Some drinks stop time. The right glass of white wine (Kinsale, Co Cork, winter 1989). The right hot whiskey in the right place (Liscannor, Co Clare, summer 1995). The right cup of coffee (Durrus, West Cork, spring 2010) And the right glass of beer.
Ah, now. That would be a glass of Galway Hooker. The place is The Oarsman bar and restaurant in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim. The date is July the 8th, 2010, the time is approximately 1.40pm, and the McKenna family are on a little tour of the North West – Sligo; Cavan; Leitrim.
They sit at the bar and order a couple of glasses of Galway Hooker for the adults. Sally takes a picture of its pale golden perfection before taking a sip. They take a sip.
Time stops. Time's arrow – onwards! onwards! – has been rendered null. There is just this moment, a moment of perfection.
Brought to you by Galway Hooker, Aidan and Ronan's amazing ale. One of the great drinks. One of the great cultural artefacts of culinary Ireland. A taste of something perfect. A taste of the sublime, fashioned by brewer Aidan Murphy from water, yeast, hops and malt. Nothing else, because nothing else is needed.
It's an unforgettable moment when time stops, when time is stopped by the right drink.
