The Cheese Blog
Irish Cheese: Is Cork the Washed-Rind Mecca? A Visit to Durrus.
Irish cheese Durrus
Traveling for weeks in Ireland visiting cheesemakers taught me three things. One, sometimes when driving along the Emerald Isle, even the weeds are so beautiful you have to pull over (magenta and purple fuschia, tufted vetch grow here like blackberry vines do in Seattle). Second, you can get better seafood at nearly any roadside pub or diner than you can at most high-end restaurants in New York City. Third, I could live a happy cheese life in the washed-rind cheese land of Cork, otherwise known as the Mecca of Funk.
Irish cheese: Cork washed rinds
Irish cheese maker Jeffa of Durrus on right, stirring the curds.
Cutting the curd is a two-person job.
Across the pond, Ireland is widely known for its larger scale cheeses like cheddar.
But among stinky cheese lovers, those who deeply inhale the scent of Époisses, Limburger or Grayson when others crinkle their nose- Irish cheese is known for its funk, or, its washed-rind skills. Especially in the land of Cork.
Jeffa’s daughter, Sarah, who arranges tours and makes cheese two or three days a week.Jeffa's daughter, Sarah, who arranges tours and makes cheese at least two days a week.
Reaching for Durrus
What is a washed-rind cheese?
A washed rind cheese is a wheel whose rind is rubbed down with a brine as it ages. The brine is a combo of water and salt and often a splash of booze like whiskey, wine or beer.
“Washing,” or rubbing the rind as the cheese matures encourages the growth of bacteria like B. linens bacteria. As they break down the cheese's proteins, they turn rind orange, the smell funky, and the inside very, very sweet.
Legend has it that a Benediction monk created washed rinds back in the day when he rubbed a monastery cheese he was making with some nearby monastery liquor because he thought it would help heal cracks that formed on the rind. It worked. And more.
The view from Durrus’s dairy window.
Why artisan washed-rind cheesemakers in Cork?
Three reasons. See one above.
1. It's a gorgeous, rocky, seaside land covered in ferns and red flowers that is as welcoming as a bubble bath and a glass of wine at the end of a long workday. People want to stay. See that woman holding the pail below? She's taking the whey from Durrus creamery to feed her pigs at her piggery. She was American. Now she's American-Irish. She came and never wanted to leave, so set up a piggery and stayed. Many cheesemakers have made Ireland their home from places as near as England, and as far as Holland and Germany. Many brought with them their cheesemaking knowledge or congregated together to learn.
2. The sea air loves the bacteria that makes a washed rind a washed rind, and much of Cork is oceanside. Most cheesemakers add B. Linens to their brine, or to their milk. But often if Cork, you don't need to if you're close to to ocean. The salty sea air and humidity acts as a siren to the funky bacteria that lives ambient in the air.
3. Artisan cheesemaking hit it off in Cork in the late seventies and eighties when a group of hippies gathered around the kitchen stove at Milleen's in Eyries, Cork. They had dreams of living sustainably and independently off their own land and knew cheese would help them do this. When the group realized that washed-rinds excelled in Cork, they stuck with it and mastered the style. Veronica Steele of Milleens taught Jeffa Gill of Durrus and Mary Burns of Ardrahan, then Jeffa taught Gubbeen, and the rest is funky history. Since then, the creameries have each taken on their own flavors, textures, and fans, making Cork the center, or, Mecca of Washed Rinds, of I'd like to argue, anywhere.
Using a pump to get the curds from the vat above to the molds below.
The last time I was in Ireland, August, I spent a couple days with Jeffa. She makes Durrus, the cheese pictured in this post. Starting out sweet, rich, and fluffy when young, as Durrus ages it softens around the edges and takes on a beefy and funky complexity. It's a beautiful cheese that's available in the states, often by special order. It was an honor to see her make it, and because they were short a person, I was able to sneak in and flip curds. Yes.....
Thank you, Jeffa, for letting me visit.
Long live Irish washed-rinds.
American Cheese Month Spotlight: 5 Makers to Watch
It's October, farm animals are starting to think about winter's long retreat, grouchy neighbors are raking golden leaves from green laws, gourds are making their annual appearances on kitchen tables, and American cheese month is upon us. Meaning, we have an excuse to eat cheese- supporting American producers.
