Hot Flavours: Highlights from Dublin Beer Festival – plus Jess Murphy releases The Kai Cookbook

The sacrifice Team Hop Press makes for you readers…

While everyone else was enjoying a weekend off, the Capel Street Formation Drinking Team were out in the RDS selflessly (and responsibly) working our way through the 200+ beers, ciders and spirits that made this one of the best Dublin Beer Festivals yet.

First into our sampling glass was Pointy Shoes: 2025, a muscular 13% Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, which is remarkably no. 62 in Wicklow Wolf’s Endangered Species series of specials.

Also making its public debut was their 6% As The Crow Flies Hazy IPA with Krush, Idaho 7 and Galaxy Hops.

And, yes, both are as delicious as they sound.

Among the healthy contingent of European visitors was Brewski from Sweden who brought their 6% Tropicopop Fruited Sour with Pineapple, Kalamansi & Lychee with them, which is basically desert in a 330ml can.

Having interviewed him on Zoom for our festival preview, it was great to meet Chris Morley from Mason’s Brewing in person.

Accompanying him on his journey over from the town of Brewer (no, really!) in Maine was their perfectly balanced 5.5% Blueberry Ice Cream Ale and 5.7% Hipster Apocalypse.

Following last year’s imperial stout collaboration with Lough Gill, Chris has two more American-Irish hooks-up planned following late night festival conversations – and pints.

Usually only available at their CHQ Building headquarters on the Dublin Quays, Urban Brewing’s 5.6% Honey Brown Ale was one of the weekend’s buzz beers - and rightly so ‘cos it’s the Nectar of the Gods.

We were delighted to renew acquaintances with Love Buzz, a highly sessionable 4.5% Passion Fruit IPA from the good folk at Lineman in Rathcoole who also treated us to some seriously yummy porter cupcakes.

These came courtesy of Dublin’s Chaotic Kitchen bakery who’ll be featuring in these pages shortly.

Keep your tastebuds peeled for the limited-edition and seriously lipsmackin’ 6.4% West Coast Tropical Golden IPA which the Dungarvan Brewing Company are justifiably very proud of and should be bought/drunk on sight.

Ditto the 5% Sigaro Export Stout with Tobacco & Cacao which Galway Bay has conjured up with their pals Hilltop from the Italian region of Lazio.

We have extremely high standards when it comes to the black stuff, and this ranks with the best.

Sadly, that’s all the libations we have space for in this issue. For more beery goodness see our DBF photo gallery.

A participant last year in our Climate Crisis: How Do We Turn The Tide? panel discussion at Electric Picnic, Jess Murphy treats us to The Kai Cookbook: A Love Letter To The West Of Ireland, which features hundreds of recipes from her award-winning – and eco-friendly – Galway restaurant.

Beautifully illustrated and split into Imbolc/Bealtaine/Lúnasa/Samhain sections, it’s had Hot Flavours rustling up Madras Mussels with Monkfish & Wild Garlic; Chicken & Chermoula with Tabbouleh-Style Millet; Grilled Aubergines with Tahini Yogurt, Za’atar & Golden Raisins; and Chocolate & Olive Oil Mousse with Almond Praline.

Which are all as nibblesome as they sound.

Bag yourself a copy here.

And then reserve a table at the Michelin Bib Gourmand Kai, which is one of the crown jewels of Galway’s ever vibrant restaurant scene.