 | |
| Type | Gin |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | William Grant & Sons |
| Origin | Scotland |
| Introduced | 1999 |
| Alcohol by volume | 44% – 41.4% (varies by market)[1] |
| Proof (US) | 88.0 – 82.6 |
| Colour | Colourless |
| Flavour | Juniper,cucumber,rose |
| Website | hendricksgin.com |
Hendrick's Gin is a brand ofgin launched in 1999 byAllan Hendricks & Ashwin Hendricks (son) at theGirvan distillery, Scotland.[2] The gin was conceived by Lesley Gracie, a Yorkshire native, who worked in new liquid development for William Grant & Sons, who was asked to develop a new gin to besuper-premium.[3][4] In addition to the traditionaljuniper infusion, Hendrick's usesBulgarian rose andcucumber. Hendrick's gin is bottled in a dark brown,apothecary-style bottle.
| Bottle | Name | Introduced | Description[promotion?] | Flavours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrick's[5] | 1999 | The original Hendrick's Gin, infused with rose and cucumber. | juniper,caraway,coriander,elderflower,chamomile,orange,lemonpeel,yarrow,angelica,cubeb pepper andorris root | Available sizes: 5cL, 375mL, 750mL, 1L, 1.75L | |
| Orbium[6] | 2017 | Re-Imagining of Hendrick's | blue lotus,cinchona andwormwood | Hendrick's first new product after the 1999 original. Sold in dark blue glass bottle. | |
| Midsummer Solstice[7] | 2019 | Infused with several natural floral essences | Floral Botanicals | First Hendrick's gin to be labeled "From our Cabinet of Curiosities". Sold in deep purple glass bottle. | |
| Amazonia[8] | 2020 | Infused with tropical flavours | pineapple,orange,Lime,Guava andDragon Fruit | Sold only induty-free shops. Only available in 1L bottle. | |
| Lunar[9] | 2021 | Warm baked spices and citrus. | |||
| Neptunia[10] | 2022 | Rose, cucumber, 11 botanicals +kelp,thyme, andlime | |||
| Flora Adora[11] | 2023 | Rose, cucumber, hibiscus, lavender, hint of raspberry | |||
| Grand Cabaret[12] | 2024 | Stone fruit and sweet herbs | |||
| Sunspell[13] | 2024 | Citrus, spice, and botanicals. | Sold only induty-free shops, in 1L bottle. | ||
| Oasium | 2025 | Herbs and fruits |
Hendricks has producedabsinthe,[14] and various gin-related products such as gin kits,[15][16] glasses, tea pots, pourers, and novelty items.
Hendrick's uses a blend of spirits produced from a Carter-Head Still (constructed in 1948), of which there are only a few in the world, and a smallpot still, built in 1860 by Bennett, Sons & Shears. Both have been restored to working order after being bought at auction in the 1960s by the former William Grant Life President, Charles Gordon. The two stills produce strikingly different styles of gin due to their different construction and methods of distillation.
The pot still is generally referred to as the Bennett still. The still is quite small, which allows most of the botanical flavour characteristics to pass into the spirit. The still is filled with neutral spirit, and the botanical recipe added with some water. This is left to steep for 24 hours, which begins the process of extracting the flavour from the botanicals. The still is then heated by an external steam jacket to boil the liquid. As the pot begins to boil, vapours move up the short column of the still to the condenser, where they condense and are collected. First runnings can be as high as 92% alcohol, with a gradual decrease in the strength as the distillation progresses. Once all of the alcohol is collected, the final spirit will be approximately 75% alcohol v/v. This spirit is heavy, oily, and smells strongly of juniper.
In contrast, the spirit derived from the Carter-Head still is much more subtle with light floral and sweet fragrances. Its method of production is quite different, with only the neutral spirit and water added to the pot. All botanicals used with the Carter-Head are added to a flavour basket at the very top of the still. Rather than boiling the botanicals, which produces the strong pungent spirit of the Bennett still, the Carter-Head bathes the botanicals in the alcohol vapours only. As these rise up through the still, they enter the base of the botanicals basket. Inside, the botanicals are contained in copper baskets, which hold them together while allowing the vapours to be fully exposed. As the evaporated alcohol moves through the botanicals, it efficiently extracts their flavours, which are carried out of the basket along with the alcohol until they reach the condenser. Only the lighter, sweeter and floral flavours can be extracted by this method, which gives the spirit its distinctive character.
The final Hendrick's gin is a blend of these two spirits, with an addition of cucumber essence and rose petal essence.[17]
Hendrick's suggests that the gin be served withtonic water over ice garnished with cucumber instead of the traditional citrus. Hendrick's Gin's Master Distiller, Lesley Gracie, suggests mixing the gin withsoda water andelderflower cordial.[18]
TheWall Street Journal described Hendrick's as the "Best Gin in the World" in 2003. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition awarded two double gold, two gold, and three silver medals between 2005 and 2012. The Beverage Testing Institute gave the gin scores of 93, 94 and 95 between 2007 and 2011.[19]