Ashley of Farmstead Creamery with newborn cheese
Baby Tomales Farmstead Atika
American Cheese Month: 5 Makers to Watch
It's October. Farm animals are pondering winter's long retreat, neighbors rake golden leaves from green laws, gourds are making their annual appearances on kitchen tables, and American Cheese Month is upon us. Meaning, we must eat more American cheese to support producers. It's tough being a cheese lover, isn't it?
Whose cheese to eat? It's a tough question. There are so many.
I suggest try all of them; bring American cheese month with you into November if need be. But, if you are limited on time or stomach space and want some recs, here are five of my favorites in no particular order. Keep an eye on these guys. They're either new wonders, or continiously surprising with their wheels.
1. Tomales Farmstead, Point Reyes, California:
Photos at top. The first thing Tomales did when they bought their farm was to take three years to re-plant the region's native plants on their land. Then they got animals. Then they made cheese, and it was gorgeous. Oh and there's also this.
3 of my Tomales faves: cream cheese (really, so simple and good), Atika, Kenne
2. Redhead Creamery, Brooten, Minnesota
What happens when a farming family has four redheaded girls? One visits a farmstead creamery at the age of 16, decides she wants to make cheese, falls in love with a dairy farmer, visits creameries all over the world, and returns to Minnesota to start her own cheesemaking company.
3 of my Redheaded faves: North Fork Whiskey Washed Munster, Betise, Lucky Linda
3. Bleating Heart, Sonoma, California
Because whether she's tweaking a recipe or stamping her signature heart on a new cheese she made, Seana's always doing some exciting. She uses both the milk of her own ewes and buys Jersey milk and water buffalo milk (yes, you read that right) to consistently make some of the most exciting cheeses in the country.
3 of my Bleating Heart faves: Fat Bottom Girl, Shepherdista, Buff Blue
4. Crown Heights, Brooklyn New York
Benton and Boyle bought their Crown Finish building- sort of an office/warehouse/loft space- in 2001 and started to ready it for renters and food service. Then they started to think, hey, not only were the old subway tunnels underneath the building cool looking, the cool looking old subway tunnels would be perfect for aging cheese. They had the right temperature, humidity, and air flow (once the filters started pumping away) and ample space. Read more here. I know, not a cheesemaker, but a damn good affineur.
3 of my Crown Height faves: Trifectas, Kashar, Gate Keeper
5. Boxcarr Cheese, Cedar Grove, North Carolina
An Italian cheesemaker in North Carolina teams up with first generation American farmers with Piedmont roots? The end (or just the beginning) is some of the best robiola-style cheese outside of Piedmont. In limited amounts all over, and worth seeking out.
3 of my Boxcarr faves: Rosie's robiola, Weanling Button, Cottonseed
5 Questions with The Art of the Cheese Plate's Tia Keenan
The Art of the Cheese Plateauthor Tia Keenan and I first met when she was the original ChefFromager of Caselulla. It was cheese-love at first sight. I learned she hand-made the hundreds of condiments she paired to every cheese on the menu and offered to work for free for her if she would let me eat spoonfuls of the bacon ganache she made for Winnimere. But it was when she posted pics on Twitter of beaming guests holding signs saying "I was wrong, I really do like goat cheese!" that a deep and true cheese love developed. Recently Tia published a book with Rizzoli Press. Its photography and recipes for cheese condiments (matcha marshmallows, anyone?) puts it in my top 10 cheese book list. Check it out. In honor of her beautiful book, here are 5 Questions with Tia Keenan. One of which involves pairing cheese to Detective Dale Cooper of Twin Peaks. Because why stop with preserves?
5 Questions with The Art of the Cheese Plate's Tia Keenan
What cheese and condiments would you pair to the upcoming 2016 presidential inauguration?
Well, if Trump wins I will have lost my appetite. So I’ll pair his inauguration with me gasping for air. And if Hillary wins I’ll mostly be wishing I were serving a bounty of Vermont artisan cheeses in honor of President Bernie. I’ll have to go with all American cheeses, obviously. I’d love to work with First Nations and Native Americans cooks to create some condiments using native ingredients. But most likely I’ll be home alone, with a sleeping babe upstairs, too reflective and fired up to eat much of anything.
Your son is two years old. You've been in the cheese business for years, have visited international cheese regions and producers all over the country, and have a library of cheese books. But what have you learned about cheese from having a child?
Well, I lactated for 32 months, so that brought me closer to the means of production of cheese than I’ve ever been before. I think feeding my child with milk from my body for a couple of years just connected me in a much deeper way to the animals themselves, and to the gift that is milk. I now intimately understand why someone would cry over spilt milk – because I’ve done it!
