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BARFLY Michael McDermott 1. 2. JOYFUL TRINITY “Fo
od, travel and wine” is what Anne Krebiehl, editor-in-chief of Falstaff magazine, describes as the “joyful trinity”. In its first ever international autumn print edition, she says, “we have a portrait of Napa and Sonoma pitched at beginners and a fairly involved piece on Bordeaux. In between those we have a feature on the history and evolution of Super Tuscans, which is great reading for those already collecting Ornellaia and those who don’t yet know what Super Tuscans are. So, we try and speak to everyone without ever dumbing down.” Whilst well known in Austria and Germany, this is Falstaff’s first foray into the international sphere and is aiming for a quarterly global print circulation of 100,000. falstaff.com/newsletter @falstaff.international VERMOUTH FROM VALENTIA Having arrived on Valentia Island from Bristol back in 2018, Anna and Orla Snook O’Carroll (and their dog Nanuk) set about foraging local plants and herbs and blending botanicals for Valentia Island Vermouth Ór. “We can’t believe our luck to have ended up here and with every mix, fusion and experiment we have tried to capture those same feelings of light, magic and power from the island into a delicious blend of complex botanicals, sweet caramel and wine.” They have been accepted on to the SuperValu food academy, and are a finalist in the Blas na hÉireann food awards which take place on October 2. They have also been selected in the world’s top ten vermouths in Falstaff (see Joyful Trinity) by Kate Hawkings, author of Aperitif, joining vintage vermouths such as Cocchi, Antica Formula and Regal Rogue. @valentiaislandvermouth 3. BEAUTIFUL BRAND, WHERE ARE YOU We’re always on the lookout for eye-catching design – Beautiful Brand, Where Are You – so, it’s a thrill to encounter the work of Backbar Studios in Monaghan. There’s something classy and reassuring about their work once you land on the home page. From the clean, crisp, look of Agora vermouth to customdesigned bottles for Muckross Gin, modelled on Victorian glass bottles and modernised with tactile embossing; the “brand narrative” stuff which is salivated over in marketing and positioning meetings is truly to the fore of their canny considerations. A latest work of theirs is a safari/ camouflaged inspired look for Bayan Rose Water Gin which is “handcrafted with African botanicals”. backbarstudios.com 4. HARD SELLER? While there no signs of the hard-seltzer craze abating here yet, the first canary in the coalmine may have been spotted Stateside. The Boston Beer Co recently withdrew its annual earnings forecast in the face of a sharp slowdown in the category citing that, “there will be continuing uncertainty about hardseltzer demand trends for the remainder of 2021.” Boston makes Truly which trails White Claw, the market leader. With the marketplace saturated with big brand versions which have been rapidly rolled out, expect hopes here to be pinned on squeezing another summer out of it before an anticipated drop-off as the ‘next best trend’ comes along. You know when Gordon Ramsey is attached (Hell’s Seltzer), that the smart thinking is to move on. 5. DEATH OF THE EARLY HOUSE? Admittedly, it’s been a long time since we’ve done the rollover to the early house but we have fond, if somewhat hazy, memories of shards of light streaming into the Chancery through the stained glass window as the jukebox lashed out some hits and the topsy-turvy togetherness of sesh heads and Indian-tattooed counter drinkers gelled for a hot second. Alas, The Chancery is currently shuttered and we’re not sure if the new buyers will have an appetite for utilising the historic licence. And now, The Windjammer may well go the same way as it’s on the market with an asking price of €1.6m. Its sale blurb notes that, “on the first floor there is a well-appointed, own door, two-bedroom apartment with a private roof garden.” A private roof garden on top and early house on ground level – now that’s a heady cocktail bound to make someone new friends. 42