would hear from you. and the customer doesn’t? Anonlove [via to SMS}

The Entrepreneurial Spirit!

FACEBOOK and BEBO

GET THE TASTE OF IT!

What’s Hot

New Appointment

Hosting your own home cocktail party

Drink Chasers

Travelling to new bars

Joan [via email]

Dear Drink, Dear Drink, Really liked the article on “Revival Loved the Snow Dial article, good of the cocktail”, I have noticed a Forsee more information on anything pagecocktail please contact to the support of local bands on this lot more venues in Dublin Mark here at Drink, on mark@drinkonline.eu or check us out on lately Anon [via sms] Facebook or Bebo George [via facebook]

SMS

your feedback on 085 1400 990

* * onto Logging

www.drinkonline.eu

* * in Dublin Flash Nights * Book The Little

Friday nights @ Citibar

of Drunken Texts

The onset of Winter (Lots of warm Bars)

Garnish or not to Garnish It’s said that around the time of prohibition was the birth of Cocktails. It was generally a way to hide the sour flavours of moonshine that was often distilled in unsanitary conditions with inferior products that were available at the time.

the world at a great rate and taking it’s colourful appendage with it. Over the years some classic garnishes such as a pitted green olive or lemon twist in a classic martini and celery in a Bloody Mary have survived the test of time. Others have stumbled and reappear via

Drink Top 10 With it being increasingly more difficult to open up a bar in Dublin. We thought that we would put these Top 10 ideas up for grabs. [1] Barnacle Bills - Upon entering your greeted with “ay, what ye havin’ me harty?’ but served nothing but bad rum and port. [2] Cocktails and Dreams – where you can’t get a drink without an umbrella and everything’s in soft focus.

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Along with the birth of cocktails came the birth of “The Garnish”. One of the first garnishes used were the tail feathers of roosters, providing a colourful and apparently suave plumage to help spruce up the otherwise dull looking and unless mixed with other sweeter tasting mixers, dull tasting booze. Hence the name cocktail, derived from cock”o”tail”. Over the years though the garnish became more sophisticated, whether plucking feathers from a birds bums became too unpopular will never be know for sure. But at the end of the day bar tenders started to blend a variety of ingredients to both compliment the flavour and the appearance of bootleg liquor which was mostly available to the rich and famous. By the end of prohibition the cocktail had established itself and the garnish along with it. Having booze readily available to the masses now meant that cocktails would move around

passing trends such as the monkey and mermaid that hangs from the glass; they were huge in thelate70’s early 80’s along with the forever kitchen umbrella. With the new interests being placed in cocktails today and the variety of bars that are cashing in on the old favourite drink of the chic and beautiful, new creations mean new garnishes, try a Sosumi at Sydney’s Wine Banc which is garnished with a wasabi-covered skewer with pickled ginger and a piece of salmon, or something simply yet fetching like my favourite a Southern O’Hara with a floating orchid blossom. As long as there are cocktails to be drunk there will always be a garnish or two writing around the corner to be found. QF

[3] The Lake and Springer – catfights break out at random, you’re surrounded by black booty, when you walk through the door the whole place boos you. [4] Planet Hollywood – the barmen have plastic smiles and you’re surrounded by movie memorabilia. [5] Crude Bar – where the motto is the ”A Bush family favorite” and “The home of the REAL black stuff”. [6] The Mobile Phone – drinks are sold as different packages for different rates, and the music is on constant replay of all the ring tones available. [7] Rocket Fuel – takes you back to the days of stealing from your parent’s liquor cabinet. The drinks burn your throat and if you get caught drinking them you’re grounded for a week. [8] Bootlegger’s – help yourself to the gin, there’s cups by the bathtub. [9] Airport – Where you wait around for your drink only to find that it has been delayed by 30 minutes [10] Amnesia – Have you ordered yet?

[Shaken & Stirred]

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Perhaps Bryan Brown put it best in the movie Cocktail: “Bartenders are the aristocracy of the working class.” Throughout history bartenders have been seen under one image – cool and sleazy. The bad boys of the drinking world. But why? Is it that they can hold their liquor more than the average Joe? Is it that they have the power in the bar, with the bar being the supreme Mecca of cool?

