It took them long enough, but Dee Laffan and Oisin Davis of the Beár Bia travelling podcast finally made it to Cork! And not only did they get to hang out with one of their favourite drinks producers - the wonderful Daniel Emerson of Stonewell Cider, but they also got to do it in the legendary pub, Cronin's of Crosshaven on a sun-filled day, so they got to soak up the beautiful surrounds while they were there. They were there to meet Daniel Emerson of Stonewell Irish Cider and his latest team member, Diarmuid Madden. It was an afternoon spent doing a very deep dive, not just into the amazing journey that Stonewell Cider has been on, but also into a brilliant and brand new product they've been working on, Orr Irish Apple Brandy. Of course, there was also some rather lovely food too - courtesy of the great team at Cronin's. Before we got stuck into our first pairing of the day, we got a chance to meet the manager at Cronin's, Fionnuala Ryan. She filled us in on the great history behind what is such an iconic, third-generation, family-run pub. We also got to know their head chef, Thomas Rushton, a Canadian who has fallen hook, line and sinker for Irish produce. His first dish was some locally sourced Roaring Water Bay mussels, which he steamed in Stonewell Dry Cider and onions, before finishing them with cream.This was a revelation especially when we popped open the dry cider to enjoy with it - the acidity in the cider infuses so well into the mussels and really brings out their sweetness. Along the way, Daniel went into great detail into the highs and lows of being a modern day craft Irish cider producer where there are constant challenges but the end results are so profoundly delicious. Afterwards, we were introduced to Diarmuid Madden, a recent recruit to the Stonewell team whose experience and passion for the spirits industry meant that he could bring great weight to their Orr Apple Brandy project. Diarmuid went through every single facet of its production, from harvest to bottling - he covered every element. This only made us appreciate the liquid even more and what a remarkable spirit it is! What makes it even more special is that it is now one of four different Irish apple brandy brands that are now working together to help rejuvenate what is actually a very old drinks category. Additional layers of complexity in the brandy were revealed when we got to pair it with some stellar Irish cheeses that chef Thomas Rushton selected for us. They included Gort na Móna, Gubbeen Smoked, Wicklow Blue and Coolea. Beár Bia is available on all podcast platforms. Listen in from Spotify here.

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