You’re allowed to bring 10 things with you to a desert island that you'll be trapped on for four months (somehow your toddler will be able to come visit a lot so no worries). All of them are cheese and best pairings. What would you bring?
Ugh. What a Sophie’s Choice! Damn you, Kirstin! [Sorry, Tia. Had to be done]
Serra da Estrella with Pumpkin or Tomato Jam and really great Portuguese bread
Adelegger with Wheat Beer, preferably brewed by the cheesemaker
Romadur with Dill, Red Onions, Vinegar and Fried Toast
Franklin’s Teleme with a spoon, nothing more
Meadowood Farms Juvindale with plain potato chips http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/cheese-potato-chip-pairings,
Tomme de Chevre Aydius with Carrot Halwa
Kaymak from my husband’s ancestral land of FYR Macedonia (not technically cheese – more like clotted cream - but I love it)
Trader Joe’s Jalapeno Pub Cheese – don’t hate
Grevenbroecker with Roasted Grapes
Havarti with Dill, because it’ll remind me of childhood and help me feel comforted from the panic of being stuck on a desert island!
You have so many delicious pairings in your book. What about bombs? Where there any duos that you hoped would stay together forever but had no chemistry in person? Are you still glad you introduced them?
I really don’t buy into the concept of “bombs”. Are there pairings that don’t taste great? Absolutely. But I’ve never made a pairing that didn’t have one interesting or redeeming quality. I guess I’ve had some bad pairings from others – it usually happens when people try to get too creative and just pile on the flavors and add truffle oil – but I would never save room for them on my shelf of memories. There are too many good things to taste and combinations to make for me to remember the ones that weren’t memorable.
You're an expert on pairing cheese to delicious condiments like tequila-braised rhubarb, pickles, handmade matcha marshmallows. How are you on pairing cheese to people? Here's 5 whose perfect cheese pairings I'd like you to explore:
-Detective Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks: Definitely some Cougar Gold, It’s cheese in a can from Washington State University. Weird enough for Dale, weird enough for me.
-Hillary Clinton: She’s very much a pioneer. She’s the Laura Chenel of politics, right? At the time of her entry she seemed revolutionary, but now that the culture’s changed she’s just a really well made chevre. Nothing wrong with that, just not sure I’d want chevre to be my top cheese, ya dig?
- Jim Jarmusch: Jarmusch is just so NYC, so I want to pair him with a NYC cheese. We don’t make much because we’re eight million people deep in urban living, so I’m thinking Salvatore Bklyn Smoked Ricotta. It’s clean and smooth but has its very own kind of punk rock attitude. Very Jim.
- RZA: I have to respect RZA for his radical black Taoist veganism. He’s probably one of the few people I’d be willing to eat vegan ‘cheese’ with.
- Gloria Steinem: I have a lot of conflicting feelings about Steinem. I worked for her at Ms. Magazine as intern 10,000 years ago. She’s an icon. I get it. I appreciate it. I’m not sure if I’m left behind or she’s left behind. I guess I’d want to feed her Kraft singles, to show her how so many poor and working class Americans eat. I mean, she understands working class cheese on an intellectual level, but she’s not been in the muck of it for a very long time.
Thank you, Tia! All book photos by Noah Feck
An Irish Farmer's Market: Nettle Gouda & Ardsallagh Cheese
It is with great pleasure that I present to you the cheese-climbing goats of Ardsallagh Cheese and the gorgeous Irish gouda of Ballinrostig.
Ardsallagh cheese
Not far from the wisteria covered Ballymaloe Inn and Cookery School off the rocky coast of Cork, Ireland, is a little town called Midleton. It houses two very important things, and perhaps a few others. The first is Midleton Farmer's Market. The second is the Jameson Distillery.
One of my favorite things to do when traveling in another country is to visit farmer's markets. They intimately introduce you to the food culture of a land by focusing on small producers and things that are caught, grown, or made nearby. At a farmer's market, you can walk around and snack on buttery scones while buying cheese straight from the people who pressed the curds, or buy lobsters from the family who pulled the crustacean from the ocean.
The promise of these things brought to me Midleton Farmer's Market, which is saying a lot because I was at Ballymaloe and another option would have been staying for a second breakfast of Macroom oatmeal with raw Jersey cream from the dairy and stewed fresh apricots, then visiting the chickens and herb gardens at the cookery school, then going to the cafe for dessert, then walking the grounds imagining dinner. But, cheese called.
