News › Recipes

We hope you had a wonderful festive season and now is the time for making plans to recharge after the Xmas madness! A stay at Ballyvolane House is the perfect remedy with bracing walks in the glorious countryside (bring your pooch), warming tipples, cosy fires, hearty food and long soaks in deep baths. We are open from Wednesdays to Saturdays throughout the winter months and we look forward to welcoming our guests in 2024.

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This is another one of our autumn favourites along with the Bertha Hedgerow Martini.

This cocktail was created in the mid-1980’s by Dick Bradsell in Fred’s Club, Soho, London. Bertha works so well with the fruit and citrus and it is a gorgeous fireside aperitif.

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Sloe Bertha - a warming tipple made by infusing wild and cultivated sloe berries with Bertha’s Revenge Gin. We steep them in Bertha’s Revenge Gin for several months and then add sugar syrup at the end to sweeten. A bit like a good dog, Sloe Bertha is a welcome companion when taking to the great outdoors over the winter. A few sips of Sloe Bertha will renew flagging enthusiasm when cold, wet and watching a match from the sidelines.

Equally, it will serve to gird the loins when facing the final hill of the day. Away from the sporting field, Sloe Bertha is a key ingredient in our Hedgerow Martini. ⌗sipsensibly

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We were delighted to have Corinna Hardgrave down to stay and participate in our first shoot of the 2019/2020 season. She wrote a very fair and balance account of her day out for The Sunday Times. Thank you Corinna!

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How the make the perfect B&T

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Gravlax cured with Bertha’s Revenge Gin which is distilled at the distillery at Ballyvolane House. The fragrant spices and citrus notes in the gin work brilliantly with the salmon. It takes three days to cure properly. Serve with dill-mustard sauce and cucumber pickle.

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We use sloes, blackberries and elderflowers that are all foraged from the hedgerows at different times of the year. We pick the elderflowers in May and make a large batch of elderflower cordial, but you can also buy elderflower cordial in the shops.

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This is the cocktail we serve during the spring and summer at Ballyvolane House as the rhubarb is in season and we grow it in our walled-garden. A couple of Rhubarb Martinis before dinner promises lively conversation throughout dinner. They are absolutely delicious and very easy to make.

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