Drinks Awards

Archive - all the best places to eat, shop and stay in Ireland. A local guide to local places.

Pub of the Year - Levis' Corner House, Ballydehob
Joe and Caroline have rebirthed the legendary Levis' bar in Ballydehob in the most sympathetic way possible. The O'Learys have somehow managed to retain the unique ambience that Joe's grand-aunts, Nell and Julia, blessed the pub with, whilst the addition of music sessions and craft beers has made the space contemporary and funky. Levis' is a template for the Irish country pub in 2016. Levis Corner House

Drink of the Year - Bertha's Revenge
Irish Milk Gin! Doesn’t that sound like the birthright of the country, launched just in time for the 2016 centenary celebrations of the nation. Justin Green, of the iconic Ballyvolane House, and Antony Jackson have created a luscious gin from whey spirit to commemorate Bertha, a Droimeann cow from Kerry, who lived to the ripe old age of (almost) 49. From grass to gin to glass, this is a ground-breaking drink. Sip it with just a little water, and enter a celestial realm. Bertha's Revenge

Brew House of the Year - Elbow Lane
Elbow Lane is yet another of those tiny rooms that is helping Cork city to muscle it’s way back into the Champion’s League of culinary destinations. There are only 25 seats and getting one is the biggest ask in Munster, but the wait is worth it as the combination of great food from the grill and their own brilliant craft brews is the match made in culinary heaven. They are even planning to start growing their own hops upstairs, above the restaurant and beside the brew room, so the sky is the limit for Elbow Lane. Elbow Lane