Thank you Darina Allen for launching the market so locals would have a place to buy beautiful regional produce and cheese. Thank you too for putting it walking distance from Jameson.
Ardsallagh Cheese & Ballinrostig Gouda
Ardsallagh Hard Cheese
The other Hard Cheese
Alldsallagh Cheese Cheesemaker Jane Murphy
It is with great pleasure that I present to you Ardsallagh Cheese and Ballinrostig Gouda, two small-production, artisan cheesemakers of Midleton Market.
Ardsallagh Farmstead Cheese is a small, family business twenty minutes outside Cork,. Cheesemaker Jane Murphy stands fiercely stands behind the curative power of her goat's raw milk, which she says, helped her children recover from ailments like eczema when young. Jane started keeping goats because she was enamored with the frisky, sweet animal and the power of its milk, then, as often happens when there's an abundance of milk, decided to embrace fermentation.
Jane makes a few cheeses. One is Soft Cheese. The other is Hard Cheese. Then there's another that could be referred to as The Other Hard Cheese (my name). Their titles speak truth to their style. Jane likes to keep it simple.
Hard, dry, a little crumbly, and sometimes reminiscent of a hard sliceable, Hard Cheese number 1 and 2 reminded me a little of the sliceable, gratable cheese otherwise known as Queso Seco Nicaraguense: Juan’s Mom’s Cheese, but less salty. A little meaty, peppery, grassy, and nutty- beautiful.
But my favorite was Soft Cheese. It's kinda like a chevre that's been given the princess treatment. Most chevres are made in the lactic-acid set style where they're left to ferment and drain over a night or two, but Jane lets hers set, relax, and come into its own over four days. The curds form into a deliciously silky cheese that's thick and rich. Tastes like lemon, butter, fresh milk, a fresh herb or two, and sunshine (which is hard to come by in Ireland).
Not far down the row were gleamingstacks of gouda. Those of you who haven't yet had a chance to sample a lot of Irish cheese may not know that the Irish rock gouda. Really. From Coolea to Killeen to Ballinrostig, the Irish could trick a blind cheese taster into thinking their wheels where straight from the motherland.
Dutch farmers who came to Ireland in the seventies and eighties brought with them their cheesemaking skills and been enabling gouda addicts with their sweet, smooth wheels ever since.
Stephen Bender of Ballinrostig Homstead honors this tradition by using a family recipe in his three year-old dairy to produce beautiful gouda. His gouda isn't yet in the states, but likely would travel well so I'm hoping it'll hop across the pond soon. Inspired by the longstanding Dutch tradition of adorning cheese curds with seasonal spices or herbs, Stephen makes his sweet, creamy, lightly peppery nettle gouda with local nettles. His "Gold" plain gouda he makes year-round.
Don't serve either at a party if you're hoping for leftovers. I passed them around the bus touring us around Ireland- people asked for seconds.
Because I guessed that you might wonder what to drink with these two beauties and I wholeheartedly support your plight, I diligently tested duos for you Midleton. The key to these pairings is to keep it local.
Serve Stephen's Gold Gouda with Yellow Spot whiskey. If not available, a rich white wine like Viognier or Pinot Noir would do.
Enjoy Ardsallagh Soft Cheese with Jameson and ginger beer. If you're out of ginger, serve with a Sauvignon Blanc or Melon de Bourgogne from the Loire Valley.
New Cheese Making Classes: Walnut Creek to Soul Food Farms
This fall you'll find me spreading the love with cheese making classes galore all over Northern California- from Walnut Creek to San Francisco and Vacaville.
Photo by Miss Cheesemonger
This fall you'll find me spreading the love with cheese making classes all over Northern California from Walnut Creek to San Francisco and Vacaville. Yup, I'll be buckling in, revving the engine on my Matrix, and teaching classes in cities I've never formed curds in before. I'm making it past the Caldecott Tunnel for a 3-Part Cheese Series at the Walnut Creek Recreation Center and heading to Vacaville's Soul Food Farms, where I'm honored to teach a beginning cheese making class for the first time on their inspired farm. My public pairing and cheesemaking classes are sold out in September, so we're jumping right into October. Well hello, fall!
