Hendrick's Gin might seem like it's been around forever, given its steampunk-y, Victorian
branding, but it's only been available for a little more than two decades.
That doesn't mean it isn't pushing the envelope, though.
Ever thought about combining botanicals, rose, and cucumber with pickles?
Hendrick's has.
If you think Scotland is only known for Scotch whisky, you're missing out on another beauty:
gin.
More specifically, Hendrick's Gin.
As they say on the website, Hendrick's Gin is proudly Scottish and is located in Girvan.
If you can't find Girvan on a map, no worries, that's what we're here for.
Lesley Gracie, master distiller of Hendrick's Gin, tells ABC Fine Wine & Spirits:
"Girvan is a beautiful place.
[...] It's a small, unassuming kind of place and it is peaceful and calm.
The coastline is rugged and great for walking the dog.
There is very little light pollution out here and we are close to a dark sky park, so on
a clear night you can really see the stars shining brightly."
Now that you know where Hendrick's Gin is distilled, let's dive into what they actually
do there.
Gracie added:
"Hendrick's is distilled using not one, but two utterly dissimilar types of stills.
A Bennett, which is an antique copper pot still dating right back to 1860, and a rare
Carterhead from 1948 of which only a handful exist today.
The Bennett-style stills steep their botanicals, resulting in a rich, complex spirit, whereas
the Carterhead gently steams the botanicals in a basket."
"Can I do something for you, Mr. Bond?"
"Just a drink.
A martini.
Shaken.
Not stirred."
She adds that water from the Penwhapple Reservoir is added to each batch as well.
According to the Hendrick's website, their Gin is:
"Hand-crafted in tiny batches of only 500 lovely litres at a time."
Master distiller Lesley Gracie is able to spend more time over each batch and ensure
that each bottle is up to par with the standards customers expect from the brand.
For great-quality gin, we expect strict measures to be put into place, so we aren't disappointed
with the time it takes to review each of those 500 litres.
And we don't blame you if you want to go for a stroll and then end your day with a gin
and tonic!
If we were in Scotland enjoying a gin and tonic, we'd probably be doing the same.
"Glass, ice, gin.
Tonic."
When you think of gin, you may not immediately think of rose and cucumber as a pair together.
How did this happen for Hendrick's Gin?
Lesley Gracie explained it like this to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits:
"It was Charles Gordon who asked me to create a new, very different gin that used both cucumber
and rose.
He was a smart guy, a visionary even, and could see a moment when gin would once again
be popular — at a time when most people weren't really bothering with it."
Gracie further explained:
"Rose and cucumber are the classic ingredients of a summer tea party, and I think it brought
back fond family memories of rose gardens and cucumber sandwiches.
It was my job to take the idea and make it a reality.
Charlie had given me two stunning vintage stills and the two ingredients: rose and cucumber.
I had to piece together the other parts of the puzzle to make a gin the likes of which
the world had never seen before."
The eleven botanicals that are featured in Hendrick's Original Gin include: angelica
root, caraway, chamomile, coriander, cubeb berries, elderflower, juniper, lemon peel,
orange peel, orris root, and yarrow root.
It's an unexpected, yet delightful, combination.
If you're a fan of Hendrick's Gin, then you'll also love these limited releases: Hendrick's
Lunar and Hendrick's Orbium.
As described on their website, Hendrick's Lunar is:
"A delightfully smooth and alluring gin that is rich with night blooming floral essence,
offering a delicate balance of warm baked spices, and finished with a crisp burst of
citrus."
Hendrick's Gin recommends drinking Hendrick's Lunar on particularly cloudless nights filled
with stars or relaxing evenings at your home.
Hendrick's Orbium, on the other hand, has additional flavors of quinine, wormwood, and
lotus blossom.
Master distiller Lesley Gracie added:
"With Hendrick's Orbium, we've taken quinine, which is the main ingredient in tonic water,
and wormwood, the main ingredient in vermouth and an essential part of a martini and to
that, added the distinctive Blue Lotus flower to create the right balance and round flavor."
If you're unsure about these flavors, reviewers seem to be on board with them.
According to one reviewer:
"Hendrick's Lunar is smooth with a hint of citrus and floral."
Another reviewer summed things up, saying:
"It doesn't taste like you drank perfume or grandma's soap!"
"My God.
That's disgusting."
Hendrick's has a variety of cocktail recipes suitable for any gin lover.
There's the classic Hendrick's Gin and tonic, of course.
But for those who are a bit more adventurous, you could go for the Supersonic Hendrick's
Gin and tonic.
In this drink, there's still the Hendrick's Gin and tonic, but there's the addition of
sugar syrup and fresh espresso that's gone cold.
For more eclectic drinks, there's the Red Snapper, which is a bloody mary made with
gin.
There's really no limit to the variety of drinks you can make with a good gin.
Who knows, you may fall in love with a new gin drink.
And then, once you do, you can share it with all of your friends!
When you think of gin, you might immediately think of the classic drink gin and tonic.
But have you ever considered gin and pickles?
Oh yes, this unlikely duo is not an idea created out of the blue but is very much based in
reality.
For a limited time, Hendrick's Gin partnered with New York's Katz's Delicatessen to create
gin-inspired pickles.
"I would like to purchase.
How much?"
This concoction combines the botanicals Hendrick's Gin is known for alongside Katz's Traditional
brining spices to create a pickle with both pepper and juniper.
Have you ever thought about combining botanicals, rose, and cucumber with pickles?
Well, now's your chance!
