Black is the new black

THE SOCIAL NETWORK:It was like attending one of Bill Cullen's challenges from The Apprentice in 2009, as Guinness Black Lager was unveiled at the Tivoli car park in Dublin on Wednesday evening. Two hopefuls from that year's series, Aoiffe Madden and Stephen Higgins, worked the room.

Higgins told me he has been working on the online launch of Graeme McDowell’s new clothing brand, G-Mac by Kartel, which is “aimed at young guys”. The site was launched yesterday to coincide with the British Open.

Guinness master brewer Fergal Murray told guests the new drink is an “evolution in lager”. It was launched in the US in 2010 and has been appearing in stores here over the past three weeks. Murray has just returned from Portugal with his partner, Jenny Cullen.

David Kitt was the guest DJ for the night. He plays the Pavillion, in Dún Laoghaire, next Friday.

Oisín McMahon-Trench of the instrumental four-piece Enemies travelled from Delgany, Co Wicklow. He is looking forward to their appearance at the Knockanstockan festival at Blessington Lakes on Saturday.

Colin Boylan and Niall Jackson of the Dublin guitar band Bouts are looking forward to performing at Castlepalooza, at Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on August 4th. The following day they will perform at the Indiependence Music Festival, in Mitchelstown in Cork.

Trainee solicitor Caroline Lusby cycled from Ranelagh, avoiding the traffic jams caused by Bruce Springsteen and Rufus Wainwright, who were playing at the RDS and the Iveagh Gardens, respectively. She caught up with her friend Joanne Neary, also a trainee solicitor, who can occasionally be found treading the boards with the Leeson Park Players.

Who we spotted: James English and Chewy of men-only club the Gentleman's Academy; Jamie Fox of Fight Like Apes; Jakub Was and Dave Newell of Punch Face Champions