Hendrick’s Gin has carved out a singular and substantial niche in the gin market since its launch at the dawn of this century. See gin. Flavored with cucumber and rose essences and packaged in squat bottles reminiscent of Victorian apothecary jars, the gin has led growth in the premium gin category, with annual sales that have rocketed past the million-case mark.
Developed in the late 1990s for Scottish spirits company William Grant & Sons by in-house chemist Lesley Gracie (1956–), who still oversees its distillation, Hendrick’s was reportedly inspired by two quintessential fixtures of British summers: cucumber sandwiches and rose gardens. After much experimentation, Gracie settled on a blend of gins made on two antique stills that Charles Gordon, great-grandson of the company’s founder, bought at auction in 1966: a pot still dating back to 1860 and a Carter-head still made in 1948. See Carter-head still. Juniper and ten other botanicals are boiled directly in the pot still’s kettle, whereas in the Carter head they are placed in a vapor infusion chamber in the still’s lyne arm, creating a more delicate distillate. See juniper and botanical. Because the cucumber and rose essences are added after distillation and blending, Hendrick’s cannot be labeled as a London dry gin. See London dry gin.
In 2018, William Grant built a Victorian-inspired “gin palace” for Hendrick’s to replace its original modest quarters at the massive Girvan distillery in the Scottish Lowlands. The newer facility is equipped with six stills, including four exact replicas of the original stills.
See also still, pot.
Gin Cooperative. A History of Hendrick’s. https://thegincooperative.com (accessed March 22, 2021).
By: David Mahoney