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Degrees of Cool

It was Cocktail that first brought to our attention the supreme coolness of the bartender. A good-looking Tom flipping bottles, picking up women and partying hard. It was the life we plebeians can only dream of. And as we dreamt we took the rose-tinted image of Tom and bestowed it upon barmen across the globe. However in living out this fantasy we forgot one vital detail – Cocktail was a movie, fictional, fictitious – it wasn’t real! Every profession comes with an assigned stigma: doctors are basically demi-gods (in their own eyes). Lawyers are wankers, as are architects, and accountants are just plain boring. The barman, however, has been blessed with the public perception that he personifies cool. But is this the case? What does the barman have that others don’t, to elevate him high above the meagre social status of the common serf? Is there some undisclosed prerequisite that to tend bar you must be a quality shag? Hell no! Then why must we blindly labour under this (possible) misconception that every fucking barman is above us? The time has come to put it to the test. We need to establish whether the barman is worthy of this lavish and flattering image we’ve bestowed upon him. Has he taken us for a ride or is he projecting this image in order to overcompensate for his (or her) myriad of insecurities? Or is he actually quite cool? To solve this social riddle we first must break the barman down. As you know they appear in many different guise, so let us run through a little list, establish the most common of the creature and decide whether or not he or she embodies and upholds the time-honoured image of cool. First up, we have the surly barmaid – feared by everyone and starved of sex. More often than not someone hasn’t shown up for their shift and against their will the manager has let the door bitch tend bar. This newfound status adds an ego to her hatred of the world and everyone in it.

Second, everybody’s mate. This is the kind of guy who’ll make you cringe by saying, “what are ya’ havin’ ladies”. He may choose to follow this up with a wink, or if you’re lucky a card trick. He has no friends and thinks that because he serves you drinks you may become his first. What about the “too cool” bartender. They’re like the geek at school who always got hassled and finally stabbed someone with a pencil. Then they discovered working in hospitality provided a pre-made group of friends who had to be nice to him. But practicing tricks in front of the mirror and surfing the net for the latest in drink innovation means this breed is a step above the average drink mixer. And so the “too cool” bartender is born. Then there’s the English backpacker from Essex. Other than her accent you may pick her by the way she wipes her nose, smokes a fag and picks at the puss in her infected belly-button ring, all while pouring your beer. Of course we’ve all seen these stereotypes before, but are they that common? Well yes, but they’re certainly not cool. And if they’re not common and they’re not cool, does that mean the average barman is still cool? Despite whether or not we think they’re cool, a fact is a lot of them are actually quite cool because they work damn hard to be cool – wouldn’t you if your working life was spent under the watchful and hungry eyes of the opposite sex and getting the quantity of casual sex most punch-clock Charlies can only dream of. Still, even if they aren’t cool, when you get a bartender on your side, you sure to have a sweet night. You’ll be served first, get added extras and in turn receive much admiration from your peers for “knowing” the bartender. So even if you don’t think they’re cool, with a little manners everyone else might just think you actually are. [ words by R & V Taylor ]

Zanzibar is a colossus of a pub unlike any other drinking establishment in Dublin. So big is this pub that smaller pubs burn up upon entering in its atmosphere. Any minute now one would expect Zanzibar to break away from the rest of Ireland and float off into the Irish Sea. It’s so feckin’ huge it could sink icebergs* without even breaking a sweat. Starting to get the picture? You’re probably not even close.

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Zanzibar

34-35 Lower Ormond Street, Dublin 1. Tel: 01 8787212

Like her sister ship, Café en Seine, Zanzibar is part of the Capital Bars chain and prides herself on being one of a handful of super pubs currently anchored on Irish shores. Unlike her sister ship, Zanzibar isn’t full of suited wank bags looking to score your girlfriend as soon as you’ve tipped to the bar. Yeah, you heard me! It might be a bustling place at high tide but it still has a cozy feel about it partly down to the themed interior and intimate lighting. Lanterns hang from virtually every part of the pub and mosaics adorn nearly every tabletop. Many of the ground floor tables have individual illumination and there are enough nooks and crannies upstairs to keep even the keenest maze enthusiast occupied for hours. You may feel the Middle Eastern charm is laid on pretty thick but it manages not to be so intoxicating as to look cheap and the attention to detail is superb.

Brining the great outdoors inside is usually a fatal move for most pubs. Many venues try to recreate the whole faux outdoorsy thing in an effort to hide the shitty paint job or rubbish service but only succeed in annoying their patrons. Sure chuck a few bits of plant here and there and nobody will be none the wiser. Not Zanzibar! Forget shrubs or prissy little flowers – this place has manly palm trees growing inside it. Grrrggh!! In fact two humongous urns unlike anything this reviewer has seen in his auntie’s house mark the spot where the bar finishes and the jungle begins. It’s a fitting tribute for a pub of this size. One would half expect to see evil monkeys hiding in the branches but alas no.

