Sun, sea and superb sangria!

We were particularly fond of a special sangria which we always ordered when we visited a certain bar. It was rich and you could tase the brandy which sangria always should have included but there were other flavours I couldn’t quite make out.

Never shy to find things out when I like them, I asked the waitress and was told that it is a unique mix that is made up every time someone ordered the sangria (that also explained why the drink tasted different at times).

The secret was the addition of banana liquor, triple sec, brandy and lemonade next to a fruity red wine. The combination is so delicious that I am now working on the ratio but as I associate sangria with sunshine and outdoor living, it is not on the priority list (here’s to a great summer).

Something I do associate with the temperatures we are currently ‘enjoying’ (I haven’t warmed up since returning to Irish soil), warming and comforting drinks are what I am looking for now.

No better place than The Pavilion in Carey’s Lane and a drink called Lemon Drizzle. A lovely tummy-hugging concoction of amaretto, lemon cordial, hot water and topped with lightly whipped cream – it warms you from the inside out.

I liked it so much that we are making it at home now as well. I didn’t ask for the complete recipe – just for the ingredients – and we are just mixing everything without measuring (just skipping the cream which makes the original drink richer) and using disaronno instead of amaretto (same thing) and lemon & lime cordial from the Simply Better range in Dunnes Stores.

Trust me, it is delicious and tummy-hugging – try it if you happen to be in The Pavilion.

And talking about interesting drinks – BrewDog in Washington Street launched their latest beer creation. Black Heart is a nitro stout which tasting notes mentions toasted caramel but I thought the typical coffee notes took over the delicate caramel but that might just be me not being a stout lover. Everyone around me seemed to enjoy the new stout very much. A nitro stout contains more nitrogen gas and less CO2 than traditional beer. This is said to create a thicker foam on top which lasts longer.

It’s not a new invention as Guinness came up with this concept in the 1950s by Michael Ash who was a mathematician before retraining as a brewer.

The 5AM Saint took more my fancy being a red ale and the caramel notes came through nicely with a full flavour profile. I also had a sip of the Arcade City – careful if you are planning to order this as it has 10%ABV (you can only order it in 1/3 pints) as it doesn’t taste as strong as it actually is.

I was reminded of Fentimans’ Dandelion & Burdock drink and one could forget about the high volume of alcohol in the drink – which can turn rather dangerous.