Peruke & Periwig – Perfectly Poured Cocktails

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I received an incredibly ingenious invite to a cocktail event in Peruke & Periwig. I wrote a piece about the extremely clever marketing surrounding it, which you can find Here.

The Invite

They were launching their new Around the World in 80 Cocktails menu and selected some lucky people to trial some of the creations over a few different evenings. 80 cocktails might sound like a large menu, it Is, however they have taken 40 ‘known’ cocktails and put their own unique twist on them, essentially doubling the menu. So for example you could have The Grapes of Wrath which is a twist on the Vesper Martini or you can have just as is.

Now unless you are involved in the service industry, it’s likely you probably don’t realise how much work, time and effort goes into creating the liquid fantasy that fills your glass. The behind the scenes work is not all just sitting around mixing alochol with fruit juice, although there is a little bit of that, for research purposes of course! There are late nights making syrups and juices and trial and error and tasting and retasting and all kinds of innovation including ingredients like smoke and digestive biscuits. They even infuse their own vodkas (including marshmallow infused) and create their own chilli sugar.

The menu itself also includes a quote to accompany each cocktail. I’ve added them to the pictures below. The attention to details is second to none.

Cocktail Menu

On the night of the event myself and my friend Carolann were treated to the ultimate in intimate cocktail evenings. There were four of us at the table being treated to a journey of cocktails across the globe. Our tour guide for the night was cocktail maker extraordinaire Rob. I’ll give you a run down of what was on offer. As my pictures were just not up to scratch and don’t at all show you how elegant each cocktail looked when served I have also put in some proper photographs beside mine. Believe me when I tell you, they were all served perfectly.

Key Lime Pie – “I don’t mind making jokes, but I don’t want to look like one”

A twist on the Gimlet, the Key Lime Pie is dessert in a glass. Absolut Citron, Absolut Vanilla, lemon, tarte citron, sicilian lemondae, meringue foam and a biscuit rim. Every sip let you enjoy the taste of the meringue foam and I kept twisting my glass to make sure every bit of biscuit was licked off the glass. For me out of 5, this was a 4.5, only losing a half mark because it wasn’t served in a large bucket. It was that good.

Key Lime Pie – My Photo

Next stop was the aptly named Hoptimus Prime. A variation on a Screwdriver. Hop infused Absolut Vodka, mango shrub (P&P made), honey, guava and pineapple. You can really taste the hops in it so the beer drinkers will certainly like it. For me it was 4 out of 5 but the presentation was top notch. Thats a slice of dehydrated pineapple on top which was sweet and chewy.

Hoptimus Prime – “I learned a long time ago that reality was much weirder than anyone’s imagination”

Hoptimus Prime – My Photo

A French inspired delicacy was next. The Nom de Plume. Similar to a Clover Club. A mix of Beefeater 24, elderflower, rose water (which I’m told is very expensive), pomegranate, lemon and sugar whites. It’s topped with edible rose buds. A classy looking cocktail with a refreshing taste. I’m giving it a 4.5 out of 5.

Nom de Plume – “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”

Nom de Plume – My Photo

Peruke have a brunch menu now, and guess whats on it? The Walking Dead cocktail. A variation on a Zombie. Being on a brunch menu essentially makes it a breakfast food. It’s made with Havana Especial, Oakheart (rum with flavours and spices), Kraken (more rum), Maraschino, Falernum (rum with lime juice), Apricot Brandy, orange, pineapple, lime and sugar. Now thats a long list of ingredients and a lot of rum and I suspect after about five of them you would be the walking dead but I also suspect it will cure a hangover too. Taste, superb. Thats my 5 out of 5.

The Walking Dead – “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else”

Off to Wonderland we went next with The Mad Hatter. A take on the Collins. Served in a teapot for two, or as I like to call it, a teapot full just for me.

The Mad Hatter – “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”

Chamomile, grapefruit, lemon, pepper, cucumber and mint infused Beefeater gin, tonic bitters, boston bittahs and dry ice. Yes dry ice. If you look at the picture below you will actaully see the dry ice coming off it. It’s a spectacular cocktail to have arrive on your table. It’s pure theatre. While tasty, for me it was 4 out of 5 but thats a personal preference.