New Zealand, Italy, South Africa and some place called Champagne. Still, if you fancy scrambling the grey matter then why not try the Jagermonster.

If you’re a bit of a masochist who loves the hangover but can’t be bothered with all that drinking malarkey then why not try walloping yourself over the head with the bar menu. Lord knows, it’s the weight of a brick and reads like an encyclopedia of booze. A few swift blows should do the trick although Drink recommends you actually open the menu and select one of the many fine cocktails on offer. This way you can enjoy your experience and leave the Accident and Emergency trip till later in the night. Whilst the menu may be a bit of scary bollocks there are a couple of highlights worth pointing out such as an entire list of Zanzibar Dacaries and an interesting little cocktail called the Zanzibar Illusion (among the Illusions many ingredients is ice cream and Baileys). Vino is also available and having plundered nearly every wine producing country on earth, Zanzibar boasts the finest imports from Chile,

Still terrified by the beast? Don’t be. Zanzibar might be a hulk of a pub but at its centre beats the heart of any local bar. Sure, everything in this place might be on the big side but it’s got all the components you’d come to expect of a smaller establishment it’s just there’s more of it. Cozy interiors, innovative bar menus and friendly staff are all on offer. Drink recommends you allay any fears you might have had about such super pubs and soak up the Middle Eastern ambience of Zanzibar. In no time you’ll be able to feel the soothing breeze sweep in off the Indian Ocean except it’s really Dublin…and it’s more likely to be raining…and the ocean is more likely to be the Liffey. Still, Zanzibar is a veritable oasis in the middle of Dublin.

And what of the music I hear you ask? Well, if you want to rock the Kasbah, Zanzibar has excellent music with resident DJs spinning 5 hours of tunes ever night Wednesday to Sunday. You can pop and lock to your hearts content although be advised - this place can swallow up to 1500 customers in one swoop. It might be enough to make Jonah wince but it also means if you arrive late you’ll have to dance in the street and ever since Fame that shit ain’t cool.

Kevin Condon *Not the ice-cream you nonce!

[Recommended]

Now, you’ve most likely got it into your head that this place is some sort of cavernous barn, devoid of charm and lacking character. To be honest, the good folk at Drink had similar reservations and feared it might take a couple of issues to role this bad boy out. Fortunately we fortified ourselves with every bit of gusto left in the Drink cleaning cupboard and set off to tackle the goliath that is Zanzibar.

Odeon Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 Tel: +353 1 478 2088 No, it’s not a cinema but one of the finest bar and grill venues in Dublin. Located at No.57 Harcourt Street, Odeon is the second pub to be featured in this issue that is within staggering distance of the Luas. A wide spacious bar with an opulent interior, Odeon mixes the best of Art Deco with the finest furnishings to ensure both pleasant drinking and dining experiences. It was recently seen in a famous TV ad featuring a Cavan Neanderthal trying his luck with a D4 Honey after she leaves her number in his pocket. You know the one – “Hello, Kate, tis’ your man from the bar”. Feckin’ hilarious it was! If you missed it you can always relive the experience for yourself by popping down to Odeon and sampling one of its many fine cocktails whilst you eye up the local talent. All cocktails are housed upstairs in a special lounge and Drink recommends you try the ‘Odeon Bellini’ and ‘Banana Berry Margarita’. If you get sick of trying your luck, try the food. Lunch is served daily between 12pm and 3pm with dinner being served from 5pm onwards. Everything is available from snacks and nibbles right the way up to three course meals. Don’t be fooled

by the ‘grill’ title. Seafood is heavily featured on the menu and Odeon do a wicked seafood chowder. Hang back long enough after eating hours and the bar undergoes a strange transformation. Tables and chairs mysteriously disappear to reveal a dancing floor and the whole venue becomes a late night music venue. Two DJs, one upstairs and one downstairs, entertain the in house revelers well into the small hours. One of a handful of venues to satisfy all of Drink Magazines criteria, fine food, good wine, luxurious interiors and a bevy of beautiful people.

