If you consider Eire, you most likely consider Guinness immediately. However head north to Armagh in Northern Eire — referred to as “Orchard County” — and also you’ll discover one other drink stealing the highlight: cider. Apples have been grown right here for the reason that early 1600s, and right this moment the area produces extra apples than potatoes (sure, actually). With its rolling drumlins, fertile soil, and a protracted, difficult historical past, Armagh has develop into the beating coronary heart of Eire’s cider revolution.
Whether or not you’re sipping a dry Carson’s Cider, wandering historical orchards, or tucking into farm-to-fork suppers paired with crisp apple drinks, Armagh is a dream vacation spot for foodies. Right here’s your information to the perfect cider, supper golf equipment, and orchard experiences in Northern Eire’s apple capital.
Why Armagh is Apple Nation
The story of apples in Armagh is older than many of the castles in Eire. Again within the early 1600s, when the crown seized this land through the Plantation of Ulster, apple bushes had been introduced over from England. The orchards thrived within the rolling drumlin hills, which supplied fertile soil and pure irrigation.
At first, the apples had been used to make fruit wines, which had been safer to drink than a lot of the water provide. Quick ahead a couple of centuries, and Armagh is now the most northerly apple-growing area within the British Isles, producing every thing from Bramleys to delicate consuming apples. Enjoyable truth: the farmers right here develop so many apples that they really produce extra per acre than they will promote recent. What do you do if you’ve obtained tons of apples and no patrons? You make cider.
Ballinteggart Home: From Blossom to Bottle
The most effective locations to expertise Armagh’s cider tradition is Ballinteggart Home, run by the Troughton household, who’ve been rising apples for 5 generations. Their “Blossom to Bottle” tour is a component orchard stroll, half historical past lesson, and half tasting session — principally, every thing a foodie might need.
The Troughtons produce as much as 20 tons of apples per acre, and within the early 2000s, confronted with an oversupply, they determined to make cider. There was only one drawback: they didn’t know the way. So one of many household headed to western England to study cider-making, got here again, and created Armagh’s first industrial dry cider.
That first cider, Carson’s, was launched in 2005. Dry, crisp, and unapologetically totally different, it wasn’t precisely successful with everybody — particularly for the reason that title “Carson’s” carried political baggage in Northern Eire. So, they tailored. They purchased Maddens Orchard, launched a extra mellow Maddens Cider, and watched it outsell Carson’s two to 1. Immediately, each promote equally properly.
Then got here Doyle’s, a line of flavored ciders designed for broader attraction. Suppose strawberry, blackberry, elderberry, and blackcurrant blends — all made with 100% apple juice (by legislation, cider solely must be 35% apple juice within the UK, however Ballinteggart goes all in). They even make a non-alcoholic cider, plus glowing lemonades and apple drinks for youthful guests or these skipping the booze.
Throughout a tasting, you would possibly strive the Ruby Black Cider, a mix of apples, blackcurrant, and mint (80% apple, 20% blackcurrant). Or their distinctive honey-kissed cider, which proves innovation is simply as a lot part of their DNA as custom.
For an added expertise, add on the Style of Artisan Armagh! We did this for lunch and had been in a position to take pleasure in a scrumptious meal, all regionally sourced for the realm.
The Armagh Meals & Cider Competition
Should you can time your go to for September, you’ll catch the Armagh Meals & Cider Competition, a celebration of all issues apple. Over 4 days, town and surrounding countryside come alive with pop-up eating occasions, orchard excursions, cider tastings, and dwell music.
Highlights embrace orchard-to-table feasts, cider-pairing dinners, and avenue meals made with Bramley apples (which, enjoyable truth, are so bitter they’re principally ineffective uncooked however magical in cooking). Suppose ribs smoked over Bramley apple wooden, desserts made with Grenadier apples, and craft cocktails infused with native fruit.
The competition is the proper place to see how deeply ingrained apples are in Armagh’s meals tradition. And with cider at practically each occasion, you’ll perceive why this area is rewriting Eire’s drink story.
Crannagael Home Supper Membership
For an intimate foodie expertise, e-book right into a supper membership at Crannagael Home, an 18th-century household house surrounded by orchards. Right here, you’ll feast on a multi-course menu ready with native substances, every dish paired with cider from MacIvors, one in every of Armagh’s most celebrated producers.
The setting itself is historic — the primary Bramley apple seedling in County Armagh was planted on this land. The meals is seasonal and deeply rooted within the area, and with a cider professional guiding you thru the pairings, the night feels equal elements banquet and masterclass.
Barbecue at On the Hoof: Farm-to-Fork, Armagh Type
For one thing extra informal however no much less scrumptious, head to On the Hoof, a family-run spot housed in a 200-year-old constructing. Every little thing right here is sourced inside 10 miles, from the pork stomach to the Grenadier apples utilized in desserts.
The menu was this Texan’s consolation meals dream: ribs, sliders, wings, pizza topped with pork stomach, apple, and sriracha, fried mac and cheese balls, and arancini. The meats are smoked utilizing Bramley apple wooden, giving each chew a definite Armagh taste. It’s proof that apple wooden doesn’t simply belong in pies and ciders — it belongs in BBQ too.
MacIvors Cider: A Legacy in a Bottle
Whereas Ballinteggart could have put Armagh cider on the map in recent times, MacIvors has been rising apples since 1855. Their method combines heritage orchards with trendy craft, producing ciders that vary from conventional dry to artistic blends.
One standout is their Ruby Black Cider, made with Bramley apples combined with blackcurrants and a splash of mint. It’s daring, refreshing, and barely rebellious — very like the orchard nation itself. And sure, they do use splendidly named varieties like “Goose Turd” apples for pollination and mixing. (It sounds much less appetizing than it tastes, I promise.)
We didn’t go to their orchard, however their ciders had been included in so lots of the dinners I needed to point out them. My private favourite was the Session, one in every of their canned ciders.
Street Bowling: A Aspect of Tradition
Food and drinks are solely a part of Armagh’s cultural cloth. If you need one thing actually native, try street bowling. This conventional sport includes throwing a small iron ball (a “bullet”) down a winding nation street, with the aim of reaching the end line in fewer throws than your opponent.
It’s often a one-on-one sport, however typically complete teams take part. Speeds can attain as much as 80 miles per hour, and the ambiance is half competitors, half neighborhood gathering. Watching (or attempting) street bowling offers you a style of Armagh’s character — quirky, full of life, and fiercely pleased with its traditions.
Ultimate Sip
Armagh won’t be the primary place that involves thoughts if you assume “foodie vacation spot,” however when you’ve walked its orchards, tasted its ciders, and dined on its apple-infused dishes, you’ll marvel why it isn’t. From the Blossom to Bottle excursions at Ballinteggart Home to cider-pairing suppers at Crannagael, to BBQ smoked with apple wooden, Armagh presents a food and drinks expertise that’s uniquely its personal.
So, whether or not you’re a cider lover, a curious foodie, or simply somebody who appreciates a very good story with their pint, Armagh is ready to indicate you the way deep its roots actually go.