PUBLIC FALL CHEESE MAKING CLASSES
Beginning Cheesemaking: Ricotta, Fromage Blanc & Creme Fraiche
Sunday, Oct 1st, 1:00-2pm, Vacaville, Soul Food Farms
After a quick, breezy intro through cheese science, you'll master the art of culturing, then play with the famed curds from whey. You'll leave knowing how to make creamy and fluffy ricotta, cultured fromage blanc, rich creme fraiche, and a few simple, party-ready recipe ideas. At the end of the tasty afternoon we'll finish by enjoying some of the cheese we just made with wine in the farmhouse kitchen and leave with cheese to take home. To register, email soulfoodfarm@gmail.com.
Cheesemaking 101: Fromage Blanc, Ricotta & Cultured Butter
Monday, Oct 3rd, 6:30-8:30pm, San Francisco, 18 Reasons
Learn the basics of cheesemaking and cultured dairy in this hands-on class with author and cheesemaking teacher Kirstin Jackson. You'll learn how to make fluffy ricotta, fresh fromage blanc, and cultured butter from scratch. You'll leave with an understanding of the basic science of cheesemaking, fermentation knowledge, resources for equipment, and your own cheese and butter to take home!....
Cheesemaking Series: 3 Class Workshop (First Walnut Creek Class!)
Sundays, Oct 16th, 23th, 30th, 2:00-5:00pm, Walnut Creek, Walnut Creek Recreation Center
From fluffy ricotta to decadent burrata, learn how to make cheese in three class sessions from 'It's Not You, It's Brie' author and cheesemaking instructor Kirstin Jackson. After starting with ricotta and chevre, we'll dive into queso fresco,....
Wednesday, Oct 19th, 6:00-9:30pm, San Francisco, 18 Reasons
Embrace the wonderful world of "pasta filata" cheeses by learning to stretch your own fresh mozzarella! We'll practice forming knots and braids..
As a friendly reminder, these classes fill up fast. If they're listed but sold out, ask about a waiting list- sometimes spots open up. If you want a private cheese making or cheese & wine pairing class for your next party or teambuilding, email me at kirstin@itsnotyouitsbrie.com.
Coolattin: Irish Cheddar, Raw Milk, and Grazing Ladies
Despite the awe-worthy Gothic inspired architecture, amazing music and super nice people, I couldn't wait to leave Dublin for Wicklow County. Why? Cheese. We were visiting Coolattin Irish Cheddar producer Tom Burgess, someone whose cheese I hadn't yet tasted because none of the 70 wheels he made a week made it to the states, but I was aching to try.
Around the UK and Ireland, Burgess's cheddars have been making waves. In 2015 he won both Ireland's Best Cheddar and gold, silver, and bronze medals at the British Cheese Awards. Not too surprising that all the cheese was eaten up before it had a chance to hit California. Perhaps you're wondering with so little access to the cheese, how did I hear about the creamery?
Well because Mr Declan O'Brien, the man who did much of the ground work for the Cal Discoveries Irish Cuisine & Culture tour I guest-lectured on, played rugby with the cheesemaker.
And, that's how cheese writers learn about cheese, my friends!
Tom and his family invited our group to tour the dairy, then head to his gorgeous house to drink tea in the kitchen with his family. No biggie, just drinking raw milk from their herd in our tea while eating huge amounts of cheddar and snuggling with farm kittens in their house. The cheese was beautiful, and... almost as memorable, I had the opportunity to name a farm kitten (Susie)!
The story of Coolattin cheddar starts in 1987 with a fluctuating milk market.
Tom bought the farm in 1987 and like many farmers frustrated with with the EU milk market and quotas, decided to reclaim control of his herd's milk and pull it out of the system all together. Making cheese from that milk instead of selling it to processors would allow him to control where the milk was going, who was using it (him), and because cheese was a value-added product, he could set his own prices (many American dairy farmers have also made a similar move).
So Tom started experimenting with his herd's raw milk in his kitchen. Like all burgeoning cheesemakers, he had some misses, then, hits (you also wait six months or more before your creation is ready to sample), then found his groove. He took his young cheddars to farmer's markets to see if it would sell, and came back without any cheddar. A sign. Soon after, he hired English cheese consultant Christine Ashby, a Stilton and cheddar specialist who with worked at Montgomery's Cheddar, refined his wheels, then went commercial.
Tom has 3 rules he stands by for Coolattin Cheddar.
It's made from raw milk only.
He only makes Coolattin in the seven months of the year when his ladies can graze on fresh grass (tastes better, and according to Tom, "really freed up my time").
He will only milk his animals once a day to give them a little rest. Most cows are milked twice a day.
Coolattin cheddars are sweet, grassy, meaty (think rib-eye fat), and become more intense (but still sweet) with age. They're lovely.
