Hendrick’s Gin

The story of Hendrick’s Gin came to life in the mid-1990s after William Grant & Sons Master Blender David Stewart, a secret gin aficionado, was sitting in his garden one summer day enjoying the quintessential cucumber sandwich admiring the aromas from his rose garden. He wondered if he could create a gin that captured these aromas and flavours. Charles Gordon, a direct descendant of William Grant & Sons founder, William Grant, had also been pondering the creation of a new Scottish Gin. Having previously purchased two rare stills at an auction in 1966, with both stills sitting unassembled in a warehouse for almost 40 years, Charles began work on the original Hendrick’s Gin distillery, which would house the Carter-Head Still dating from 1948 and the even rarer Bennet Still dating from 1860.

Working with Lesley Gracie, who had joined the liquid development team at Girvan in 1988 and had relocated from her native Yorkshire, David and Lesley began work on developing what would eventually become Hendrick’s Gin. Together, they worked through approximately 21 recipes before they arrived at the final botanical combination and an original flavour profile they were both pleased with. Working at the newly finished Hendrick’s Gin Distillery located in the Girvan Grain Distillery, David and Lesley were able to create two separate distillates using the two gin stills, which helped capture some of the more delicate flavours and aroma from the botanicals that would typically end up being destroyed or lost in the distillation process. These two distillates, which feature the same botanicals, but are different in terms of aromas, flavours and mouthfeel due to the different still types, are then blended together to create the final gin.

With the gin recipe finished, this new Scottish Gin from William Grant & Sons would need a name. The story goes that Janet Sheed Roberts, who lived to be the oldest woman in Scotland at 110 years old and the granddaughter of William Grant and Aunt to Charles Gordon, had a gardener at home in Dufftown. The gardener had a peculiar name that always stuck with Janet. The gardener’s name was Hendrick. With its original name, unique flavour profile, and eye-catching Victorian Apothecary-style bottle, Hendrick’s Gin officially launched in 1999.

Fast forward to the present day. From the outside, the Girvan Grain Distillery might easily be mistaken for an industrial factory with towering aluminium containers, a labyrinth of steaming pipework, and the hustle and bustle of people. But look closer from the outside, and you’ll see a rather inconspicuous black wall with a gate. Behind this wall sits the Hendrick’s Gin Palace, which opened in October 2018 and is the brand home of Hendrick’s Gin and all its production. The Gin Palace is now home to two Carter-Head Stills and four Bennet Stills, including the original stills from the old Hendrick’s Gin distillery. Due to the distillation process and time involved each Carter-Head still is paired with two Bennet Stills to ensure all distillations can be run at the same time. Although the stills have been upgraded to include a variety of safety features, all distillation is still carried out manually using traditional methods.

Master Distiller Lesley Gracie can be found at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace perfecting the next Hendrick’s Gin releases, overseeing the production of the signature Hendrick’s Gin. With several liquid development stills available for product development, plus two greenhouses growing an array of tropical botanicals, a bar area and more, the Hendrick’s Gin Palace is truly a place where distillation magic happens.