Totally Dublin 1
DRINKS BERRY GOOD - FRAUGHAN SUNDAY Long before b
lueberries became widely available in supermarkets and at summer food festivals, Ireland had Fraughan Sunday – an annual pilgrimage into the hills to gather wild blueberries and welcome the start of Lúnasa. The tradition saw families head for the Wicklow Mountains and upland bogs on the last Sunday of July in search of tiny, intensely flavoured fraughans (pronounced frockins), with folklore helpfully suggesting that hopeful romantics should use the proceeds of their haul to entice their chosen sweetheart with home baked blueberry cakes. We’re told that the wild berries, which thrive amongst the heather found in acidic mountain soil, are richer in flavour than the cultivated blueberries we’re more familiar with today. Packed with antioxidants, they have the capacity to stain fingers a glorious purple, and historically proved as practical as they were delicious. In addition to helping dye wool and linen, families across Wicklow earned vital income picking the fruit for export to Britain, where it was destined for use in jam factories there. These days, Glendalough Distillery continues to keep the tradition alive, and resident forager Geraldine Kavanagh spends each summer hand-picking fraughans in the Wicklow Mountains for the distillery’s seasonal Summer Gin. Her slow, careful work, supports biodiversity, leaving plenty of berries behind for wildlife while ensuring the plants continue to flourish. Geraldine has kindly shared details of her go-to Fraughan Sunday serve, a twist on the classic Collins, made with muddled wild berries. We’re delighted to reproduce her recipe below - ideal for those wondering what to do with their own haul of handpicked berries this summer. glendalough.com Glendalough Distillery Fraughan Berry Collins (Serves 2) ARTISTIC LICENCE - MADAME ‘B’ The grapevine is currently abuzz with news that artist Damien Hirst has teamed up with the acclaimed Château La Coste to create Madame ‘B’, a tasty new rosé produced in one of Provence’s most celebrated wine estates. Made from biodynamic, estate-grown grapes in Aix-en-Provence, this latest collaboration between Hirst and Château La Coste owner Paddy McKillen builds on a long friendship centred around a shared appreciation of art and craftsmanship, culminating in Hirst’s sprawling exhibition, ‘The Light That Shines’ in the grounds of the estate in 2024. Located between the historic city of Aix-En Provence and the Luberon National Park, in one of the oldest winemaking regions of France, we’re told that Château La Coste is a vineyard ‘where wine, art and architecture co-exist’. The inviting space features five gallery spaces dotted across the 500-acre site, where visitors are welcome to wander and discover major works of contemporary art installed in the open air. In keeping with that al fresco theme, Madame B offers a nice taste of Provençal escapism, with the kind of crisp, refreshing finish that pairs especially well with a sunny terrace. Delivering notes of citrus, white peach, pear and wild strawberry, at €33 a bottle, is it summer in a glass? Our verdict is - quite possibly. See for yourself at stockists including Thomas’s of Foxrock, and Searson’s Wine Merchants. chateau-la-coste.com MEATY WINES Celebrated steakhouse F.X. Buckley recently retained the coveted Wine Spectator’s prestigious Best of Award of Excellence for the fourth year running, placing it among an elite group of restaurants recognised for outstanding wine programmes worldwide. Curated by Master of Wine Alan Crowley and F.X. Buckley director Brian Buckley, the list at the celebrated local steakhouse includes standout bottles from Burgundy, Italy and Spain, alongside sought-after Super Tuscans, and the restaurant’s exclusive Webersburg wines from South Africa. In addition, the Dubliners are clearly making a genuine effort to cater for every budget, with each bottle carefully selected to complement their renowned dryaged steaks. The result is the creation of pairings that succeed in elevating both the food and the wine, as they continue to set a consistently strong benchmark for serious wine service in Dublin. fxbuckley.ie 36 Ingredients: 20 Wild Berries (fraughans, wild raspberries and wild strawberries if you can find them) 2 Dashes Raspberry/ Strawberry Syrup 4 Measures Glendalough Distillery Wild Botanical Gin 4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice Sugar Syrup To Taste Add Soda Water, and Garnish with Wild Berries or Fresh Mint Method: Divide the berries and strawberry syrup between two highball glasses. Muddle well. Fill each glass with ice, then add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup, and stir. Top with soda water and garnish with wild berries or mint. Enjoy!
