Why you can’t miss Jameson Black Barrel and Acme Fire Cult

When London’s most progressive live-fire restaurant meets a super-premium Irish whiskey aged in double-charred barrels, you just know that sparks are going to fly. And that’s exactly what’s happening in Dalston, this July.

Jameson Black Barrel and Acme Fire Cult have teamed up to create an exclusive whiskey pairing menu. Available from July 1-31, it’s a carefully crafted celebration of fire, food and whiskey – basically all the good stuff – and it features four dishes and three cocktails, all inspired by the Black Barrel spirit from the Jameson family. 

The menu is a collaboration between two live-fire chefs: Andrew Clarke, chef and founder of Acme Fire Cult, and Keelan Higgs, owner and head chef at Dublin’s Michelin-starred Variety Jones. So if you can handle a bit of primaeval heat; this one’s for you.

So what is so unique about this fiery union?

Let’s start with the whiskey first of all: Jameson Black Barrel uses a combination of double-charred barrels for the ageing process, and, in doing so, creates a whiskey bursting with sweet aromas of toffee and fudge, further complemented by its spicy character and a rich vanilla finish. It’s triple-distilled, which for those in the know, means it’s exceptionally smooth; a result of blending small-batch grain with a higher proportion of single-pot Irish whiskey. That rich, smooth taste makes it an outstanding choice for classic whiskey cocktails, but it also goes down a treat on its own, or, dare we say it – mixing fire with ice – on the rocks.

The chefs

The chefs who have co-created this limited-time menu are no strangers to fire worship either. Acme Fire Cult founder Andrew Clarke explains, ‘We’ve always tried to take a distinct approach to cooking over flames, where vegetables take centre stage, and where food and drink are intrinsically linked’. He added, ‘Most restaurants will do a wine pairing but for us, the opportunity to combine charred food with the depth and range of flavours in a double-charred whiskey just made sense’.

Clarke teamed up with Keelan Higgs from Dublin – Jameson’s native city – to bring Irish flavours to the food, as well as the drinks. Higgs jumped at the chance, explaining, ‘BBQ has this dated ‘dude food’ reputation and we both come from a place of elevating it beyond that.’ He says, ‘Fire can do amazing things to ingredients when applied in the right way and when you’re throwing Jameson Black Barrel into the mix, it elevates the whole menu while offering a glimpse into the craft of this very special whiskey’.

The menu

Every element of the menu is touched by fire, which unlocks the unique and distinct flavours in the cocktails as well as the food and delivers a live-fire feast for the senses. Dishes range from the delightfully unexpected grilled corn ribs and ‘fireside’ polenta, to the indulgent 50-day-aged beef chop and smoked ox cheek and bone marrow, with malted-whiskey glaze. Sweet things aren’t neglected either, with a slow-roast peaches ‘Old Fashioned’ – a dessert reimagining of the classic cocktail – accompanied by a vanilla panna cotta, whiskey-citrus caramel and malted barley biscotti.

The drinks

The cocktails are equally special. First, there’s the spicy-yet-refreshing Black Barrel Jameson Ginger Sparkler, featuring Jameson Black Barrel whiskey and ginger beer, shaken with lemon juice and simple syrup, and topped with sparkling wine. Or, choose the luscious Black Barrel Velvet, with Jameson Black Barrel whiskey shaken with 40ft Brewery stout reduction, Acme Fire Cult ‘spent coffee’ kombucha cordial, and Demerara syrup, strained and served straight up. 

So there you have it: a whiskey touched by fire for a rich, smooth taste and a restaurant that has built a cult around this elemental force.

Experience the Jameson Black Barrel menu and cocktails at Acme Fire Cult from July 1 to 31. You can book it here. 

Discover more about the collab and the whiskey here.