The wheels pictured here with natural (food-safe) red coating are his original style of Coolattin. With the urging of Slow Foods, Tom started making a bandage-wrapped style, below, and a year later that cheddar won gold, silver, and bronze at the British cheese awards. Score.
Tom has plans to grow, so let's cross our fingers that Coolattin makes it here soon. Right now he has the help of cheesemaker Ritchie (who also gives historical neolithic site tours in Wicklow), and his son just might be edging his way into the make room too. If you make it over Ireland, reach out. They're a kind family, they serve you raw milk with tea, the cheese samples are amazing, and come spring and summer there might be farm kittens.
Thank you for the visit, Burgess family!
Tom demonstrating how he uses the cheese harp (knife) to cut the custard-like fresh curd. This is the first curd cut before milling.
The shovel used to push lift curds into the milling machine.
Tom took off the funnel top of the milling machine to show the mechanical magic inside. He puts the curds in, and the pegs chop them up to so they’re perfect to press into wheels.
Coolattin dairy – where The Cheese is made.
Susie, photo by Haley of Cal Discoveries UC Alumni Travel.
Irish Tour First Stop: Dublin. Cheese, Sugar & Pubs.
If you've been wondering where I've been for the past few weeks and haven't been following my Instagram feed pics of the greenest hills on earth, farm kittens, and wheels upon wheels of Irish cheese, I'm happy to share that I've been on an Irish-culinary-cheese-venture. Officially. I had the honor of guest-lecturing a UC Berkeley Alumni Cal Discoveries Culinary & Culture tour of Ireland. As the resident tour cheese expert, I got to craft a tour shaped entirely around where I wanted to visit and eat cheese. I felt immensely lucky. It was dreamy, and put us in some of the most beautiful places around the country, like West Cork and Wicklow counties to visit dairies like Coolattin Cheddar and Durrus Cheese. More posts to come about those visits. The trip started in Dublin with the group and and ended with me staying on solo to visit cheesemakers on my own, with my last day on Dingle Peninsula. More photos of that too.
If you saw someone swerving along the Wild Atlantic Way on the left hand side of the road, but driving maybe a little more on the right hand side of the road, that was me! Sorry about that right hand turn.
This is my photo tour of some of my favorite stops in Dublin, where it all begin.
Obviously, travel starts out best with cheese. So I reached out to my friends at SheridansCheese and asked for a group Irish cheese introduction tasting. It was wonderful. With shops like The Pig's Back, Mannings Emporium and The Little Cheese Shop of Dingle, Ireland has no shortage of wonderful cheese shops, and Sheridans is the best in both Dublin and Galway. Highlights of the tasting were Milleens, Cahsel and Crozier Blue (often available in the states), Durrus, and a raw milk robiola style cheese whose name I forgot because I selfishly blanked out because it wasn't available in the states. John, below, was our cheese man. He moved form France around ten years ago and has been with Sheridan's since.
If you're on your own in Dublin, I'd recommend looking into Fab Food Trails. Dublin is navigable enough, but it's a city with delicious things tucked in hidden paths and corners. This tiny walking tour company worked with us to curate a custom tour around the city.
One of our stops was The Pepper Pot, housed in a shopping arcade. Reasons why we loved it are below.
Then we headed to the Temple Bar District.
A great straight-up seafood spot was Klaw. Crab-shack dining style, raw oysters, housemade gravlax, east coast lobster rolls, and Picpoul wine from the southwest of France to wash it all down. Delicious. I hear their happy hour is a rager.
Then there was The Swan Lynch pub. In case you're wondering, yes, Guinness is their best-selling beer. In 1916 a group of Irish Republications published the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, and Ireland was commemorating the document that lead to the country's final independence in 1922 when we were there 100 years ago. Dublin was a center of action. Below, Swan Lynch's owner Danny points to bulletholes in the wall of a neighboring building where the IRA used to gather. In general, Swan Lynch has been an epicenter of Dublin life for years. Danny's father, an amateur rugby player who traveled the world playing, also brought in sports fans to the bar. And in true Irish fashion, the bar sill has hidden spots where men could stash their alcohol when women entered the bar because it wasn't considered polite to swig in their presence.
We all, however, sipped 12 year whiskey with Danny.
We also ate sweets besides the scones pictured at Pepper Pot. If you need a chocolate fix in Dublin, head to Cocoa Atelier. They do earl grey truffles like no one's business.
More Ireland to come.