The Nut house rules

Tough topic from Mario on this month's Session: "Not Beer". Tough not because I don't drink other things -- like any normal human I have a wine rack in my kitchen plus a cupboard full of whiskey, gin, port, absinthe and assorted dubious liqueurs mostly acquired at airports. And it all gets consumed. No, it's a tough topic because, goddamn it, this is a beer blog. I write about about beer. However, there is one other long drink I've managed to make room for in a handful previous posts: cider.

There is something of an Irish cider revival going on at the moment. Here in Dublin, Double LL is getting into more and more outlets. Stonewell hit the Munster market in a big way last year, while up north Toby's and Tempted? are gaining a following on the festival circuit, joining the more established Mac's. And then I found this in Redmond's: Longueville House cider, from Cork.

I've encountered their produce before, in the form of a tasty apple brandy called Eden (see, I told you I drink other things), but this was the first time I'd seen their cider. It's leaning towards the sweet side, though obviously nowhere near as sweet as the high-fructose corn-syrup abomination that mostly passes as Irish "cider". There's a proper bite to it, and a beautiful autumnal ripe apple flavour.

I'll always be a beer drinker first and foremost, but it's wonderful to see our other artisan drinks producers getting out there. Isn't it time the small-scale cider-makers got a tax break like their brewing counterparts?