Mad Hatter Cup – My Photo

Yes that is actual dry ice coming off the teapot and you can watch the video of it here

Mad Hatter Teapot – My Photo

The Corner of Bow St. & St. James’ Gate, which was served with a plate of Guinness fudge. Jameson Irish Whiskey, Guinness, aromatic bitters and sugar. Served on rocks like it’s counter part the Old Fashioned. Classic, simple, STRONG!!! 3 out of 5 for me but I’m not a fan of Whiskey or Guinness.

The Corner of Bow St. & St. James’ Gate – “I have the simplest tastes. I am always satsified with the best” – My Photo

Below we have the Harry Houdini. Based on a Sazerac. Woodford Reserve, Hennessy Fine de Cognac, Peychaud’s bitters, honey, smoke and an absinthe rinse. If it will play for you, check out the Video of it all being put together. That is actually smoke filling the glass and it’s quite impressive. 4 out 5.

Harry Houdini – “What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes” – My Photo

To finish off on a sweet note I had The Ministry of Silly Drinks. An explosion of sweetness. Absolut Peach, Kwai Feh Leychee, Creme de Cassis, P&P mango shrub, orange bitters, cranberry bitters, lemon, whites and popping candy. It’s like being smacked in the face with a bag of skittles but oh so delicious. In saying that I would only manage one of these due to sweetness overload. 3.5 out of 5.

The Ministry of Silly Drinks – “Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction” – My Photo

The last creation in my run down is the South of the Border or French Martini as some know it. Olmeca Reposado, Creme de Cassis, P&P blackberry shrub, pineapple and sugar served with frensh blackberries. Alas I didn’t get to taste this but it looked great and Carolann says she would ‘inhale’ it.

South of the Border – “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro” – My Photo

This is a glowing review of Peruke & Periwig and it’s deserved. It was an extra special night and we were treated to impeccable service, tantalising drinks and Rob our cocktail maker, not only took us on a liquid journey, he took us on a literary one too. He knew the quotes. He knew who quoted them. For every drink there was a story to go with it, and with the story there was a piece of history and with that a nugget of information we took away with us. I left Peruke & Periwig that night enlightened or light headed, or maybe it was both.

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The Gunman – Movie Review

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Directed by Pierre Morel who also directed Taken, The Gunman stars Sean Penn, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Bardem and some very short screen time from Idis Elba.

At age 54 Sean Penn has managed to keep himself looking very much in shape and might be following in the footsteps of Taken’s Liam Neeson as the next ‘older’ action man. Although for me he doesn’t quite have that edge that Neeson has to be able to pull it off. Penn’s character Terrier is based in the Congo when we first meet him. He is working for a mining company and in a relationship with Annie (Jasmine Trinca) an aid worker. As with all decent thrillers there is of course a hidden agenda. He along with his team which includes Bardem’s character Felix, are actually there to assassinate a politician, with Terrier the assigned trigger man.

Sean Penn

Terrier on completion of the mission has to immediately leave the Congo and Annie behind. Fast forward eight years and we catch up with Terrier who is back in the Congo, this time not undercover. He appears as a man haunted by his past actions trying to make amends. Following an attempt on his life he flees the area and soon realises his past has come back to find him. Reconnecting with members of his old team he sets about finding out who is trying to kill him and why. I wont’ spoil the movie by saying too much on that!

The story line does keep you interested, with enough twists and turns to keep your attention for almost two hours. The action scenes are excellent and seem somewhat less far fetched than many in this genre which is quite refreshing. In terms of performances, Bardem as usual is great and really shines when he is playing a character who is edgy with a touch of crazy. Jasmine Trinca plays the love interest very well but I’d like to see a bit more grit to her character. Penn, while an accomplished actor and enjoyable in the movie, he doesn’t have enough of a hard edge to pull off the action hero role as well as I’d like. Then again any time I see him I associate him with his I Am Sam character so it might just be a personal preference.

