Chasing the Fairy: Absinthe and Art tours at Cork city distillery
Robert and Bhagya Barrett of Cork-based Rebel City Distillery.
ESTABLISHED in 2020 by husband-and-wife Robert and Bhagya Barrett, Rebel City Distillery, the first distillery in the city of Cork for five decades, has been making waves combining a passion for craft spirits and spice with experienced distilling know-how.
Located in the old Ford tractor factory, Centre Park Road, with its original concertina doors, high windows, and chipped paint walls, the building housing this unique Cork distillery wears it industrial past with pride.
Rebel City Distillery’s flagship spirit is Maharani Gin flavoured with botanicals such as cassia, pomelo, nutmeg mace and cardamon from a women’s co-operative in Kerala, co-founder Bhagya’s home state in India. Since its launch, the gin has picked up myriad awards including Blas na hEireann, International Wine & Spirit Competition, and The Gin Masters.
But with Robert’s expertise and experience of the craft distillery scene in Ireland and globally, it was always unlikely they would rest producing just one spirit and, in 2022, the duo released the first in a Distillery Series of small batch spirits, with Ireland’s first and only Absinthe.
As Distillery Visitor Manager, Rósín Barry explains, it’s unsurprising seeing as much of what we think we know about absinthe is centred on the strange bottles of 70% green liquid brought back from a friends’ European sojourn, and the subsequent foggy memory and terrible hangover!
Thankfully, Rósín’s mission is to turn absinthe’s unflattering reputation into a sophisticated one by taking visitors on a journey to experience the distillery’s thoroughly modern interpretation of this spirit on its Chase the Fairy – Absinthe and the Arts tour and taste experience.
The drink became hugely popular in bohemian Paris in the nineteenth century with artists, poets and writers who used its potent, (sometimes hallucinatory), properties as a creative muse. Emerging from dusty studios, offices and workshops, they would congregate for The Green Hour to drink their fill of absinthe before returning to their work and attempt to “chase the fairy” – the muse that would help create a masterpiece.
James Joyce, Ernest Hemmingway and Pablo Picasso are among those who were fond of The Green Hour and the muse-chasing that would ensue.
“Everything you can imagine is real,” Picasso once said. Now we know why!
A group of determined disgruntled wine makers had witnessed the rise of absinthe’s popularity following multiple failures of the grape harvest and achieved an outright ban on absinthe in 1914 following a comprehensive smear campaign. In fact, scaremongering stories of hallucinations were down to poor quality alcohol used to make absinthe, and not the drink itself. Despite this, the ban on absinthe in the US and EU was lifted only 20 years ago.
Anise Absinthe is recognisable by its aniseed aroma and flavour, a profile created by a trifecta of aromatics that must be present for absinthe to bear the name. The main ingredient is Wormwood with its characteristic funky aroma, green aniseed and fennel for fresh vibrant anise notes. Rebel City Distillery’s Absinthe also includes hyssop and coriander, and a blend of other botanicals for its own personality.
RCD’s absinthe is distilled in very small batches from a wheat-based neutral spirit. The ABV is 50.4%, and although that sounds high, the expertly blended botanicals have every opportunity to sing out without being obliterated by a too-strong alcohol base.
Rebel City Distillery Series Absinthe is the only one made in Ireland, and there is keen interest among the city’s popular cocktail bars, including The Met and Sketch at The Imperial. But, like anything new and coming with considerable baggage (not all of it good), educating, informing and tasting is key to understanding what absinthe is, how it tastes and how to drink it.
Two events running from June and throughout the summer hope to achieve all of that, while having lots of fun in the process.
The Gatsby-inspired Chase the Fairy event takes place the first Saturday of the month from 5:30pm for two hours. Rósín leads guests on a historical ramble with absinthe, followed by a tour, and a guided absinthe tasting. Three drinks, including two cocktails, are included in the experience. Tickets, €35 pp.
From 29th June, Rebel City Distillery will open their new Distillery School. Guests will learn more about distilling and, using mini pot stills, experiment making your own gin or absinthe from an array of Indian botanicals. Cocktails are included, and you’ll take home a 50ml bottle of your very own craft spirit. Distillery tours take place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 12, 2, 4 and 6pm.
All tours are led by Rósín, who brings years of experience working in the wine and craft spirits’ space.
“In 2015, I travelled to New Zealand and began working in a vineyard. It ignited my passion for the drinks industry; I found the process of making wine from start to finish intriguing.
“After New Zealand I came home and applied for the IBEC Graduate Programme and started working with Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey in the USA as a Brand Ambassador, learning the history of Irish whiskey.
“Once the pandemic hit, I came back to Ireland working with Jameson as a Craft Ambassador. I started a degree in brewing and distilling and moved to the distillery campus in Midleton. Now I’m here at the wonderful Rebel City Distillery and absolutely loving it!”
To book a distillery experience, or to purchase a bottle of RCD’s craft spirits, visit www.rebelcitydistillery.com
One of my favourite cocktails is a Mule, a spirit mixed with ginger, mint and lime. This is my take on the Mule using Absinthe.
· Half a lime, cut into wedges
· Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, skin on, sliced
· 10 fresh mint leaves
· 50ml Rebel City Distillery Series Absinthe
· 2 tsp honey or 10ml simple syrup
· 4 drops of bitters
· Fiery ginger ale
· Ice
1. Put the lime, ginger and mint into a cocktail shaker and muddle for two minutes.
2. Add absinthe, simple syrup and bitters.
3. Fill with ice, close the lid tight and shake until chilled.
4. Pour into a chilled glass, top with ginger ale, garnish with lime zest and a mint leaf.
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