Would you care to pair these pickles with your favorite gin and your favorite sandwich?
According to Hendrick's Botanical, a pastrami sandwich might be the excellent pair you never
realized you needed until now:
"The resulting pickle – some might call it a 'super pickle' – goes beautifully with
a pastrami sandwich and is surprisingly divine as a cocktail garnish, yielding a new world
in which pickles can taste like gin and gin can taste like pickles."
If you're looking for more pickle-inspired gin recipes, never fear, Hendrick's Gin has
you covered.
The Gin Palace is as regal and fantastical as the name.
Lesley Gracie told ABC Fine Wine & Spirits:
"The Hendrick's Gin Palace is my playground, filled with all my favorite things.
You follow a path lined with wildflowers and enter the walled garden through this beautiful
old door.
If you are lucky enough, I'll be waiting to let you in.
The Hendrick's Gin Palace was built in the image of an old Victorian Palm House."
"Her watchful eye ensures the perfection of our precious gin."
Who wouldn't want to take a tour of this lovely gin temple?
Based on the advertising of Hendrick's Gin, you may think that the brand is from another
era.
However, that would be incorrect.
Hendrick's Gin is a relatively new brand, only around 20 years old.
But why does the advertising look so whimsical, so Victorian?
In 2000, Hendrick's Gin had its world premiere in New York.
Three years later, the brand launched in the United Kingdom.
Stella David, at the time the CEO of Glenfiddich Scotch whisky and Hendrick's gin producer
William Grant & Sons, told The Spirits Business:
"I don't think brands are born, I think they evolve.
When I see a huge launch I always worry that in two or three years' time, it won't have
met expectations and will be withdrawn, or price-discounted or pushed one last time."
Thankfully, Hendrick's Gin flourished.
But what about the whimsical manner, where did that come from?
David Piper, Hendrick's global brand ambassador, mentions that it was an old Victorian apothecary's
bottle as the likely inspiration for the Hendrick's Gin identity.
He tells The Spirits Business that:
"[Taking together] the eccentricity, nonsense and surrealism of that era, we were able to
have a lot of fun and shake up what was a very staid category."
If you think you'll only see Hendrick's Gin in the alcohol aisle, you might be mistaken.
This heavenly drink has had unique advertising campaigns in the past in a variety of places,
including commuters at a bus stop.
In a handful of British cities — including London, Liverpool, and Brighton — there
have been "experiential bus shelters" where the smell of roses and cucumbers have been
placed into the stop so commuters, on their way to work, can stop and smell the... gin?
It's the perfect place for an immersive Hendrick's Gin experience.
This wasn't the only interesting campaign Hendrick's Gin has done.
Hendrick's Gin has also gone a bit whimsy with the creation of the Hendrick's High Wheel,
a stationary bike that, according to Bicycling, could be yours for only $2,493.11.
However, there are only three available in the world, so if you're interested you might
need to get a move on.
Hendrick's Gin is unique.
We're not surprised to hear there's a real Cabinet of Curiosities.
Hendrick's Master Distiller Lesley Gracie told ABC Fine Wine & Spirits:
"It is a real physical cabinet in the heart of my lab.
We play about [...] to see how different flavors sit together and how we can build new flavor
dimensions in our drinks.
[...] All the innovation work for Hendrick's starts here, and it's a lot of fun."
We think it would be an absolute dream to create gin concoctions.
For creative people thinking about their dream career, Gracie's job is a testament to never
giving up!
Gracie said:
"I've always [been] playing and experimenting, but until recently, we didn't have the space
or capacity to release these on a wider scale, but it doesn't mean we weren't busy behind
the scenes.
So yes, I tucked away lots of liquid innovations in the Cabinet of Curiosities, ready to release
when the time is right.
Now with the increased production capacity at the Hendrick's Gin Palace I can share these
liquid treats with the world."
How would you describe your ideal home gaming environment?
Perhaps you have something cozy to wear, the best gaming equipment and lighting.
But have you considered investing in a gaming chaise, specifically a Hendrick's Gin gaming
chaise?
Yes, this is real.
According to Hendrick's Gin:
"The Gaming Chaise is for those moments when one chooses to lean back and sip the nuances
of life in all its glory."
If you're not sure what to drink while sitting in this chaise of dreams, don't worry, Hendrick's
Gin has you covered with a gin cocktail recipe.
The Camper Cooldown is made with Hendrick's Gin, sweet tea, ginger beer, a squeeze of
lemon and garnished with a slice of cucumber and a lemon wedge.
"You got three lemons."
"My baby wants my baby gets, you know that."
"I wanted 12.
Baby want 12."
For the holidays in 2021, Hendrick's Gin offered a new drink for gin lovers and people curious
about gin looking for something new to try: Batch & Bottle's Hendrick's Gin Martini.
The gin is available at five select bars around the world.
According to MarketingMag, the exciting thing is that for the first year after its release,
a dollar from every bottle sold will go to the William Grant & Sons StandFast fund.
This fund helps the hospitality industry during the pandemic.
Lesley Gracie told Australia Bartender:
"I worked closely with some of the very best martini-making bars in the world, taking inspiration
from what they do and translating it into something you can easily pour at home that's
fresh, floral, round and smooth like Hendrick's.
It's fascinating that each bar had such a wildly different take on what made the perfect
martini, and I took inspiration from all of the ingredients they used and worked to pull
together common themes, finding the best bits of all of them to include in this final concoction.
And now that it's bottled, this will be in my freezer ready to be poured whenever martini
hour beckons."
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