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DRINKS Pictured at the launch of the Food Works 2
026 recruitment drive are current programme participants (L–R): Cathal O’Ceidigh, Bamboolas Snacks; Dr. Siobhan O’Mahony and Dr. Eimear Gleeson, Femme Biome; and Feargal O’Carroll, Fierce Mild. FOOD (AND DRINK!) WORKS Food Works, an accelerator programme for highpotential food and drink start-ups, is currently on the lookout for the country’s next budding crop of food, drink or ingredients entrepreneurs. The state-funded initiative backed by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc has been proving its worth since it first launched back in 2012, serving as a pivotal launchpad for some of Ireland’s best-known innovators. Chimac, Valentia Island Vermouth, and Wicklow Wolf, are just some of its most successful graduates to date, while this year’s cohort features Fierce Mild, the country’s foremost non-alcoholic beer specialist and Ól, a maker of innovative, bar-quality canned cocktails, made by blending traditional spirits with unique Irish and organic ingredients. The prestigious ten-month programme is designed to help food and drink entrepreneurs scale faster and smarter, providing participants with expert mentorship and facilitating access to world-class facilities for product development and more. Applications for the 2026 programme are open until November 28th. Full details and application forms: FoodWorksIreland.ie ANOTHER WINE - FÍON EILE Anyone for a nice Benoba orange? With the trend for neighbourhood wine bars very much du jour, the one currently piquing everyone’s interest is Fíon Eile in Phibsborough. Behind the counter, owners Paul Gartland and Sinéad McCarthy are as close as it gets to wine royalty in this part of the city. Paul previously worked as head sommelier at the two-Michelin star Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, while Sinéad’s most recent stint was as wine manager at Hawksmoor on College Green. The vino-loving duo left their prestigious day jobs to pursue a shared dream of building their own wine bar – and hey presto! The result was the birth of a bijou wine shop, wine bar, and event space on the North Circular Road. The fledgling Dublin 7 spot offers a small, curated by-the-glass list that changes weekly, with all the bottles in their shop available to drink-in for €10 corkage, a charge they happily dispense with on Sundays. Walk-ins only. @fion_eile STELLAR STUFF FIRE X DRUMSHANBO If movies, cocktails and Art Deco are your vibe, then we’re delighted to usher in news of a cinematicallyinspired drinks menu at the Stella Cocktail Club. The makers of some of Rathmines best cocktails have devised a stellar tribute to more than a century of history, featuring no less than twenty-two handcrafted cocktails, including five non-alcoholic options. Each playful concoction has been inspired by a film that has both played a defining role in the legacy of cinema, and also been viewed on the screen at the iconic Dublin cinema. Offerings range from a sweet, floral homage to The Imperfect Lover, the very first film screened at Stella Rathmines way back in 1923, to ‘The Dark Side’, a playful take on 1980’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, made with Plymouth Slow, Beefeater 24, Havana 7, Cochi’s Sweet Vermouth and Peychaud’s Bitters. Here’s looking at you, kid! @stella.cocktail.club 36 Birthday celebrations continue apace at Fire, where they’ve teamed up with The Shed Distillery and Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin to mark their big twenty year milestone. They tell us that the limited-edition gin comes infused with a distinctive blend of Bergamot Citrus and Pink Peppercorn, reflecting FIRE’s bold character, the city’s vibrant energy, and “the warmth, resilience, and spirit of the community they proudly serve”. As part of the celebrations, guests can enjoy it served as a classic gin and tonic, or as part of a FIRE Signature 20 Cocktail, paying homage to two decades of eating and drinking at the Dawson Street landmark. Cheers to that! @firesteakhouse