bars in brief The Globe

Morrison Bar

Peter’s Pub

Toast

Howl at the moon

The Mint

11 South Great Georges St, Dublin 2 T: +353 (0)1 6711220

Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1 Phone: 01 8872400

William Street South, Dublin 2 Phone: 01 6778588

Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6 Phone: 01 4126285

Lower mount street, Dublin 2 Phone: +353 1 634 5460

Westin hotel, Westmoreland street, Dublin 2, Phone: +353 16451322

Located on Geogre Street, The Globe caters for people who feel more at home in their Living room rather than trying to fight their way to the bar against the after work crew. This pub has everything you would want, with a relaxed atmosphere, good cold beer and undercover beer garden for that one in the group that has to have a smoke. Don’t be fooled, this little pub can quickly fill up in between one pint to another, so make sure that you are always in reaching distance of the bar. If you like your music then you’ll love the themed DJ nights at the globe, which offer a smorgasbord of ‘tunes’ ranging from chilled out vibes and Reggae right the way up to ‘old skool beats’. Casual and cozy it makes a nice change from the melee of pubs in the area

The sleek Morrison Bar is one of the best places in Dublin to encounter that storied beast, the Celtic Tiger. They recline on padded leather couches baring teeth and wallets across glass topped tables, when not hunched over lap-tops and blackberries doing business with their bourbons. The bar is decorated in contemporary style and provides a tranquil haven from the bustle outside, although in truth it is little more than a glorified hotel lobby with pretensions. And with those pretensions comes a wallet busting wine and cocktail list so make sure you can liquefy your assets at short notice if you plan on spending more than an hour or so here.

Having recently undergone a renovation, I was alittle hesitate, thinking that the owners would have stripped out all the charm of what was Peter’s pub to some new bells and whistles venue, but how wrong I could have been! There is no place more cosy and friendly in Dublin than Peter’s Pub on William Street South. There are no fancy cocktail or wine lists here, just a simple pub in a sometimes crazy city. A pub that’s almost like Dr. Who’s time machine, one minute in a busy Cosmopolitan City, the next a simple old school traditional bar. Retaining all of it’s charms of yesteryear Peters Pub still offers one of the best pint’s served by friendly, talkative staff. It’s a perfect place to make a new friend at the bar!

So it’s not quite the city centre but who cares? Rathmines has always had a reputation for as a hidden gem of Dublin and in recent years it’s earned a reputation for having some of the best hidden bars in Dublin. You’ll be please to hear that Toast is one of those establishments. A narrow façade casts no illusions – this place is long but not lacking character. The front bar can prove very challenging at times with patrons having to jostle for bar position, but you will never be waiting for long with attentive staff that will always make sure that you will have a good night. On a warm summers evening the set of French doors at the front are cast open making the venue even more inviting. A variety of basic food dishes is on offer but sadly no toast (I’m sorry – I really tried but I couldn’t resist).

In the commercial centre of Dublin just past Merrion square you’ll find Lower Mount street, Surrounded by beautiful Georgian buildings, The Howl at the moon has four bars spread out over four levels, each one with a different atmosphere, and a heated roof terrace full of palm trees! On Thursday nights, you can enjoy the Tea Time Club with complimentary BBQ food, KARAOKE and top Dj’s, from 9pm till 3am. Fridays and Saturdays are packed with cool people experiencing quality music, good vibe and an endless transit of good-looking people. The Howl at the Moon is the perfect spot for that get together with friends, whether you’re on a Saturday night fever or après work vibe.

In the former vaults of the Allied Irish Bank, The Mint Bar is one of Dublin’s favorite meeting places, and most acclaimed cocktail bar, with many awards, including Style Bar of the Year 2007. The interior is a mix of classic and cool, with a gothic arch ceiling reminiscent of a 17th century French chateau. A sophisticated and carefully constructed cocktail list that you can really indulge yourself throughout the night, with attentive and helpful staff, who are more than happy to point you in the right direction. In a spirituous collection of more than 80 drinks, you’ll experience classic and new concoctions, themed and seasonal cocktails, always made with expertise and consistency, so you will always know what you are going to get.

Type: Feature: Hours: Food: Wine: Cocktails: Functions:

Type: Feature: Hours: Food: Wines: Cocktails: Functions:

Type: Feature: Hours: Food: Wine: Cocktails: Functions:

Bar Resident DJ’s Mon - Sun 12am - till late No 1R 1W On Request Yes

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Drink score Atmosphere: Service: Products:

*** ** **

Drink Recommends: Window Seat to watch the world go by

Hotel Bar Swanky décor Mon - Sun 11am - till late Café Bar 8am – 10pm 6w 6r 1rose 7champagnes Large selection Private & corporate events

Drink score Atmosphere Service Products

* ** ***

Drink Recommends Get a lounge seat in the front bar

Type: Feature: Hours: Food: Wine: Cocktails: Functions:

Traditional Bar Bar Service Mon – Fri 10.30am – 11.30pm Sat – Sun 10.30am – 12.30am

Snacks and sandwiches 5R 5W No No

Drink score Atmosphere Service Products

*** *** *

Drink Recommends: A pint of the Black Stuff!