Jasmine Trinca

Overall the movie runs at a steady pace and you feel it was worth the watch. I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 on the proviso there is no Gunman Part 2. Check out the trailer below.

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Ku Raudo – Bento Box Lunch

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Ku Raud

My good friend Ruby Laine had told me about Ku Raudo a new place on Townsend Street that offered a delicious Bento Box for the bargain price of €8.99. That sounds like good maths to me. Bento means ‘convenient’ (which it is) and apparently they have been knocking around for hundreds of years.

Interior

The restaurant itself is quite small with seating for about 16-20 max. It’s simply and elegantly furnished with pale wooden furniture and red napkins. It actually feels quite peaceful. Not a bit of glitz and glam here, they are all about their food.

Interior

As soon as you sit down you are presented with complimentary green tea which is served ceremoniously from an ornate teapot. A nice touch I thought and allegedly green tea is very good for you.

Teapot!

Chopsticks & Green Tea

I’m not great with chopsticks I have to say so if they think you look like your struggling they will happily give you a knife and fork.

Green Tea

There is a set menu which changes regularly and each has a meat option and a vegetarian option.

Set Menu

I opted for the meat version while Ruby opted for the Vegetarian one. I was the clear winner I have to say, not just because I got meat! She had already been a few times and felt her vegetarian option this time round was not as tasty.

Meat Option

While it may not look that big in the picture, the quantity of food in the bento box was quite substantial. The Kuro Kosho Beef was tender and tasty with a rich sauce packed full of flavour. There was a small salad with pieces of deep fried chicken and two pieces of California roll sushi which were exceptional I have to say. A large serving of steamed rice and for the sweet tooth four little pieces of Mantou, which is like a sweet bun bread.

Rice

Kuro Kosho Beef

Mantou

California Roll Sushi

Miso Soup

The bento box also came with a side serving of Miso soup infused with spring onion. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience. The food was plentiful and varied and the service was impeccable. While I was dining at least three people stuck their head in to check what was on the menu that day. They seemed to be well known to the staff and regulars who come back time and time again is a good indicator the variety of food on offer is worthy of a return visit. I’ve already been back myself since writing this review !

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Unfinished Business – Movie Review

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The latest instalment from director Ken Scott (Delivery Man) is Unfinished Business. Billed as the latest great comedy it stars comedy veteran Vince Vaughan, Dave Franco (brother of James) and Tom Wilkinson (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). I generally find time and time again that comedies like these which are heavily marketed tend to fail in terms of comedic delivery. If you watch the trailer for it (see below), most of the funny moments from the entire film are shown in it.

The story centres around Vaughan’s character Dan Trunkman who after an argument with his boss, quits his job to start his own sales company. He even throws out a Jerry Maguire ‘who’s with me’ speech. Wilkinson’s character Timothy McWinters is fired from the same company while Franco’s character Mike Pancake had been in for an interview at the company. All three meet in the car park and decide to work together. A story line we have seen many times before.

The trio spend a year pitching for a piece of work that leads them to Berlin for what they thought was a handshake to close the deal. Step forward Chuck Portnoy (Sienna Miller) as Dan’s old boss, who is also pitching for the same piece of work. This is followed by a series of who can do better meetings between the rivals ultimately ending with Chuck coming out as the frontrunner. The storyline is punctuated by some scenes where Dan Trunkman deals with the pressure’s of home, namely his kids being bullied. It actually all feels a little out of place to be honest. A few inspirational talks are thrown in to inspire the kids and ultimately Dan himself which lead to the team not giving up on their goal of securing the contract.

Next, a montage of the trio in various scenes of drinking, cheering and ending up in bizarre and convoluted situations like a bathroom full of glory holes where they meet Bill Whilmsley, who is part of the negotiations team for the contract. He joins them on their boozefest and ultimately puts them face to face with the man who can say yay or nay to their proposal.

For me the standout star of the movie is Dave Franco playing Mike Pancake. A somewhat dim witted but eager lost soul who is getting an education in life on the trip, as well as losing his virginity ‘twice’. He has great comedic timing carried out in an unintentional manner which makes him all the more likeable. He is absolutely superb in the role and without him the movie would suffer.

