The Empty Glass Episode 2 - Good Idea/Bad Idea. Who let it happen again?

First and foremost we should genuinely apologise for the expletives, specifically the quantity of them. But seriously though you must have expected this seeing as you have shuffled back here to what is essentially a conversation you would find in the back of a poorly lit pub in a time forgotten that happens to serve nice wine.

An Empty Place

I suppose Empty can mean absence for a number of reasons. One being something akin to Captain Jack Sparrow wondering where his rum has gone, the other something with much more gravitas. That 'something' for those of us involved in the blog over the years has emerged to be the latter, joining the plethora of young people leaving Irish shores in search of opportunity, feeling stifled and undermined. We have left a country empty of a generation. Not the first time it has happened. This is in no small way reflected in Irish independent trade and  in wine, beer and spirits culture.

Three of us have unsurprisingly left for the United Kingdom, the rich history in the wine trade might have something to do with that. However the economic turmoil left behind has had its affect on the wine trade globally. The following is some brief thoughts on where we at The Empty Glass have come from and where we have found ourselves.

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@thobiasinkblot is a keen wearer of scarves and enjoys a good Cabernet. He has been writing for Empty for ages and ages and currently can be found in an undisclosed location near London. After getting the wine bug he has a distinction in level 2 and 3 of the WSET he plans on attempting the Diploma in 2015. He also is quite fond of narratives in the third person. If you'd like to contact him email: emptyglassie@gmail.com

Ryder Cup IPA Special

This week Chicago hosts one of the worlds greatest sporting events, the Ryder Cup. The best golfers from the USA and Europe will go head to head for two years worth of bragging rights. While there is a serious side to this competition, it is also a chance for players to let off some steam and for once play as a team. With this spirit in mind (and needing to know what to drink for the weekend) Empty Glass has decided to hold a Europe vs USA IPA competition. May the best team win.

Goose Island IPA: With Chicago hosting this years event, it would be wrong to choose a beer from anywhere else to represent America. And the city's most famous craft brewery is undoubtedly Goose Island Beer. For the last 25 years this company, which started out as a brew pub, has steadily grown to become one of America's largest craft brewers. Today they produce some 50 beers a year, with this IPA being one of the bedrocks. This beer is a dark gold colour and initially it smells quite yeasty. This bread like character continues and is joined by the herbal aroma of the different hops. On the palette this beer definitely has some orange with a good, long, bitter hop finish. Overall, this brew is a very solid IPA which has the balance of hops just about right. Score: 16/20

Brew Dog Punk IPA: A Spainiard may be the European captain this year, but Scotland is the home of golf. And no Scottish craft brewery is more infamous than Brew Dog. These madmen have been turning out a whole range of expertly named beers since 2007; and they proudly hold the record for the worlds strongest beer, the 42% Sink The Bismark. Brew Dog's trademark beer though is the Punk IPA. This amber coloured ale is all about hops. The nose is always reminiscent of orange rind and lovely herbs. On the palette this beer definitely brings the bitterness for which IPA's are known. However, this brew also has notes of honey and caramel. Overall, the Punk IPA continues to be a well crafted beer with attitude. Score: 15/20


Verdict: While both of these beers are very good, there always has to be a winner. In this case it is the Goose Island IPA by a point. Why? The Goose Island has a longer and more exciting finish than Brew Dog's offering. This could be put down to the higher alcohol level in the American beer. Either way, these beers are both good representatives of their continents and I hope they keep you refreshed during this exciting week.

Will

Guest Article Series: Michael Power

So we have another guest article here on Empty Glass. Man of the minute for the Article is Michael Power, the rather jolly chap above for those of you who hadn't guessed. He's currently on "holidays" at the moment and has been sampling the local brews of Denmark. Please approach with a view to a light hearted review of "supping on a nice pint of Tuborg Classic". Enjoy reading, we know we did. 

Spiderman saves beer! Read all about it!

Communicating with a close mate, need not be a thing of many laboured words. In  fact, the bonds of friendship can make sense of even the most incomprehensible of utterings, even those as mad as my own. The uttering which would lead me to this review was the ever fondly held and often heard battle cry of students everywhere, "Pint?". One problem, it wasn't actually a pint I ended up having. 

The Turk's Head

There are many things the Germans do well. Two of the most popular are the timing of their locomotives as well as their delicious beer, which comes in so many varieties, flavours and colours. I’ve visited Germany a number of times over the last three years and I always come back with a new favourite. The two beers reviewed today however, were both bought on a punt in Ireland, and I’ve never been happier.

There is a Pint to be made here

O'Haras Leann Folláin 

This is not a beer for the faint of hearted, but for those of you who enjoy a good stout. For too long in Ireland we have been left with little but Guinness to drink as Diageo have homogenized the market. Never fear, the small Irish Brewery is here. Carlow Brewing company have been around for awhile now and represent one of the most successful microbreweries in the Irish beer revival. Their Leann Folláin is exactly as named, a big rich stout that has a hefty alcohol content to boot (6%). 

17:59 And it's Trouble with a Capital "T"

Apparently it all kicked of at just a little passed five to six in a little sleepy hollow called Kildare. No more that three minutes later our boy Arthur was hassling his rent to half a student rate in none other than the capital working out at forty five quid no less. Now the time is little after ten passed the eight and back in the Allenswood of Kildare there is trouble brewing. Today we decided we'd hand out two alternatives to the infamous Mr Guinness.    

Guest Article: the Good, the Bad and the Bitter

To change things up a bit and try some new things, a little group of us (including Rob of Team Empty) devised a beer tasting that would give us a nice range of flavours and styles. Well, we got what we asked for; a lovely variety, including a few real gems. Up for tasting we had Trouble Brewing Ór Golden Ale, Erdinger Weissbier Kristallklar, Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel, Honey Dew, and Belfast Blonde. So folks, here is my review of the good, the bad and the ugly of it all.