Pub French Doors Mon – Fri 12pm – 11pm 2.3o

Yes 2 R 2 W 2 Champ On Request Yes

Drink score Atmosphere: Service: Products: Drink Recommends: Saturday night DJ

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Nightclub Heated roof terrace Wed 5pm - 11:30pm, Thur - Fri 4pm - 3am, Sat 8pm - 3am

Finger food available 7r, 7w, 5champs/spk 10 From 20 to 300 people

Drink score Atmosphere Service Products Drink Recommends: Karaoke Thursdays

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Expect nothing less that a great night out!

Cocktail bar Extensive cocktail list

Mon – Thurs 11:00am – 11:30pm, Fri –Sat 11:00am – 12:30am, Sun 4:00pm - 11:00pm

Bar menu 9w, 9r, 17champ 80+ yes

Drink score Atmosphere Service Products Drink Recommends: Salsa Friday nights

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Name: Norbert Schok Age: 26 Bar tendered: Since the end of 2004 (flairbartending the same) Favorite drinking story: I used to work in a night club in Budapest during a summer. There was a girl behind a bar, who went to one of my mate in a busy night and she said: - Someone ordered a Jim beam. I’ve found the GIN but I can’t find the other one. Where is it??????? Dream bar: I’m still looking for it... Anyway it has to be a proper flair bar :) Favorite Tipple: I love all of them. My new favorite is the St. German. That liqueur is the taste of the summer for me. Mixed up with any spirit and/or mixer... :) 1st Drink: Palinka (the national spirit of Hungary) I was young and ill. My father gave me some home made stuff. Next day I was totally recover from the illness. I wasn’t so happy, because it meant I had to go to school. Favorite part of the industry: I like competitions (especially flair). You can meet other bartenders. Always a good fun and ending up drinking somewhere. Bane of the trade : Lack of Training; Lot’s of bartenders (in cocktail bars) work without any school or course. They do what they’ve seen from other bartenders, who may have seen it from one another. Do u know that game when everyone whisper a word to an other guys ear and at the end u get a different word....... Most embarrassing drunken tale: One of those family parties, in the country side. I was around 18. My parents wanted to go back home. I already had a few drinks, so I decided to stay over and take a train home next day. I slammed some more shots, finished up puking all over the place. I’ve never felt as bad as next morning looking into my relatives eyes. I almost died of the shame. How often do you pick up over the bar: I’ve never picked up anybody... it’s always the girls that do it :)

TAKE IT HOME…

Bartender Interview>

Name:

Fagan’s Off Licence

Address: Phone: Selection & range: Staff Knowledge: Customer service:

99 Phibsboro Road, Dublin 7 +353 1 8303615 Good Standard Knowledgeable Good

Verdict: Fagan’s is that typical old school off licence, with a bank teller style of service counter which doesn’t allow you to inspect all products available, but the friendly staff and service you will receive will more than make up for it! Expect a friendly chat

Name:

Celtic Whiskey Shop

Address: 27-28 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Phone: +353 1 675 9744 Selection & range: Extensive Staff Knowledge: Well Imformed Customer service: Excellent Speciality: Great range of Whiskeys Verdict: Here we have a store that lives, breathes and loves the product. With a great range of names on every shelf, that you would be forgiven if you got a little lost, but with a slight head turn a vast poole of knowledge is only a hello away. Highly Recommended

Name:

Gibneys of Malahide

Address: Phone: Selection & range: Staff Knowledge: Customer service:

New Street, Malahide, Co. Dublin +353-1-845-0606 Very Good Very Helpful Excellent

Verdict: Named by the national off licence association as the winner of the best off licence in Dublin 2008 and not hard to see why! With a unique range of foreign beers and hand selected gift packs for all occasions, Gibneys off – Licence is a pleasure to enter. Great Experience

[Spirits Explained]