Dave Franco

Overall the movie is not entirely bad, but it’s not exactly breaking new ground on comedy either. The writing is standard fare and I can’t help thinking its the reason the actors fall short of reaching their potential. It passes an hour and half easily but chances are you won’t be raving about it to your friends. Out of 5 I’d give it 2.5. You can catch the trailer below and decide for yourself.

Tayto Crisps Pop Up Cafe

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Wicklow Street has a new resident, temporary he may be, but he is making quite the impression. Mr. Tayto has opened his very own pop up shop, which will be in situ until March 17th. You can buy a whole host of branded products in the store. Everything from cuddly toys to mugs to pencil cases.

More importantly however you can buy a Tayto sandwich for the bargain busting price of €2. Tayto will donate €1 of that directly to the Dublin Simon Community, a group who campaign tirelessly for the homeless or those who are at risk of it.

There are four options on offer, the Cheese and Onion Classic, the Salt and Vinegar Sarnie, the Smokey Bacon Butty and a Prawn Cocktail treat. It’s hard to make a Tayto sandwich look very attractive, but we all know they taste great, so don’t let my pictures put you off supporting this great cause.

While you are there you can stock up on your Tayto merchandise. The store is jam packed with quite an array.

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Alltech Craft Brew Festival 2015

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Over the weekend of February 27th to March 1st the Alltech Craft Brew & Food Fair took place, for a third time, in Dublin’s Convention Centre. Traditionally the event was geared more towards those with an interest in craft beer and ciders. This year the event diversified somewhat and included a range of culinary delights to cater for those with more of a food persuasion.

Tickets for the event were €15 per day and included a souvenir cup, program and four tokens. Unfortunately there was no option to buy a weekend pass at a discounted rate, which is something I’d personally like to see should they decide to return. I’m sure it would prove popular.

Cup

Tokens

There were about 60 breweries and distilleries, 12 food stands and a handful of other food and drink related stands set up.

In terms of drinks offerings there was the usual mix of craft beers, ciders and even a couple of whiskeys and liqueurs thrown in. Quick visual run down of some of the ciders and liqueurs below.

Bluegrass Sundown

Bluegrass Sundown

Bluegrass Sundown kind of like an Irish Coffee and very tasty, is part of the Lexington Brewing and Distillery company.

Bluegrass Sundown

The flavoured liqueurs from Ruby Blue were a firm favourite I have to say. The chilli pepper one will certainly give you a kick. They are frequently used to make Kir Royale’s along with a host of other cocktails.

Ruby Blue Liqueur

A great tasting cider from MacIvors a family run business from Co. Armagh. Available in medium and dry.

MacIvors Cider

Another great cider brand Tempted Cider were also in attendance. I had tried them out previously at a tasting event in Ely and have to say their Summer Sweet variety will be in my hand this Summer for sure.

Tempted Cider

The last of the cider brands I got to try out was Dan Kellys Cider which is made in the Boyne Valley in Drogheda. The brother sister team on the stand were showcasing a new cider which was a reduced carbonated one. It’s great to see these family run businesses evolving and trying out new products to keep a head of the game. The cider of course was great and the staff, well I’d buy the cider alone just to chat to them, they were great fun.

Dan Kellys Cider

The main stage at the event also had a number of bands playing including Amazing Apples and Interskalactic. While enjoyable I have to say, for the space and the event the volume was too high. It was actually difficult to have a conversation and also hard for those on the stands to hear what I was trying to order.

Amazing Apples

Central Bar Area

In terms of food offerings a few familiar faces were on show. Donal Skehans Skoff Pies of course. He seems to be doing the rounds with heavy promotion of his products. Quite enjoyable I have to say and I’ve tried the entire range at this point.

Skoff Pies

Chicken and Ham with a side of Slaw

Seymours from Cork, who make a range of biscuits were showcasing their Social Circle offerings. Each box contains a mix of Cardamom Orange and Vanilla Pecan.

Social Circle Biscuits

O’Donnells Crisps were on hand with their award winning Hickory BBQ flavour which won the Blas na hEireann Gold Medal in 2013. I’m now a convert I have to say.

