Team Hop Press will be in the thick of the action as the Dublin Beer Festival returns to the RDS on September 13th and 14th after a Covid-enforced break.

The event will showcase over 75 breweries with Vault City, Brewski, Zichovec, Baxbier, Mad Scientist and Moersleutel among the high-profile international guests.

“We’re thrilled to bring a global perspective to our event,” says festival co-founder Seamus O’Hara, “with breweries joining us from as far as Portland, Maine, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Hungary, Sweden, Czech Republic, Netherlands and Scotland.”

Our man Stuart Clark has selflessly volunteered to spend both Friday and Saturday in the Main Hall where he’ll be hosting a series of ‘Meet The Brewers’ events. Stay tuned to hotpress.com for details.

Along with 100+ new and festival special beers, there will be craft cocktails, wines of every hue, locally fermented kombucha, lots of low and zero alcohol options, DJs playing seriously cool tunes and city-centre fringe events.

Tickets are available from dublinbeerfest.ie – and Hot Press readers can get a 20% discount by using the promo code HOTPRESS2024

Talking of low-alcohol beer, launching this month in Ireland is Fierce Mild, a 0.5% ABV beer brewed with much love in Dundalk.

“While most non-alcoholic beers are made by removing the alcohol from regular beer through heating, vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis, Fierce Mild is brewed with a special yeast and a trilogy of hops ensuring the beer retains its full expression from the outset,” we’re told and, indeed, it’s up there with Lucky Saint lager in the virtuous (but tasty) department.

One of our northside go-tos, Yamamori North City, is currently inviting diners to feast first and chortle after at their adjoining Friday night Juicy Koi Comedy Club.

Having sampled pretty much every bento box there is in Dublin, Hot Flavours is happy to pronounce theirs the best.

We also love their Japas menu which takes a few culinary liberties – we’re not sure how authentic the Kare Kewpie Arancini are – but is lots of fun.

That not all sandwich shops are created equal is evident from the perma-queues outside Happy Days, a coming together of former Good For The Soul, Oyster Tavern and Market Burger staffers who’ve opened their own sleek deli on Cork’s Penrose Wharf.

From the Slow-Roasted Porchetta, Crackling and Salsa Verde combo to the Italian Eggs with Fresh Mozzarella, Marinara Sauce and Parmesan option, it really is all good with sambos and bagels priced between €7 and €10.50.

 

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Tipple Of The Month:

CØUNTING PIGS 40% POTATO VODKA

Championed by hip London mixologists who’ve up till now favoured Brit brands like D1, Edwards 1902 and Aval Dor, potato vodka has a creamier texture than its grain counterpart and a more complex flavour which also makes it perfect for sipping over ice. Triple-distilled on a fifth-generation Athenry farm, this Irish newcomer is beautifully packaged and comes with a frolicking porker back story, which may or may not be true. What is 100% verifiable is that Cøunting Pigs is made with rare heritage potatoes, has a delicious natural sweetness that presumably derives from the starch in those spuds turning into sugar, and is awesome with Fentimans Curiosity Cola.