Brandy is really a generic term for any grape-based spirit distilled from wine, and it’s under this term we get the different ranges from different countries and regions. It can be easily said there’s no other drink in the spirit world that spans across such highs and lows of class and sophistication. Brandy can be the most expensive drink on the list at the most elite cigar lounge, or can be that stomach corrosive drink you had in some backwater in Peru. It’s this diversity of brandy which causes much confusion. But it’s my belief that a general knowledge of brandy and all its counterparts is sure to wow the party and turn you into the most sophisticated drinker on the block. The name brandy comes from the Dutch brandewijin meaning burnt wine, which suites the distillation process as it’s essentially re-boiled or burnt wine. Forms of brandy have been around for centuries but the first was in the small French town of Cognac where it was discovered that the distillation of sharp white wine became a rather drinkable drop, especially after being aged in oak casks. The speed of the distillation process is vital to the taste. Slow and gentle is the way to go when extracting the aromatic elements from the raw material. This process is closely monitored to let through the appropriate congers and eliminate the nasties. These are easily detected, as they are the first to arise to the surface and are known as the “heads”. The bottom of the barrel, “tails” is also left out. Such a closely monitored system results in a complex series of flavours and aromas, which the attributes of a fine brandy.

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A fine brandy is just the ticket to finish off and wind down the evening. Just don’t go overboard; brandy is not for the faint-hearted and is not designed to be shot or quaffed.

But as with everything elite, a cheap, mass produced counterpart emerges. Invented in the early 19th century by, and named after, an Irishman, Coffey. This was basically a lean, mean, brandy-producing machine. This machine concentrated wine like nobody’s business, resulting in fast, continuous brandy production, but at the same time destroyed all the elements that make brandy interesting. French distillers’ moustaches straighten at the thought of calling their beverages “brandy”. The commonly known French varieties are Cognac and Armagnac, named after the region where they’re produced. These two shot to fame when Northern European traders reduced the thin wine to take home with them. This reduction was done to save tax and preserve space on the ship. Once home they would then water the concentrate down, but it was eventually noted the liquor’s maximum quality was when at its most reduced. Armagnac is probably the lesser known of the two and its

production method is slightly different, but considered superior in its digestive qualities hence “digestif”. Spain is another major brandy producer but doesn’t label it with the pretension of the region, as the French are obsessed with doing. In Spain a spade’s a spade and after that comes the area as with Brandy de Jerez, a major Spanish brandy from the home of fine sherry. The time, attention and detail still goes into Spanish brandy, which results in a high quality liquor giving the frogs a run for their (“it’s not called brandy if from the Cognac region”) money. Spanish brandy is in large produced by the sherry houses. Fractional blending (a.k.a. the solera system) is the maturation method. Rows of barrels are stacked on top of each other, the newest at the top. Over time small quantities are taken from the top barrel and put in the one below, and so on down the stack. The most mature at the bottom is slowly drawn from and bottled, thus resulting is optimum age characteristics. Other European countries produce pretty much bottom of the barrel stuff. The time and effort goes into German brandy, but the grapes are usually imported from France and Spain so it lacks in indigenous characteristics. Italy and Portugal whack it out for the masses with most of Portugal’s supplies going to the port shippers. Greece’s counterpart goes under the pseudonym Mexata. But the low acidity of the grapes means Greek quality leaves much to be desired. In the same class is the Peruvian pisco. A clear coloured grape-wine spirit that, simply put, is firewater. Some argue that good pisco can hold its own in the fine spirit world. However, I’ve tried the stuff and although it’s great for sending you off the rails, take it from me, it ain’t fine. America (although it seems a waste as they never drink much) now produce quite high standards of brandy. Originally it was a way of using the substandard grapes thought unfit for wine. But with the ageing process taking place in American oak, what results is brandy with pronounced aroma, richness and complexity, said to compete fiercely with French VSOP Cognacs. So when ordering a brandy, remember you’re throwing everything into total chaos. Your stance on quality cannot be deciphered and it questions your credibility as a drinker. Are you a learned connoisseur, or an iron stomached-bandit? If you want to impress order an X.O. Cognac. For the subtle superiority, an Armagnac’s the way to go. Or maybe mix it in cocktail style and ask for a Brandy Alexander. Whatever your choice, brandy is the way to go this winter.

Mixology>

Go to www.mickeyfinn.ie, lash in your details and the moment the sun comes out, we’ll let you know where the Pop-Up Mickey Finn garden is.

More information now at www.mickeyfinn.ie

Recipe for Apple Spritzer. What You Need: 50ml Mickey Finn’s Sour Apple, Some Ice, A Long Glass, Soda Water & An Apple Slice Garnish. What You Do: 1. Fill long glass with ice 2. Add 50ml Mickey Finns Sour Apple 3. Top with soda water 4. Stir and garnish with Apple slice

1oz of X Rated Fusion Topped with Chilled Moet Champagne Garnished with fresh Raspberries

Pink Champagne. 1oz of X Rated Fusion Topped with Chilled Moet Champagne Garnished with fresh Raspberries

Pink Champagne 1oz of X Rated Fusion Topped with Chilled Moet Champagne Garnished with fresh Raspberries

Fusion Sour 1oz of X Rated ¾ oz of Cointreau Fresh limes and lemons Muddled together and shaken, garnished with a lime wheel.