O’Donnells Crisps

Found at all good markets and fairs Man of Aran fudge had a great range of products on offer.

Man of Aran Fudge

And of course no Craft Beer event would be complete without the stars of the shows, the craft beers. I didn’t get a chance to try that many but there was a wide range of beer producers at the event including the following.

http://troublebrewing.ie/

http://blackwaterdistillery.ie/

http://www.franciscanwellbrewery.com/

http://www.whitegypsy.ie/

http://kinnegarbrewing.ie/

The only drawbacks for me surrounding the event were a real lack of seats. While I understand the aim is to get people circulating around the various stands, it’s not exactly easy to drink a beer and eat a pie while standing. I suspect more people would spend a bit more time at the event if they could sit down and enjoy the music, drink and food all at once.

Also, the Dublin Craft Beer Cup was awarded on the Friday evening. The winners were Coisbo. The awarding of the cup was all a little underwhelming I have to say. It might perhaps have been better to highlight it a little more and award it on the Sunday to a much bigger audience. These distillers/brewers work very hard and I’d hate to see an award such as this not get the fanfare it deserves.

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Peruke & Periwig – Damn Clever Marketing

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I was already a fan of Peruke & Periwig so had no need to be converted. I like the style of their bar and restaurant and I like the fact that they don’t churn out the same old cocktails as everywhere else. I also like the fact they cater for different moods. You can just nip in to the ground floor level for a pint or upstairs for a cocktail in more sumptuous surroundings.

Right now in Dublin there is an incredible array of bars and restaurants offering us more options than ever before. While there is great choice, there is also an element of ‘sameness’ about quite a lot of places. Bar and restaurant owners need to strive ever more to stand out of from the crowd. The prompt behind this post is a really clever piece of marketing aimed at helping Peruke & Periwig stand out. I was quite impressed with it and decided to give it a mention. To celebrate the launch of their new cocktail venture ‘Around the World in 80 Cocktails’ Peruke & Periwig have sent some lucky folks a very impressive invite to try out their new range of cocktails.

A courier arrived at my door to deliver an invite that would certainly peek the interest of Phileas Fogg himself. Not the usual piece of card stuffed in an envelope. The marketing team had gone all out and produced this captivating invite. An old style chest with leather straps covered in travel stamps.

Travel Case

Inside there was an invite to take a food and cocktail trip.

Invite

The level of detail contained in the box was superb. There was a compass built into the inside of the lid.

Compass

A passport containing a list of cocktails which would be on offer on the night.

Passport

And no cocktail party invite would be complete without an actual cocktail included in it.

Cocktail

The cocktail entitled ‘Fashioned by Age’ is made of Irish Whiskey, maple syrup, still water, bitters and smoke! Peruke & Periwig have gone to a considerable amount of effort and I’d imagine cost too, to launch their new cocktail menu, so I’m very much looking forward to trying it out and reporting back.

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Takeaway Afternoon Tea At The Westin

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I’ve written before about a visit to The Westin for A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea. This time however myself and Ruby decided to treat ourselves on a Friday afternoon to the option of takeaway afternoon tea. Priced at €19.95 each it comes in the branded three tier carry box you can see in the picture above. It needs to be ordered 24 hours in advance, especially if you want to avail of the gluten free option.

Three Tiers

I ordered the standard one and Ruby ordered the gluten free option. I have to say my finger sandwiches were fresh and tasty however hers were a little on the dry side. Apparently its quite common to get below par sandwiches when opting for a gluten free option. Despite that set back there was more than enough food to feed us. A mix of sandwiches, scones and an array of mini desserts.

While I wouldn’t be ordering it very often it is quite nice to do it as a special treat. The only draw back was that we had to carry our takeaway afternoon tea round the corner to a coffee shop to buy some tea to go with it. The Westin don’t provide any take out tea or napkins or even a disposable knife to prepare your scone. Not ideal if you were picking it up and planning to head straight to the park for a relaxing afternoon.

None the less we did enjoy it and there’s some pictures below to give you an idea of what its like.