The lovely people at United Wine Merchants invited us down to Dublin for the Taste of Dublin 2015 to sample the best of Ireland’s produce and some delicious Crabbies drinks while we were at it, Chris had been a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it so I decided that it was my turn to see what all the fuss was about!
After an unseasonably wet and windy few months (even more so than usual) the sun managed to shine for long enough so that the people of Dublin could enjoy all that was on offer at the city’s Iveagh Gardens from the 11 – 14th June. I’d never been to this particular fest before, and with the sun shining and the promise of free samples galore, I had high expectations which were absolutely exceeded.
The way the festival works is that you buy Florins (your currency for the day) at designated exchange booths run by Bank of Ireland, €1 = 1 Florin. These Florins can then be exchanged for food, drink and all sorts of goodies which are on offer. Aside from that there’s loads of things going on for absolutely free, from live music, dance demonstrations and celebrity chef workshops to food samples, drink samples and special offers.
Each day of the event had two sessions which you could attend, the afternoon from 12 – 4pm or the evening from 5.30 – 9.30pm. We attended the afternoon session on the last day of the event, and to be honest, 4 hours was nowhere near enough time to enjoy everything that was on offer.
Over the course of one lovely afternoon, we managed to see Le Gavroche chef and Masterchef: The Professionals presenter Monica Galetti cook up a storm in a live demonstration, hang out with some real live Minions, learn all about distilling vodka at Lillie’s Laboratory, watch some traditional Thai dance and so much more. In terms of interactive entertainment, the demonstration by Lillie’s Laboratory (Ireland’s first nightclub with its own micro-distillery) was great – quirky, informative and interesting. Another shout out goes to F.X Buckley for the best steak and chips I’ve had in a long time and Teeling Whiskey, who managed to make me part with some of my hard earned Florins! For a full list of exhibitors click here.
At the Crabbie’s exhibition stand we were treated to some members of the Crabbie’s family that I hadn’t tried before: the Crabbie’s Fruits range – a light, refreshing and tasty alternative to the usual beers and ciders on offer. We sampled Zesty Lemon, Black Cherry and Raspberry & Rhubarb. My personal favourite is the Raspberry & Rhubarb which has a vibrantly fruity flavour that is softened nicely by the rhubarb. The Black Cherry is also an interesting twist on traditional alcoholic drinks and has all the flavour of black cherries, without being too sickly or sweet, whilst the Zesty Lemon is almost like an alcoholic cloudy lemonade. As a fan of Crabbie’s Ginger Beer I was almost expecting three variations of the usual culprits, but these are something different altogether, incorporating a blend of natural fruit juices means that these are perfect for the upcoming summer months.
Alongside these we also sampled Scottish Raspberry and Strawberry & Lime flavours, of which the Strawberry & Lime was an absolute winner. I think I even prefer these flavours to the original ginger beer itself, Crabbie’s have definitely taken an old favourite and given it a whole new lease of life.
It’s hard to describe an event like this because you really need to experience it for yourself first hand, but we had a great day at the Taste of Dublin 2015. With friends, family or even by yourself, I can’t think of a better way to spend a sunny afternoon. I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event as well organised as this – from the layout to the staffing to the poshest port-a-loos I’ve ever seen, it really gives you a taste of what Ireland has to offer!
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