The Real Elle Woods! TEST VERSION: Guinness

Launching In Style with Guinness at The Hop House 13 Launch Party!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Partying in Style in Dublin for the launch of Hop House 13!

What can I say, there are just some events you just don't want to miss and when I found out I had been invited to travel down to Dublin with Guinness for a very special launch party, well I just couldn't say no!

For one night only, this "cocktail girl" became a "lager lady" as I joined my fellow bloggers and media friends for a road trip to Dublin for the epic launch party of Guinness' latest lager: Hop House 13!

Of course as you would expect with Guinness no expense was spared, and the South Studios in Dublin were turned into a sensory Hop House 13 experience for a night of exceptional food, music and of course lager!

We were treated to delicious food pairings by Wildside, (apologies for there being no photos of the food, what can I say it was all sooo yummy I totally forgot to take pics!) and the opportunity to try Hop House 13 for ourselves!

Sunday Life Editor Martin Breen & Cool FM's Pete Snodden.

Now, as a lager virgin, who is more used to sipping on cocktails I feel I can't really give an expert opinion on Hop House 13, only to say that it was far more drinkable than I expected it to be, with lots of complex flavours that developed whilst on the palette!

Here I am sampling "Hop House 13" in an aptly sized mini "pint" glass!

Hop House 13 has been named after an early 1900’s hop store building at St. James’s Gate where the hops are still stored and is a double-hopped lager made with Irish barley and aromatic hops, continuing the 256 years of heritage and brewing excellence at St. James’s Gate!

We also had the opportunity to meet personally with Peter Simpson, the Guinness Brewer who led he development team of Hop House 13 and who can currently be seen across Ireland as the face of Guinness' current advertising campaign! I must say I loved hearing Peter talk about the development process of creating a craft beer from scratch and the fine balance between art and science that lead to the creation of Hop House 13!

Guinness brewer, Peter Simpson who led the development of Hop House 13 said, “I personally enjoy more flavoursome beers, so I wanted to make a lager with lots of character and flavour. After some months of exploring different recipes and collaborating with other brewers at St. James’s Gate, we created Hop House 13.”

They describe Hop House 13 as a distinctive golden lager that is brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and the best of hops from both Australia and USA – Galaxy, Topaz, (AUS) and Mosaic (USA). It has a sweet fruity aroma, with hints of Apricot and Peach, and subtle malt notes breaking through. On taste, Hop House 13 is full flavored while still being crisp and hoppy (but not bitter) with a refreshing clean finish.

Of course no party is complete without some seriously good music, and that came in the form of a very special and intimate live set performance by Irish music act All Tvvins!

An evening of great food, fantastic music and brilliant company made the launch party of Hop House 13 a fabulous night! In fact we all were enjoying ourselves so much that we ended up staying far later than any of us anticipated! But hey, that's always the sign of a great party!

As for what I was wearing, well as usual my label of choice was Karen Millen! This time I opted for one of my favourite floral summer dresses which works for a myriad of occasions and accessorised it with my gorgeous Balenciaga leather cuff and a serious piece of arm candy in the form of my Karen Millen white Tassel handbag!

Floral cotton dress (DQ245), Tassel white mini handbag (GL222) both by Karen Millen. Balenciaga giant gold cuff in colour Rose Corail lambskin leather.

A massive thank you to Danielle & Gill from Smarts Communicate for taking such good care of us and to Guinness for their kind invitation to attend their über cool launch party for Hop House 13!

Enjoy Hop House 13 Sensibly. Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk

Spotlight on Guinness Amplify - Supporting Emerging Musical Talent in Ireland!

Monday, July 07, 2014

We have some amazing creative talent here both North and south of the Irish border, and through my blog I'm lucky enough to meet some amazingly talented fashion designers! However it's not just in the field of fashion design that we have a creative melting lot of hot emerging talent, we also have a strong and established musical herritage too! It's with this in mind that Guinness has recently launched a new programme to provide support and resources for our up and coming musical talent!

Guinness has unveiled a new and very exciting music programme with the launch of Guinness Amplify. The programme will turn up the volume for emerging musicians in Ireland and Northern Ireland by supporting them as they unlock their full potential! Connecting the freshest new music talent in Ireland with audiences all over Ireland, as well as providing them with some of the resources and expertise they need to help them along the way!

