Beár Bia Podcast Hits West Cork With the Yuletide season now in full swing, this is the time of year in Ireland when we like to indulge a little. A mid-morning mince pie, a cheeky Christmas sambo or maybe even a wee drop or two of an Irish cream liqueur. Such are the treats we gift ourselves during the festive period. This is what inspired us to reach out to the good folk from Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur as enjoying their fine product at the end of a Christmas dinner is a tradition that we should all get behind! When we asked one of the brand's founders, Johnny Hart where we should record the episode, he insisted we head on down to the brand's number 1 account in Ireland, Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa. So a trip to West Cork was made!We were warmly greeted by Incydoney's owner Des O'Dowd and it quickly became apparent to us why they sell more Five Farms here than anywhere else in the country. Every adult guest that checks into the hotel, the very first thing they receive is a small chilled glass of complimentary Five Farms. Des explained that this is a custom that he firmly believes in as it expresses the hotel's hospitality and their commitment to engaging with other local businesses. He then kindly shared details about Inchydoney's history, their deep appreciation for all the West Cork food & drink suppliers they're so blessed to work with and how local attractions such as the surf school help to bring visitors there all year round. Co-founder of Five Farms, Johnny Hart then took the microphone to tell us all about their origin story. With a strong background in the drinks industry, when he set about establishing the brand, his intention was to create the best Irish cream liqueur he possibly could and to make it farm to table. His research ultimately led him to West Cork where he says the land and sea air collectively lend themselves to make the best dairy on the planet. Johnny then spoke deeply about his choice of spirit for the liqueur and the amazing bottle they have which he wanted to evoke authentic Irish rural life. For our first pairing, we sampled a chilled Five Farms neat serve. It's silky texture and use of pot still Irish whiskey, gives it a long sweet finish - easy to see why so many drinks professionals and media call it the best on the market. Chef Alan at Incydoney took the Five Farms itself and used it to make a Pannacotta. This is exactly the kind of Irish cream liqueur and dessert paring that any restaurant in Ireland could do. Simple and elegant execution but with the finest of ingredients that merge together to make the perfect ending to a meal. Our second pairing saw us delve into a twist on a classic cocktail, the house created Five Farms Espresso Martini. The strong coffee is a wonderful balance to the sweet and decadent liqueur. A beautiful way to introduce an Irish flavour to an internationally loved cocktail. It was served alongside a Hazelnut and Mocha Bavarois: made with Mocha Sponge, Milk Chocolate Bavarois, Whipped Hazelnut Ganache, CaramelizedHazelnuts and Honeycomb Tuille. A true celebration of West Cork dairy in every bite, this was a slice of local luxury and the cocktail was a sublime counterpart to it. Irish cream liqueurs and desserts just go so well with each other. Throughout the episode we stress how great it would be for more Irish bars, restaurants and hotels to replicate pairings like what we so thoroughly enjoyed in Inchydoney. Beár Bia is available wherever you get your podcasts in

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