Is there anything better than sipping on an expertly crafted cocktail on a summer’s evening? We think not. With that in mind, TheTaste Summer Cocktail Festival takes the hassle out of the hunt for Ireland’s finest shaken and stirred favourites.

With hotspot cocktail bars around the country showcasing their skills with a special cocktail to tantalize our readers’ tastebuds and quench their thirst for innovative new creations, #TasteCocktailFest is not to be missed.

From now until the end of August, make it your business to sample and sip as many creative concoctions in our exciting festival line up as you can – cheers!

Smoke On The Water – €11

Ingredients:

– Opihr Spiced Gin
– Sweet Vermouth
– Mandarin & Lemon Sugar
– Irish Sea Salt
– Home Made Bitter Watermelon Aperitif

Bottle rested and finished with a hickory smoke.

The Candlelight Bar is a modern 1920’s speak easy style late piano bar with music on Friday and Saturday, with a centre piece of a baby grand piano, plays host to some fantastic musicians and goes til late.

Candlelight Bar, which initially launched in Siam Thai restaurant, in Dundrum Shopping Centre. In 2014 has expanded to the north side of the city to leafy Malahide, with Darren creating that same awe inspiring destination bar there also. It is a clandestine style cocktail bar where you can sip bespoke concoctions made by a team of award winning mixologists.

Its potent mix of creativity, theatre and use of precise techniques, fresh fruit and juices, home-made liqueurs, syrups, bitters and infusions makes this a destination! It boasts a fantastic unique cocktail selection which has been commissioned especially by award winning mixologist and Bar manager Darren Geraghty. Candlelight has been crowned as the Best Cocktail Bar in Leinster at the Irish Craft Cocktail Awards 2016 and Best Cocktail Experience in the RAI Awards for 2017.

Darren started his career sixteen years ago. He studied Bar management in DIT and has worked in numerous establishments including the illustrious Clarence Hotel, the Clarion hotel and The Exchequer. He was chosen as the Ireland’s National Champion 2013 in The International “Bols Around The World Bartending Championship” and has consistently secured top positions in mixology competitions in the country.

He currently works as the manager of the gorgeous Candlelight Bar in Dundrum and he’s also the cocktail specialist for the Siam Thai group. In 2015 he won the Irish Final of the Disaronno Global Cocktail Challenge and Competed in the Irish final of World Class 2015. He’s now three years at the helm of Candlelight Bar, where recently he has gone on to get to the World Class Irish final for the 2nd time in consecutive years. And Helped lead the way to Candlelight to winning The Best Cocktail Bar in Leinster 2017, RAI Best Cocktail Experience 2017 and making the finals in two categories in The Sky Bar Awards 2017, winners being announced in August.

Since 2007 Darren has worked with numerous spirit brands, companies and venues, consulting on every aspect of bar, drink, cocktail and menu creation, a drinks and events specialist, that has helped launch and guide some of Irelands most recognizable brands and Venues.