Speaking at the launch, Stephen O’ Kelly, Marketing Director, Guinness said; “Ireland has an incredible music heritage and is recognised all over the world as a hotbed of exceptionally talented musicians. Guinness has a rich tradition of supporting music in Ireland and Guinness Amplify takes this support to a new level. The combination of live performance, promotion, recording time and rehearsal space, as well as the opportunity to learn from experts within the industry, is something that we know can make a real difference in helping musicians to develop. What better way to have your music heard than in a great pub packed with people appreciating the performance, as it unfolds in a live gig”.

The programme has four key components each designed to cater for the different needs of emerging talent.

Guinness Amplify Live, will offer the opportunity to perform in hundreds of pubs all over Ireland from Thursday through to Sunday across 5 weekends, kicking off on the 11th September in Leinster and will rotate around Ireland, focusing on a different region each week over the course of the five weekends.

Guinness Amplify Live schedule:

Leinster.11th September to 14th September, 2014

Ulster.

18th September to 21st September, 2014

Connacht.

25th September to 28th September, 2014

Munster.

2nd October to 5th October, 2014

Dublin.

9th October to 12th October, 2014

There will also be a few surprises along the way! Once a weekend, over the five weeks of Guinness Amplify Live, some of the biggest names in the music industry will perform surprise gigs in pubs in unknown locations. The line-up of major artists will include Kodaline, Ellie Goulding, Walking On Cars and Daithí. More names will also be announced during the summer!

Another aspect of the programme will be Guinness Amplify Studios, comprising of 60 days of free studio time, that will be offered to musicians, as chosen by our expert panel, to record, or rehearse, in studios located around Ireland. In addition, the Guinness Amplify Workshops, a series of intimate music workshops around Ireland will be developed and delivered by First Music Contact and will feature music industry experts. Places at the workshops will be offered to musicians on a first come, first served basis and those interested should log onto www.guinnessamplify.com for further details.

Speaking at the launch Kodaline said “There are so many incredibly talented musicians in Ireland who currently don’t have the right support to bring their career to the next level. Guinness Amplify will help to open doors for so many people through the roadshow of pub gigs around Ireland, providing access to experts in the industry and ultimately helping musicians to fulfil their potential. We know first-hand the hard work that goes into launching a music career and this level of support is invaluable”.

Following months of live performances, studio recording, rehearsal time and workshops, the cream of the crop, as decided by our expert music panel, will get the chance to perform at Guinness Amplify Live Stages - 5 showcase events in some of Ireland’s most renowned music venues in February, 2015.

The Guinness Amplify expert panel includes, David Kitt, Jonny Quinn, Nialler9, Sinead Troy and Stuart Clark all of whom have a wealth of experience to share with emerging talent in Ireland. These industry experts will decide on which bands will be chosen to avail of the free studio recording time, as well as those who will go through to perform at Guinness Live Stages in February, 2015, following months of performances, studio time and workshops.

Also speaking at the launch, Jonny Quinn, drummer with global sensation, Snow Patrol, and founder of Polar Patrol Publishing, said “This is a great campaign and when I first heard about it, I knew immediately I wanted to be involved. Finding and fostering new music talent is how Polar Patrol Publishing came about. It’s something I feel passionate about and I look forward to supporting Guinness in their quest to uncover and nurture local and emerging talent in Ireland.”

Full details of the Guinness Amplify programme are available on www.guinnessamplify.com. Bands and musicians interested in taking part in Guinness Amplify have until July 31st to log on to www.guinnessamplify.com and upload their details.

Massive thanks to Danielle Scullion at Smarts Communicate for the press release and all imagery.

ARTHUR'S DAY 2013 WILL SHOWCASE THE BEST OF IRELAND'S TALENT ANDCREATIVITY!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Bright and early on Monday morning, I began my journey down to Dublin for a very special Press Launch...........as members of the press converged on Dublin's iconic pub Hogans to hear what Guinness had in store for Arthur's Day 2013, taking place on Thursday 26th September!

Arthur's Day will be showcasing the very best of Ireland's creativity and talent from the world of music and culture at over 500 free music events and creative showcases in pubs across the island of Ireland. With Ireland joining the millions of people taking part in the Arthur's Day 2013 celebrations across Europe, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Caribbean and Australia! 32 Counties, 500+ Free Music Events, 1,000+ Music Acts, Creative Showcase Events.

