Well ladies, what a few weeks it has been. We hope you’ve all been enjoying yourselves and slathering on the factor 50 when the heatwave reared its head. Now, we love an al fresco drink in the sun as much as the next person…but those scorching hot temperatures make us think a little harder about the current state of our climate and what we, as drink lovers and professionals, can do to play our part. 

In recent years we’ve seen winemakers using lightweight bottles to cut down on their glass usage (you can read more about glass bottles and their carbon footprint here or read the California Wine Executive Summary, the group who produced the graph below), plastic and cardboard bottles and even the rise of bag-in-box and wines and cocktails on tap (boujee bag-in-box might we add, not your old-school cheap plonk).

Global publications have begun to write about topics such as climate change and wine winemaking, including the New York Times and Decanter Magazine. Closer to home this month, beer producer Wicklow Wolf proudly became Ireland’s first solar-powered brewery, a move which will save an impressive 30 tonnes of carbon each year. 

Have you any thoughts or knowledge to share on this topic? Or perhaps you’d like to write an opinion piece on this evolving subject for the WSW blog? Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

We want to give a shout-out and a big congratulations to our very own Wine Spirit Women Lynda Coogan and Antonia Dominguez, on the launch of their podcast. They’ve gotten rave reviews for Wine: The Long And The Short Of It and you can catch up and listen here. We chatted with Antonia a few months back in our Q&A section – if you missed it you can read it here.

We recently read this article from The Drinks Business about a potential €14 million wine scam and were instantly reminded of the infamous Rudi. If you haven’t watched Sour Grapes on Netflix, then we highly suggest that you open a bottle of something delicious this evening and pop it on the TV. It’s a fascinating watch.

Recent figures from the Irish Whiskey Association show that the Irish whiskey industry now has a 37% female workforce. We absolutely love to see women taking leaps in the whiskey world, which has been male-dominated for years. You can read about Ireland’s women in whiskey, like Lough Gill’s Master Blender Helen Mulholland, pictured above, here.

Congratulations are in order as several Irish gin producers took home 13 awards at the Gin Masters Awards. The annual competition is comprised of a series of blind tastings, with judging conducted by the Global Spirits Masters Competition in partnership with The Spirits Business. 

Ireland took centre stage as TV chef, and Masterchef judge John Torode launched his new Food Network show John Torode’s Ireland, visiting food and drink destinations across the Emerald Isle. John decided to pay a visit to Kinsale Mead, where he met Kate and Denis Dempsey, founders of the meadery, before having a taste of this delicious honey wine. Kate was featured in our Q&A not too long ago, which you can read here. 

If you’re planning a trip to Kinsale, be sure to pay a visit to Kinsale Mead to join one of their fantastic meadery tours and taste the drink that inspired the word “honeymoon” for yourself.

Q&A with…

In this month’s Q&A we sat down with Avril Kirrane McMurrough of Boutique Wines. Having worked in some of London and Dublin’s top restaurants and completing her WSET exams, Avril joined Boutique Wines, where she and her husband Johnny provide top-class vino to Ireland’s restaurants and wine shops. Get to know Avril and her journey here. 

Out west in Co.Galway a one-day celebration of craft beer will take place on 24th of September. The Saunter Craft Beer Festival will join beers of the world together for an unmissable event. Spread across three city centre locations guests will taste their way through styles and flavours. Tickets here.

On 26th August, Belfast’s Banana Block will host a very special supper club in association with Velocheese x Indie Füde. Cooking dynamo Jasper Castel will be whipping up some delicious fare for guests, who will enjoy a welcome drink on arrival. More information and tickets can be found here. 

Cork’s whiskey lovers won’t want to miss JJ’Coppinger’s Mixed Mash on 30th August. In association with Feast & The Middleton Distillery, they will host a whiskey masterclass, showcasing the deluxe and rare whiskies from Middleton. Enjoy a whiskey sour on arrival before tucking into the whiskey and food fusion. Tickets here.

In Waterford, the Revolution Craft Beer & Whiskey Bar will play host to the official launch of their Limited Edition Green Spot whiskey. The event takes place on 9th September. Tickets include meat and cheeseboards and tastings of three delicious whiskies. Tickets are available here.

JOB VACANCIES

The Falls Restaurant at Sheen Falls Co.Kerry, is seeking an Assistant Restaurant Manager. Ideally suited to someone who wants to work in a fine dining environment. Full job listing here. 

A Marketing and Communications Officer is needed at the Institute of Masters of Wine. Apply here.

Mitchell & Son seeks Sales Assistants in both of their CHQ and Glasthule stores. They also are recruiting for a Customer Service & Administrative Support position. Full job listings here. Submit applications by email to Stefania Ghido [stefania@mitchellandson.com].

Whiplash Beer have two current vacancies. Junior Brewer (no experience needed, just passion). You’ll be fully trained and work alongside beer pros – we think this is an amazing opportunity for someone looking to get into the brewing world. The other position is for Cellar Brewer, with 1-2 years experience needed. Contact alex@whiplashbeer.com with a quick cover letter and short CV under the header of Junior Brewer or Cellar Brewer. Read more about the roles here. 

O’Briens Wine is seeking staff to fill a number of full and part-time roles throughout Clontarf, Naas and Blanchardstown and other locations. See vacancies here. 

Boann Distillery requires a Digital Marketing and Media Specialist. Based on-site in Drogheda, the successful candidate will be responsible for tasks such as website and social media management, content creation, and growing and monitoring the online shopping platform. They also have a vacancy for an Assistant Distillery Operator, who will work under their Head Distiller.