Strawberry Fusion. 1 1/2 oz of X rated 1 oz Ketel One Vodka ½ oz of Strawberry liqueur 4 Fresh strawberries All blended together with crushed ice. All Shaken up.

X Rated Apple. 1oz of Ketel One ¾ oz of X rated ¾ oz Midori Apple Juice Cranberry Juice Lime Juice

X-RATED® Fusion Liqueur® is an Exotic Fusion of Ultra Premium French Vodka & Blood Oranges from Provence in France, Mingling with Mango and Passion Fruit from Brazil. 100% pure organic fruit juices and Ultra Premium French Vodka are fused in a secret process creating the first and only Fusion Liqueur. Drink Pink.

Barman: PETER O’CONOR The Morgan Bar 10 Fleet Street Temple Bar Dublin2 T +353 1 643 7000

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Okay, so the summer is pretty much... em... non-existent but rather than waste what’s left of it giving out come and play in one of our Pop-Up Gardens. Mickey Finn’s gardens will be popping up around the city. Delicious pitchers of Mickey Finn’s, fun games, musical treats and fingers crossed – the sun!

While we are waiting for the sun, try this one at home…

Pink Champagne.

A couple of years ago the Swedes discovered the resting place of an ill-fated Norwegian cargo ship that sank in 1916, its cargo... you guessed it, was champagne. In fact 1500 units of Monopole Champagne bottled in 1907. It seems being at a depth of 300 metres, the oceans temperature was around four degrees, keeping the bottles and their contents in perfect condition. The resale price at auction would fetch around $5ooo a bottle! Incidentally, this wasn’t the first time Monopole Champagne was involved in a shipping disaster: only four years earlier it was the official champagne on the doomed Titanic. Champagne is usually made from a blend of pinot and chardonnay grapes and has been around for centuries, but it was a French monk Dom Perignon who 300 years ago developed the method of making champagne which we’re familiar with today. This monk was blind but had an acute sense of taste and smell, and through trial and error discovered

that by introducing a second fermenting process once in the bottle it caused effervescence. The addition of a small amount of syrup (crystallised sugar) to the wine promoted the growth of yeast that had been dormant while stored in the cooler environment of wooden casks. Once the sugar is added to the bottled wine, the bottles are left for a minimum of two years. Later it was Madame Veuve Clicquot who discovered the fermenting yeast deposits, which built up along the bottom of the bottle, could be removed by inverting the bottles so the sediment moves towards the neck of the bottle. Then a process called degorgement, is carried out at a low temperature. This causes the sediment to freeze and shoots out when the bottles are opened briefly. Before being capped a small amount of wine and syrup is added to replace the wine that was expelled. The dryness of the wine depends on the amount of crystallized syrup that is added before the bottle is capped. 0 to less than 1.5 percent is added to make brut, if 2 to 4 percent it is called sec, and doux if 8 to 12 percent of syrup is added. The French were regarded as the masters of the best champagne in the world for many years, that is until the Aussies started winning awards across the globe for producing unique and extremely sought after wines such as Yellow Glen, Croser and Jansz. This in itself caused an uproar to the French, producers claiming that neither we nor anybody else outside the region of Champagne, France, had the right to call their bubbly by that name. Wines are generally named after the region they come from in Europe such as Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, and Champagne. So they were forced to change by legal action. This is why they refer to their sparkling wine now as Méthode Champnoise and Method Traditionelle.

CHAMPAGNE FACTS: The pressure in a bottle of champagne is equal to four Atmospheres. Which is why the cork is wired to the bottle. The Champagne region - north east of Paris - consists of around 68,000 acres with some 19,000 proprietors - most owning less than 1 acre of vineyard. In 1905 Moet was the popular choice of bubbly at the Moulin Rouge. Moet & Chandon is so popular today that it’s at the opening of nearly every envelope in high society. It’s a case of sour grapes the French felt this way and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Life progresses, and wines develop along with the rest of the world. Despite not being able to call their sparkling wines “champagne”, they’re still produced the same way as the French varieties and are of equal quality, if not higher. Australian sparkling wines have been winning gold medals for many years and are available in a wide selection. When down at your local take away do your self a favour and check out the selection of champagne available. You’ll be surprised; champagne has come a long way since the 1600s. For those who are adventurous, try out the selection of sparkling reds that are growing in popularity, such as Omni’s Red, Andrew Garrett, Fox Creek and Tatachilla.

