After experiencing macabre madness the weekend before Halloween in Dublin, I had given up any hope that I could avoid this silly holiday by leaving America. One the eve of Halloween (isn’t Halloween the Eve of All Hallows, which makes this an Eve of an Eve, enough already!), most people were dressed as animals. I thought perhaps a relic of an ancient Druid rite? On Halloween were the usual Creepy Halloween getups. But that actually made it different than America where ghosts and goblins have been replaced by cartoon characters and sexy fill-in-the-blanks. It gave Halloween a throwback vibe, but one thing was the same: the loud drunken shenanigans that I hoped to avoid.
Happily the 2016 Cork Jazz Festival had trumped Halloween, or so I thought. There were some people in costume, but more people were there for the awesome music everywhere. Being a bank Holiday, of what I can’t be sure, (Halloween, really?), I decided to stay in the city and tour a bit. I was told that the Cork Gaol, or jail, is beautiful and fascinating. Yes, it was quite the hike to get to but it would be a highlight of my trip. The Gaol looked like a fortress and was pretty imposing architecturally. Once inside however, I was locked up with dozens of children in costume and their overbearing parents. The horror! Surely I was being punished for something. My sentence could not be short enough! The Gaol had arranged some kind of treasure hunt for the costumed kids, which is a lovely idea I suppose, just not what I went for. It was a long walk there, and hardly worth it. But no trip ends up exactly as planned so I refused to dwell on God continuing to have fun with my life, and continued on my walking tour of the city.
After visiting St. Fin Barre Cathedral, St. Elizabeth Fort (closed for the holiday), English Market (also closed, sigh) and the bell tower at St. Anne’s, I decided that it was time for a pint and some live music. There were countless places to choose from. It seemed every business was a bar and every bar was a live music venue. I could even just grab some food from one of the countless outdoor vendors and listen to the musicians & dancers performing on street corners. The jazz in the air, the smell of outdoor grilled food, and the drunken revelry reminded me of New Orleans. I settled into a bar featuring live swing music and sampled the local porter, Beamish, before the band started and only Guinness was served. Guinness, in a brilliant and heavy handed marketing coup, sponsored the Cork Jazz Festival, and bars were forbidden to serve any other stouts during the festival. Since Cork prides itself on NOT being in Guinness country, this was a good way to promote the brand into foreign territory. The jivey jazz though was so much fun, but I was feeling a little lonely, despite the place being packed. This is my kind of dance music, and I was missing my 2 sisters who make awesome dance partners for me. We have cleared floors. I would have loved to dance there! No room anyway, so that was some solace.
It was really amazing experiencing Cork during the festival. Situating myself there during this amazing music festival was an accident, and not my first one. On my second trip to Europe my best friend and I stumbled upon the Bruges Klinkers Festival featuring live music, street performers, and some larger than life creepy creations. If one of them touched you, you were doomed to an imminent death. Such a cheerful summer festival! My brother, his wife, and I accidentally arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland for that city’s big anniversary. What a party that was! I think half of Iceland was there, literally. Since it was cold it kind of felt like being at a New Years celebration. Fireworks began at midnight due to the astonishingly late summer sunset. My sister and I were in Pula, Croatia for a huge live music festival there, among its famous Roman ruins, again by just fortuitous Chance. Finally, two years ago my friend and I happened to be in Lausanne, Switzerland for their annual Wine Festival. Happy accidents are the best! So I have a knack for this, but I’m surprised every time.
Now back to drinking. It is time for my much anticipated take on the main Irish stouts: Guinness, Beamish, and Murphy’s. Guinness dominates the market in much of Ireland, and the world honestly. It is different in Ireland. It is creamier and less bitter. On this trip I found out why. Apparently the stout shipped overseas has more hops and alcohol to act as a preservative. That explains why I prefer it in Ireland, as many do. But it is good. I like to mix it with cider, and on this trip some Dubliners told me a secret. Add a shot of Black Currant. I thought they were having some fun with the foreigner. Perhaps it would make the Guinness some poison given to British barons of yore. But no, it was the best secret I’ve heard in years. The two tastes compliment each other perfectly. So now to the prides of Cork. When I told people I was going to Cork, I was told not to order a Guinness. Cork has a bit of a separatist mentality, and they definitely are very proud of their own stouts. Since Guinness is sponsoring the Cork Music Festival, it’s been the de facto stout here surprisingly. Actually it’s the only one allowed to be served during music performances for sponsorship reasons. However I entered a bar before the music began and ordered that Beamish. I was not thrilled with it. Considerably more bitter than Guinness. Also not as nice a feel in the mouth. I started to think Guinness was dominant for a reason other than good marketing. Alas, the music started and I would not be allowed to try Murphy’s. Or would I? The barmaid asked how I like the Beamish compared to Guinness. I told her and then said too bad I can’t try the local Murphy’s. She winked and snuck me a pint. I’m glad she did. It is my favorite one. The least bitter of the three, and reminded me of a Latin American drink I grew up with called Malta. So Cork wins the Stout War in my mind. I wonder if it also pairs well with black currant? But let’s not forget, I’m a cider man.
