Hendrick's is the most unusual gin, conceived over cucumber sandwiches and flowering rose beds. Here's why this curious brand is worth knowing.

What is Hendricks?

You’d probably recognize Hendricks from its unique black apothecary-style bottles and vintage paper labelling. This bottle design is so beloved that it’s not uncommon for bars to repurpose it as water jugs!

Hendricks is a decidedly fresh and floral gin that often markets itself as a “gin made oddly”. Of particular oddity is that fact that Hendricks is made from the addition of two hero ingredients: Bulgarian roses and cucumbers!

Hendricks belongs to William Grant & Sons, and is currently produced in small-batches of 500 liters at a time at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace in Scotland. The brand was launched in 1998, created by Charles Gordon and Lesley Gracie.

Cucumbers and Roses: How Inspiration for Hendrick’s Recipe Struck during Afternoon Tea

The story dates back all the way to 1966, more than 30 years before Hendrick’s was born. One day, Charles Gordan, the great-grandson of Mr. William Grant, purchases two distillation stills on a whim at an auction. The first was the Carter Head still and the other was a 19^th century Bennett still. An impulse buy, these stills would be left unused for a time while the company waited for an opportune moment to put these to good use. 

Hendrick's was eventually named after the gardener of Janet Sheed Roberts, who was the granddaughter of William Grant. (Image source: William Grant & Sons)

During the mid-90s, David Stewart – who had joined William Grant & Sons in 1962 as a stock clerk before eventually rising to the ranks of Malt Master in 1974 – paid a visit to Janet Sheed Robert’s – Charles Gordan’s aunt. Sitting in Janet’s garden, accompanied by the fresh blooms of his roses and cucumber sandwiches for snacks, Stewart was struck by the idea of producing a uniquely Scottish gin that would combine the flavors of roses and cucumbers! 

Stewart’s musings would kickstart a process of experimentation that would eventually culminate in the creation of a new gin. As for what this new gin would be called? Well, it felt apt that this new brand should be named after none other at Janet’s gardener, Hendrick, who was responsible for maintaining the magical garden itself!

A Chemist Walks Into the Garden: Enter Lesley Gracie, Master Distiller

While Stewart’s idea formed a spark, it was actually a lady called Lesley Gracie that lit the flame.

Lesley Gracie was a young chemist from Yorkshire who had previously worked for a pharmaceutical company to develop pain relief drugs. Her job was almost Mary Poppins-like: she had to create formulations to “make the medicine go down” easier! Gracie first joined William Grant & Sons in the liquid development team for Balvenie and Glenfiddich, and in 1988 she was later recruited to help develop the gin recipe for Hendricks!  

Lesley Gracie, Hendrick's Master Distiller (Image source: William Grant & Sons)

Gracie was no doubt the right fit for the role, with her knack for botanicals and love for nature. As a child, it was rumored that she would even boil up special brews from the twigs and plants she foraged to serve to her family and friends.

The original Hendrick's distillery in 1998 is based in Girvan. (Image source: William Grant & Sons)

From 1988 up until 1998, Gracie was hard at work experimenting with different symphonies of botanical combinations, while also conceiving of a distillation method that would draw upon both the Carter-Head and Bennett stills that Gordon had purchased years ago. After collaborating with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, and over twenty different distillation trials, Gracie and the team finally conceived of a “peculiar sort of deliciousness” – officially the brand was launched to great success in 1998!

Hendrick’s Distillation Process: Using Two Distillation Stills!

Gracie inspects the two distillation stills. (Image source: William Grant & Sons)

Hendrick’s Gin is uniquely made via a dual distillation method. A first batch of distillate is distilled via the Carter-Head still to create a more airy, floral distillate. The Carter-Head still consists of a rectifying column that helps to strip out impurities from the distillate to create a lighter spirit. Meanwhile, second batch of distillate was separately distilled in the Bennett still, a steam jacket heated pot still that produced a more flavorful, juniper forward distillate.

Both the distillates would then be subsequently blended together to achieve a more balanced yet complex gin. The blended distillates are then infused with the essence of cucumber and Bulgarian rose petals, cut with water and finally bottled. Because the cucumber and rose essences were added post-distillation, Hendrick’s marks a slight departure from the traditional London Dry Gin style – which is defined as gin with no added ingredients apart from water after distillation.

Hendrick's Gin Palace's design is based on the concept of walled garden - which plays on theatrical concept of pulling back the curtain, as you approach the building. Behind these walls stores Hendrick's top-secret recipe! (Image source: Michael Laird Architects)

The current formulation of Hendricks consists of 11 different botanicals: chamomile, elderflower, juniper, lemon peel, orange peel, caraway, coriander, cubeb berries, angelica root, yarrow root and orris root. The exact proportions and specifications of which are kept top secret. In fact, only four people know this recipe – Gracie being one of them!

| Read more: Our review of Hendrick's Gin, 44% ABV

Lessons in Marketing: Targeting the “Curious Crowd”

Timeless whimsy is Hendrick's specialty.

Despite Hendrick’s traditional Victorian style bottle design and marketing, Hendrick’s has managed to skirt associations of being dumpy or aged. In fact, the Hendrick’s brand seems to have no trouble remaining future-forward, trendy and relevant in today’s time.

Central to its enduring is the fact that the brand very strategically targets “The Curious Crowd”, rather than specific audience demographics. The spirit brand often markets its gins through whimsical packaging and taglines inviting one to have a taste of something mysterious, unusual, and even “absurd”!

You could argue that gin fans flock to it because Hendrick’s embodies a unique state of mind – one of exploration, curiosity, and the willingness to be captivated by seemingly eccentric concoctions! 

Cabinet of Curiosities: Embracing the Unusual

One interesting initiative that the Hendrick’s Gin Palace has rolled out in recent times in the launch of the Hendrick’s Cabinet of Curiosities series.

The Cabinet of Curiosities is a collection of limited-release experimental gins created at the Hendrick’s innovation lab, also called the Gin Palace. In other words, it’s yet another rabbit hole of exploration that any gin fan would be happy to go down. 

The first release began with Midsummer Solstice in 2019, a “flirtatiously floral incarnation” of Hendrick’s designed for day-casions. This bottle winded up becoming the third bestselling super premium gin globally within a year of its release. While Midsummer Solstice doesn’t technically bear the name of “Cabinet of Curiosities” on its label, the success of an experimental gin bottling of its kind no doubt inspired the brand’s continued enthusiasm for growing the Cabinet of Curiosities line.

We’ve since seen the 2021 release of Lunar, inspired by plants and flowers that bloom in the night, “devised under the waxing crescent”. In addition, the 2022 release of Neptunia – inspired by the glory of the sea and incorporating coastal botanicals. And finally, in 2023, Hendrick’s Flora Adora joined as the latest addition to the Cabinet of Curiosities series. As the name hints at, Flora Adora is designed to evoke memories of “enticing floral bouquet” or a garden in spring time, inspired as it is by Gracie’s love for gardening. 

| Read more: Our review of the Hendrick's Flora Adora.

Only time will tell exactly what new gin elixirs will be unearthed from the Hendrick's Cabinet of Curiosity in the future. They've already done an edition inspired by the sea, the moon, and the garden. If you think about it, these respectively reflect the elements of water, air and earth. Perhaps it's high time for a gin inspired by fire? This author puts worth her wild speculation - you heard it here first! 

One things for sure, though, you can also count on Hendrick's to entice with more eccentric, whimsical botanical combinations. I, for one, can't wait. 

Stay curious!

@lotusroot518