I was excited to learn that the Arthur's Day line-up will see a variety of artists play in pubs across the island of Ireland, from the best and brightest of local musical talent including The Script, James Vincent McMorrow, The Original Rudeboys, Girl Band and Bouts; to internationally acclaimed artists such as Manic Street Preachers, Emeli Sandé, Janelle Monae and the legendary Bobby Womack. Further artists will be announced later in the summer. Great to see such a variety of artists involved and fantastic to see hot new talent such as Bouts and Gril Band included in the line up!

As always Arthur's Day will be a night full of surprises with acts turning up unannounced to perform in pubs. Additionally, some acts will also perform at one of five ticketed music events, taking place in pubs across Belfast, Dublin, Limerick and Cork. Tickets will go on sale on 4th September, with proceeds going to the creative and cultural initiative, Arthur Guinness Projects.

Irish musician James Vincent McMorrow, is pictured with Stephen O’Kelly, Marketing Director, Guinness, announcing details of Arthur’s Day 2013, which will take place on Thursday 26th September, showcasing the best of Ireland’s creativity and talent from the world of music and culture.

As you've previously read on the blog, Guinness recently launched their Arthur Guinness Projects, and applicants from the projects will also have their part in Arthur's Day. As GUINNESS will collaborate with publicans and Arthur Guinness Project applicants to transform some local pubs into creative hubs.

Arthur's Day will support, promote and showcase the next generation of Ireland's musical talent, artists, poets, writers and culinary experts; all of whom are creating and inspiring positive change in Ireland today.

On Arthur's Day, THE GUINNESS STOREHOUSE at St. James's Gate Brewery will be transformed into a cultural hub showcasing Ireland's talent and creativity across the four areas of Music, Arts, Food and Sport.
Applicants will join established innovators in creating this one-off cultural experience which will also include music performance, an immersive GUINNESS cultural timeline across multiple floors and a bespoke culinary feast.

Commenting at the launch, Stephen O' Kelly, Marketing Director, Guinness said; "Guinness has a long tradition of supporting and promoting emerging talent across the island of Ireland through Arthur's Day programmes such as 'Play on the Day', 'Our Thursdays' and the recently launched Arthur Guinness Projects, a major cultural initiative which is championing people whose ideas, passion and spirit are enhancing and shaping our culture and identity. Whilst music will continue to be the cornerstone of the day, this year, our creative canvass will stretch well beyond music, embracing other aspects of our culture by showcasing talent and creativity from sport and food to the arts and design."

James Vincent McMorrow said; "From the first day I travelled abroad to play, I've been struck by how people would immediately be intrigued, even before they'd heard a note, because of the heritage and lineage that comes with being an Irish artist. It's an incredible thing, our history of creating, it has an impact on people, I know it has an impact on me, and it's really exciting to see Guinness becoming so involved in adding to that heritage through Arthur's Day and Arthur Guinness Projects. They're gonna be supporting people from Ireland creating new art and new ventures, I'm glad to be part of it this year."

The Script said, "We can't wait for Arthur's Day. We are incredibly excited to see that emerging Irish artists will have such a fantastic opportunity to perform alongside some of the more established artists on the line up. This will undoubtedly be a huge benefit to these talented, up and coming artists and we're really looking forward to sharing the stage with them."

Irish Band "Bouts" playing at the Arthur's Day Press Launch at Hogans Bar, Dublin.

As part of the launch, assembled members of the press were treated to an intimate gig by Irish Indie band Bouts, giving us a taster of what to expect form the Arthur's Day celebrations! Talking to the band afterwards I was struck by their excitement to be a part of Arthur's day and their passion for their music, as well as getting an insight into what makes the band tick! (Watch out for my upcoming blog post on my interview with the band.) definitely not one to be missed!

For full details on Arthur's Day please visit www.guinness.com

Drink Guinness Responsibly. Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.

Final chance to apply to ARTHUR GUINNESS PROJECTS!!

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

At the end of June, I was privileged to travel down to Dublin to attend the Press Launch of Arthur Guinness Projects®. A major new cultural initiative designed to champion and celebrate talent and creativity across the island of Ireland, and since then hundreds of extraordinary people with inspiring and brilliant ideas from all across the country have uploaded projects onto www.arthurguinnessprojects.com, and thousands more have shown support by voting for their favourite projects.