Champagne is growing in popularity still; throughout Paris and New York there are Bubble Bars opening to celebrate the “drink of Champions”. The grape varieties used to make champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Fossils have been found proving that vineyards have been around since 72AD. In 92AD the Roman Emperor Domitian had all the French vineyards ripped out to stop competition; it took two hundred years until the laws changed and French could grow their vineyards again. Most harvests in France occur around the end of September, which makes French champagne a Virgo. [ words by Que Furnell ]

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[History of...]

Martini So how do you like your Martini? “Shaken, not shtirred” by any chance? Yeah, we’ve all said it at some stage or other, in our best dodgy Sean Connery accents, but what is the best way to drink it? Should we follow instead the advice of Somerset Maughan who suggested that “martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other”. And who came up with this mix of gin and vermouth in the first place and why is it still so popular to this day? Martini is one of the longest established cocktails and most accounts agree that it has it’s antecedent in a cocktail called the Martinez. The story goes that a San Francisco bartender was asked to make something special for a gold miner who was on his way to the town of Martinez 40 miles to the east in the hope of striking it rich. History does not record how successful he was, but bartender Jerry Thomas certainly seemed to have struck gold with his mixture of vermouth, gin, bitters and Maraschino. Another account tells us that the Martinez was invented by one Julio Richelieu, who named the drink after his home town in and around the year 1870. Allegedly he was inspired to come up with the concoction when a visiting miner plonked a small bag of gold on the bar counter by way of incentive. As for how the name evolved from Martinez to Martini, well, the general consensus is that it is because of the Italian ‘Martini’ sweet vermouth commonly used in the making. However if you’d rather a less prosaic reason, then some have suggested that it was named after the Martini-Henry rifle used by the British army towards the

James Bond Recipe

Original Recipe - 2 ½ oz gin - ½ oz dry vermouth - 1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish. shake or stir, the choice is yours.

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- 3 measures gin - 1 measure vodka - ½ measure Kina Lillet aperitif - a large slice of lemon peel for garnish … you know the rest…

end of the 19th century, as apparently both had something of a kick. One reason for the enduring popularity of the Martini cocktail is down to the period of prohibition in the States in the 1920’s. Although alcohol was banned at this time, there was no shortage of willing consumers for whatever booze was available at the time. Whiskey had been the spirit of choice for most Americans prior to this ‘dry’ spell, but gin proved much easier and more cost effective to manufacture at this time and did not require the same aging period. So a gin based cocktail like the Martini was bound to prove popular in the speak-easies that sprang up around the country. Another, and perhaps more important, reason for it’s longevity is it’s place in popular culture and association with so many famous names. Apart from the afore-mentioned Bond and Maugham, it’s devotees numbered such luminaries as F. Scott Fitzgerald, F.D.R., Hemingway, Capote, Alfred Hitchcock and Winston Churchill. Some of these gents came up with their own variations on the Martini recipe, such as Hemingway’s “Montgomery”, a Martini mixed at a 15:1 gin to vermouth ration (supposedly the odds Field Marshall Montgomery preferred before heading to battlle). Or Churchill’s variation, which dispensed with the need for vermouth entirely and involved simply pouring a cold glass full of gin and nodding in the direction of Italy. I have included more traditional recipes below, but whichever you prefer, do please be careful because, in the words of the celebrated writer James Thurber: “One Martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough”

Seine Cafe en

Coole Swan Comp 2007

Germ any MMS - Bolero,

TGI Working flair comp

The

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g flair TGI Workin comp

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The Morgan

n Comp

Coole Swa 2007

The Globe

TGI Workin g flair comp

n The Morga

Coole Swan Comp 2007

Ria Ria

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The Morgan

MATUSALEM IS BEST ENJOYED RESPONSIBLY.

Exquisite Taste EXQUISITE TASTE In the 1950’s, when Havana was the capitol of glamour and excitement. Matusalem Rum was regarded as one of the finest rums in the world. Today, Matusalem is crafted in the Dominican Republic, and is the brand that garners the most top awards in the international competitions.

C U B A N

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: INFO@BRINKMANBEVERAGES.IE MATUSALEM AND THE SWALLOW DEVICE ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF 1872 HOLDINGS V.O.F. PRODUCT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

O R I G I N A L

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