Cork’s latest beer has some VaVaVoom

There’s a new beer in town – and it’s called VaVaVoom. As people who know me well know, I am a bit of a fan of craft beer and lucky to know the head brewer in Rising Sons Brewery. I have learned so much about craft beer from him and the general manager, Judy – their combined knowledge of beer is simply astonishing.

So last week the brewery launched their latest creation in collaboration with a local band called VaVaVoom and Mr T and I loved the beer as well as the band.

If you don’t know the band yet, make sure to check them out. The talent and energy of the lead singer is infectious and the musicians are so tuned in with him that they always deliver. The audience (including me) were dancing and singing – one of the best launch parties I have been at in ages.

But back to the beer: it is a cold IPA which is a beer that is fermented at lower temperatures with lager yeast. This results in very crisp citrus and tropical fruit flavours.

Bear with me – it is not sweet but fresh and interesting. Light at first but it develops deeper flavours after it hits the palate (ABV is 4.5%).

It is a very lively beer – hence the band name just fitted perfectly. It is rare to have a match made in heaven but the band and beer are exactly that (seriously, check the band out – if you want a wedding with a bit of vavavoom).

Head Brewer Shane Murphy is very creative when it comes to new flavours and styles and is always on the lookout for new techniques to bring the best of beers to Cork.

I asked him how he comes up with these new flavour ideas and his reply was: “how do you create a new recipe?” I thought for a moment and replied it depends on whatever is in the fridge. He smiled and said “exactly!”

“We just check what ingredients we already have and see what could go together and try it out.” When asked if he had ever failures he smiled: “Of course – that’s how we learn on what not to do”.

VaVaVoom is indeed a success as we loved it when we first tried it – I even think people who are normally not into beer might actually like this one.

It is wonderful to see how innovative the craft beer scene still is – we went to Canada recently and tried some delicious local craft beers at a craft beer brewery called Holy Whale in Alma in New Brunswick and were impressed how well the beers were and how people seemed to prefer the craft beer over the commercial ones.

It pains me sometimes when I visit a brewery pub and punters just order the usual big brand beers but I shouldn’t be too judgmental – taste is a fickle thing after all!