Hot Flavours: Our Tastes and Tipples of the Fortnight

Having already wowed ‘em in London and New York, the food festival for “carnivores with a conscience”, Meatopia, makes its Dublin bow on July 1 and 2 in Guinness’ Open Gate Brewery, which means that there will also be lashings and lashings of beer from Arthur J and some of his crafty Irish and UK friends.

“Every piece of meat on offer will have been raised naturally, lived the best of lives and be totally and utterly hormone, antibiotic and cruelty free,” reads their mission statement. “Our animals will all be native and rare breeds. Bred, raised and butchered locally to where they lived, and sourced from as nearby as possible.”

Add in an eclectic programme of music across the weekend, and it sounds like a sure-fire winner. Tickets can be bagged from June 2 at guinnessopengate.com/meatopia

Taking place last week in the Open Gate was the launch of The Open Road, Guinness’ very first brewery collaboration with the folk from Two Roads in Connecticut who joined us in Dublin 8 via-the miracle of Skype. They’ve married two classic styles – stout and Belgian Saison – to produce the 5.2% Open Road, a dark beer flavoured with Irish mint, gorse and moss. For the time being, it’s an Open Gate exclusive, which can be taken home in specially supplied growlers.

It’s also a Hot Flavours “howaya!” to Bonac 24, the first release from the boutique Wicklow distillery set up by father and son duo, Michael and Gavin Clifford.

Its lip-smacking’ citrus, mint and star anise notes make it perfect for mixing, muddling or sipping neat over ice.

But for our near Trinity Street, Dublin 2 neighbours Keogh’s, there definitely would have been issues of Hot Press with missing pages and half-written articles.

Our favourite place of sanctuary when journalistic life becomes just a little too hectic, this gem of a café is world famous in Dublin - that’s not an oxymoron! - for its freshly baked scones and muffins.

Open daily from 6am-8pm, they also rustle up a mean breakfast, with great coffee and plenty of veggie options.

We suffer withdrawal symptoms if we don’t have their BBQ Pulled Pork Hot Sandwich at least once a week, with the Guinness & Beef Stew, Thai Green Curry and Penne Pasta with Salmon & Broccoli the pick of some very fine mains.

As we sit here munching on one of their takeout Aromatic Crispy Duck Wraps, we say “thank you, Keoghs!” for all the TLC as well as the BLTs. keoghscafe.ie.

Having cooked up a storm in Temple Bar, Klaw has crossed the Liffey to set up Poké on Capel Street, Dublin 1. The name is derived from the raw fish salad beloved of Hawaiians. With sunomono cucumber, edamame, nori, salty pineapple, samphire, pickled ginger, kimchi and Macadamia nut among the toppings, it’s the start of a prolonged, tempestuous love affair.

Not content with its respective June and October stagings of the International Food Truck and World BBQ festivals, Limerick is hosting the Pigtown Culture & Food Series of events in September and October. A nod to the city’s famous bacon industry, there will be a Culture Night Pig Parade, an Ancient Ireland: What Did Our Ancestors Grow, Pick & Catch? lecture, a Veganism In A Meat Eater’s World panel discussion, a Pig In The City food trail and loads more tasty porcine treats. pigtown.ie.

Ballymote’s excellent White Hag brewery is staging its first Hagstravaganza on July 29, which has ‘Beers Not Poured In Ireland’ as its theme.

Berlin duo Stone Brewing and BRLO Brewhouse, London’s 40ft and Nijmegen’s Oersoep are among the 20 breweries from ten different countries that will be coming to their picturesque corner of Sligo. Tickets priced €25 are available from thewhitehag.com and include four glasses of beer.

Tipple of the Fortnight

Blackwater 40% Curious Still Black Hopped Vodka

Dillying and, indeed, dallying are not recommended if you want to bag yourself this remarkable limited-edition vodka – just 250 bottles and then it’s gone! - which uses crystal malt and magnum hops that would normally go into Black’s of Kinsale’s India Pale Ale.

With its herb and fruit notes, and slight sweetness, it reminds us of Poland’s famous Zubrówka bison grass vodka, and has a mouthfeel that’s positively velevetine.

Currently available from the likes of nutsaboutwine.ie and celticwhiskeyshop.com for around €40, we’ve kept it for sipping over ice rather than drowning it in mixer and losing the subtlety of the flavour.