Gemma's Cakes | The People We Trust

Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort has officially opened its doors to the Resort's newly refurbished and refreshed entertainment offering, McKendry's Lounge/Bar.

Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort has officially opened its doors to the Resort's newly refurbished entertainment offering, McKendry's Lounge Bar.

Formerly known as Gillies Bar & Grill, McKendry's is now a whiskey lover's haven, boasting an encyclopedic whiskey collection of over 300 blends from 21 countries, including a coveted limited-edition bottle of the most expensive Irish whiskey ever produced, "The Chosen".

The new whiskey lounge/bar reflects the warm ambience and atmosphere of an eclectic Irish pub and draws on its local heritage, harking back to the much-loved McKendry's bar of a bygone era, which served the local community from its premises in Broughshane Street, Ballymena before closing its doors.

Welcoming Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort's newest hospitality investment, Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection Managing Director, said;

"We are delighted to welcome guests to our brand new lounge bar, McKendry's and showcase our extensive whiskey collection which we are proud to say is one of the most comprehensive in the island of Ireland.

The launch of McKendry's represents the latest investment by Galgorm into its Resort offering and reflects our ambition to continually innovate and push boundaries to affirm our position as a world-leading spa and golf resort. We look forward to welcoming guests, locals and visitors alike to experience the warm hospitality of McKendry's."

Offering guests the warm welcome synonymous with Galgorm, the new name perfectly connects the Resort with its strong local heritage. Much of the décor consists of historical items from the original McKendry's bar and provides guests with an authentic Irish bar experience.

As well as boasting some rare whiskeys and stocking the finest mixers, Galgorm has devised a new signature whiskey cocktail list to compliment its existing range of premium cocktails, wines, beers and spirits.

For a truly authentic taste, guests can also sample the Resort's first premium own-label "Galgorm Estate Gin", developed in partnership with Northern Ireland's newest artisan gin producer, Copeland Distillery, and drink in the fantastic new line up of live entertainment.

McKendry's Lounge/Bar is open 12:00pm - 01:00am Sunday to Friday and 12:00pm - late on Saturdays, with live entertainment every evening, including traditional Irish music every Tuesday and Thursday night.

Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort have launched its first premium own-label gin, developed in partnership with Northern Ireland's newest artisan gin producer, Copeland Distillery

Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort today launched its first premium own-label gin, developed in partnership with Northern Ireland’s newest artisan gin producer, Copeland Distillery.

Using botanicals harvested from Galgorm Estate for an authentic local taste, Galgorm Estate Gin is the resort’s first house spirit.

It’s also the latest addition to its extensive gin menu, widely regarded as one of the most exclusive menus across the island of Ireland.

Launching from Friday 29 November, Galgorm Estate Gin is available within the Resort and across the Galgorm Collection Portfolio, including 

Templeton Hotel

Fratelli

Café Parisien

Commenting on the partnership, Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection Managing Director, said;

“A fresh and innovative new gin producer, Copeland Distillery was a natural partner to help us create a premium drink which perfectly embodies the taste of Galgorm and complements the decadent gin experiences on offer at the Resort. We’re excited to roll this out to all of our properties across the collection and bring a piece of our heritage to gin lovers across Northern Ireland.”

To celebrate, Galgorm has also launched an exciting cocktail menu for gin-lovers based on the new gin’s botanical flavours. Created by expert mixologists, each cocktail has been crafted to showcase the unique flavours of the gin and features a mix of exciting new concoctions along with a twist on the classics.

“Our dedicated Gin Library is home to over 450 different types of gins, making Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort a mecca for gin lovers. Whilst we celebrate the diversity of our gin offering, which includes labels from all over the globe, we wanted to create something truly special and capture the unique taste of Galgorm by using our own, home-grown botanicals to create this exclusive gin”, added Colin.

Copeland Distillery was established in 2016 and in this time has grown its production capacity and product range to include a range of Irish Gin, Single Malt and Pot Still Whiskey for local consumers and global export. The new collaboration represents a significant partnership for the distillery as it continues to push boundaries and produce innovative, quality spirits representing the ‘spirit’ of Northern Ireland.

Gareth Irvine, Founder of Copeland Distillery, said; “We are delighted to be working alongside Galgorm on this exciting partnership. Galgorm is an iconic brand here in Northern Ireland and we’re honoured to pair our coastal distillery from the shoreline of Donaghadee with the beautiful countryside of County Antrim to create this unique Galgorm Estate Gin.” 

A hidden treasure trove of the Resort, the Gin library houses Ireland’s largest Gin collection.

A hidden treasure trove of the Resort, the Gin library houses Ireland’s largest Gin collection. As an intimate and luxurious setting to embark on a journey of discovering our favourite spirit, daily Gin Tasting is ideal for Resort residents and is the best pre-dinner activity to work up an appetite.

Be welcomed with a French 75, the crisp and fresh cocktail that became prominent during the prohibition era of 1920’s America, which acts the perfect invigorating palate cleanser. Because what’s a better mixer for alcohol than more alcohol?

Whilst sipping over your arrival cocktail, queue one of our encyclopaedic Gin bar team members to impart their pearls gin wisdom on the group.

Introducing the spirit from its infancy, embark on the fascinating journey right from the origins of the key ingredient juniper to the distillation then onto the manufacturing and production.

Explore two hand-picked gins; one locally distilled and one international. Become familiar with how the spirit is made, the perfect accompanying premium tonic and the best botanicals to complement the flavours.

Move through how the two different gins that have grown to life in their respective distilleries to household names within our plethora of 400+ gins.

So with pre-dinner drinks sorted, now it's time indulge in one of our onsite Restaurants!

Pancakes (Serves 4) 

What you will need:

- 135g self-raising flour

- 1 large egg

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons caster sugar

- 130ml milk

- 2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Whisk milk and egg together then whisk in the melted butter

2. Sift flour, salt, caster sugar and baking powder into a bowl

3. Add the milk and egg to the flour mixture and beat using a fork until smooth. Let the batter stand for a few minutes

4. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle with a knob of butter or oil.

5. When this is at medium heat, ladle ¼ cupful onto the pan

6 Wait bubble (around 2/3 minutes) then flip the pancake

7. Cook until both sides are golden

Toppings Suggestions 

• Crushed Hazelnut and Banana
• Blueberries and Strawberries
• Bacon and Maple Syrup
• Lemon and Sugar