The project's aim is to support and encourage creativity amongst budding entrepreneurs and businesses, in four key areas: The Arts, Music, Food and Sport. Applicants are actively encouraged to submit innovative ideas, and each of the key areas cover a broad spectrum so don't be afraid to think outside the box! With just days to go, projects can be submitted up until midnight 9th August 2013.

Speaking about the Arthur Guinness Projects, Stephen O’Kelly, Marketing Director, Guinness said “What we are seeing coming through from projects across the country is a surge of talent, innovation and creativity that we are truly excited by. The genuine passion and brilliance demonstrated is really inspiring and we are overwhelmed by the calibre and diversity of ideas.”

Mr O’Kelly continued, “With one week to go we are reminding people to submit their ideas. We know there are so many great projects waiting to be discovered and we wish to support those great ideas and champion the people behind them”.

Although the closing date is the 9th August, the public can continue to vote for the projects that they would most like to see come to life during the application period and up until the 23rd August, 2013.

The Arthur Guinness Projects panel will then choose the winning projects from the top 10% as voted by the public in each of the 4 categories.

The *Arthur Guinness Projects panel has been created to choose the overall winning projects and will provide mentoring and support to the overall winners. Comprised of 16 experts, four within each category, the panel is spearheaded by world-renowned Irish band, The Script, food guru, Dylan McGrath, Donegal inter-county manager and sports consultant, Jim McGuinness and celebrated Irish actor, Chris O’ Dowd.

Additionally, there will be a wild card element to the process. The Arthur Guinness Projects panel can choose from the pool of projects that did not make the top 10% in their respective categories, and select up to four wild card projects.

Together with a mentoring and promotional support programme, Arthur Guinness Projects will invest €3 million in people and their projects across Ireland over the next three years, with up to 20 projects benefitting annually.

To upload projects, vote for your favourite or to get inspiration from the current selection visit www.arthurguinnessprojects.com.

Already there have been some fantastic projects and ideas submitted! Here is just a small selection of the submissions in each of the four categories from Northern Ireland, to give you a flavour of the innovation and creativity out there!

Food

Dock Honesty box cafe.

https://www.arthurguinnessprojects.com/food/the-dock-honesty-box-cafe - Belfast - 62 votes

The Dock is an Honesty-Box cafe, community hub and arts venue for a new part of Belfast. Everything – the art, the food, the coffee, the photography, the sculpture – is local and home-made; the whole enterprise is volunteer-run, and the ethos is hand-built with love. We’re here to celebrate the good news in Belfast and enjoy Life in the Titanic Quarter.

Music

Living on the land.

https://www.arthurguinnessprojects.com/music/living-on-the-land - Derry - 81 votes

Maggie wants support for this project to publish a DVD entitled ''Living On The Land'' showcasing her own material. A DVD full of songs highlighting the culture and memories of Irish life in the Irish countryside. She's dedicated to write original fresh country songs that reflect both her personality and culture.

Arts

The bear.

https://www.arthurguinnessprojects.com/arts/the-bear - Antrim - 201 votes

We are a new online literary review that wants to move into print.

We want to showcase new Irish writers alongside new international writers.

Customers can pay what they feel is fair for our journals and we post them to anywhere in the world.

We want to hold live writing events to change the way people engage with writing.

We also love bears.

Sport

Irish Race course Marathon.

https://www.arthurguinnessprojects.com/sport/irish-racecourse-marathon - Armagh - 203 votes

Recreational running is one of the most popular activities in Ireland. Horse racing is one of the most popular past times on the island, is indelibly linked to Irish sporting heritage, national cultural persona and economic activity. I plan to combine both in a unique challenge over 1000 miles to 26 race courses running a mile on each to make up the marathon distance of 26miles in 24hours

Sporting chance in life.

https://www.arthurguinnessprojects.com/sport/sporting-chance-in-life - Antrim - 196 votes

* A project to support 18-30 year olds with disbilities focused on developing independent living and employability skills
* Building confidence through residential based learning, sporting and outdoor activities
* Goal to extend into a long term programme supporting 24 young adults per annum

Massive thanks to Danielle Scullion, Smarts Communicate for the press release and all relevant imagery.

Launching In Style with Guinness at The Hop House 13 Launch Party!

Spotlight on Guinness Amplify - Supporting Emerging Musical Talent in Ireland!

ARTHUR'S DAY 2013 WILL SHOWCASE THE BEST OF IRELAND'S TALENT ANDCREATIVITY!

Final chance to apply to ARTHUR GUINNESS PROJECTS!!

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