The Infusion of Rose and Cucumber
No other gin tastes like HENDRICK’S because no other gin is made like HENDRICK’S. We infuse our gin with the remarkable Bulgarian Rosa Damascena and specially selected cucumbers from the finest producers.
HENDRICK’S is the marriage of TWO DIFFERENT SPIRITS from two RARE and UNUSUAL STILLS:
The harmonious combination of the Bennett and Carter-Head stills create an unusually smooth gin like no other that has the required character and balance of subtle flavours.
The Bennett steeps the botanicals in spirit overnight prior to distillation resulting in a rich, complex liquid. Whereas the Carter-Head gently steams the botanicals in a basket atop its lofty neck, so influence is imparted upon the spirit in something akin to a botanical steam bath. This yields a lighter, more delicate spirit.
The harmonious combination of the Bennett and Carter-Head stills create an unusually smooth gin like no other that has the required character and balance of subtle flavours.
DISTILLED IN SCOTLAND
The Hendrick’s Gin Palace hails from the tiny seaside village of Girvan, which lies in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland. The distillery lies just a mile inland and overlooks the mysterious volcanic island of Ailsa Craig. This alluring outcrop lies uninhabited, save for a few gannets and puffins, but features in many local legends.
Arguably the leader in ‘the ginaissance’, Hendrick’s likely needs no introduction. A quick look at Google data shows it’s one of the most searched for gin brands in the world, roughly on a par with Gordon’s, but behind Bombay Sapphire. Ask one hundred people to name a premium gin? Henricks will almost certainly come out on top.
THE ‘GINNAISSANCE’ PIONEER
Launched in 1999, Hendrick’s Gin is one of the key gin brands in the category’s resurgence. It’s one that played a major part in my own gin journey, changing my perception of what gin is – and could be.
The idea for Hendrick’s came from David Stewart, the master blender at William Grant & Sons. Sitting in his garden with a cucumber sandwich in hand, admiring the roses in bloom, he wondered what a gin that had cucumber and roses in it would taste like. Working with master distiller Lesley Gracie, the recipe for Hendrick’s was perfected over the next few years.
It wasn’t until 2003 that the gin was launched in the UK and it’s gone on to be one of the most popular gins in the country, and indeed, the world. In 2021, it was the fifth biggest-selling gin in the UK, behind Gordon’s London Dry, Gordon’s Pink, Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray.
Distilled in the small Ayrshire coastal town of Girven, not far where I was born, Hendrick’s continues to be made in 500 litre batches – still under the watchful eye of Lesley Gracie. The brand now have several other expressions to their name, including “Lunar” and “Midsummer Solstace”, but it’s the original which remains the most revered.
HOW HENRICK’S GIN IS MADE
To make their gin, Hendrick’s used, what was at the time, an unusual process. And it’s a tale of two different types of still – a Bennett copper pot still which dates back to 1860, and a Carter-Head still which was made in 1948 and is one of only a handful that were made.
The Bennet provides the traditional steep/boil method of distillation. The 11 botanicals in Hendrick’s Gin are macerated overnight in the pot prior to distillation.
The same 11 botanicals are added to the Carter-Head, albeit in a different ratio. The botanicals in this still are placed in a basket above the spirit, allowing for the vapours to pass through, imparting the flavour.
Each process results in an entirely different gin. The Bennet is richer in flavour with more depth, while the Carter-Head is lighter in character. The two liquids are then blended together before being infused with rose and cucumber, bringing together the flavours behind David Stewart’s inspired idea.
