The Girvan Grain Distillery in Scotland houses a rather inconspicuous red brick building. The bricks are stained with decades of being beaten by the local costal weather. It’s only when you spy the wooden sign on the wall and the two wooden doors are folded back that you get a glimpse of copper and realise this building houses something marvellous.
In 1999 William Grant & Sons decided to embark on a new venture and create a new Scottish Gin. With the help of their Malt Master David Stewart and Lesley Gracie, they developed a unique and innovative recipe that was inspired by the humble cucumber sandwich and floral accents of the traditional country garden. After 21 distillations and various tweaks, Lesley was happy with the new creation – Hendrick’s Gin.
Still produced in 500 litre batches, Hendrick’s Gin is the marriage of two different spirits from two rare and unusual stills: the Bennet still (built 1860) and the Carter-Head still (built 1948). By combining the two spirits produced in each still and the infusion of the remarkable Bulgarian Rosa Damascena and specially selected cucumbers from the finest producers, the result is an extraordinarily smooth gin that has the required character and balance of subtle flavours.
Key Botanical(s): Bulgarian Rosa Damascena, Cucumber
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 41.4% vol
Goes great with: Three slices of cucumber, tonic and ice.
Released as part of master distiller Lesley Gracie’s 'Cabinet of Curiosities', Neptunia Gin was inspired by the Scottish coastline beside the Hendrick’s Gin Palace and distillery. The gin uses the classic Hendrick’s Gin as a base, which is layered with flavours of locally sourced coastal botanicals including sea kelp and coastal thyme. Additional lime has been combined to create a gin that’s reminiscent of Hendrick’s Gin with freshness and floral carefully balanced with herbaceous notes of the Scottish coast.
Key Botanical(s): Bulgarian Rosa Damascena, Cucumber, Sea Kelp, Coastal Thyme
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 43.4% vol
Goes great with: A slice of cucumber, tonic and ice.
Another expression released as part of master distiller Lesley Gracie’s 'Cabinet of Curiosities', inspired by Lesley’s evenings spent tending to the botanicals growing in the Hendrick’s Gin Palace greenhouses. The flavour profile is described as distinctly floral with a delicate spicy finish with the aroma of night-scented flowers and a subtle, refreshing burst of citrus.
Key Botanical(s): Juniper, Cucumber, Floral Essence
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 43.4% vol
Goes great with: A slice of cucumber and sprinkling of black pepper, tonic and ice.
Released as part of master distiller Lesley Gracie’s 'Cabinet of Curiosities', both small batch and limited edition, this gin was inspired by “mysterious and ephemeral delights” of floral blooms during the summer solstice. Based around the original Hendrick’s gin base but infused with floral essences and flavours, a flavour profile created to capture the “aromatic intensity of a midsummer day”. Each floral essence was carefully selected by Lesley including orange blossom, roses and other floral tones.
Key Botanical(s): Orange Blossom, Roses
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 43.4% vol
Goes great with: A slice of cucumber, orange twist, tonic and ice.
The fourth limited edition expression released as part of master distiller Lesley Gracie’s “Cabinet of Curiosities”, Hendrick’s Flora Adora was inspired by the flowers and fauna growing near the Hendrick’s Gin Palace. Head distiller Lesley Gracie was fascinated by the pollenating insects who preferred some flowers and plants over others. It was these flowers and plants that ended up as the key botanicals that feature in this Hendrick’s Gin expression, with notes of fresh florals and herbaceous greens. Juniper and coriander are still present, along with subtle hints of the original Hendrick's Gin, resulting in a Scottish Gin that is unmistakably Hendrick's at its heart, with a new floral twist.
Key Botanical(s): Yarrow, Rose, Orris Root
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 43.4% vol
Goes great with: A slice of cucumber, tonic and ice.
In addition to the classic rose and cucumber flavours, this limited release gin contains some new botanicals: quinine, typically found in tonic water, wormwood, found in vermouth mixed for Martinis and finally, blue lotus blossom, which adds vivid floral notes and contains a psychoactive alkaloid aporphine, which was thought to have been used medicinally by the Mayans and Ancient Egyptians. With its woody and floral complexity, Orbium makes a magnificent gin and tonic or Martini.
Key Botanical(s): Quinine, Wormwood, Blue Lotus Blossom
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 43.4% vol
Goes great with: A slice of cucumber, tonic and ice.
Hendrick’s Amazonia Gin, a Duty Free retail exclusive, was inspired by head distiller Lesley Gracie’s visit to South America in 2013. It was here she met not only Mr Charles Brewer-Carías, one of the world’s most respected explorers, she was also introduced to a host of fascinating flora and fauna. Based on the classic Hendrick’s Gin recipe, which includes cucumber and rose, this expression also uses flora from the Amazon to create a gin that’s tropical and bright with a carefully balanced blend of fruit and floral whist retaining notes of the classic Hendrick’s Gin profile. Exploring the Amazon rainforest and jungles of Venezuela, the experience left a lasting impression that inspires Lesley to this day. For every bottle sold, One Tree Planted, a non-profit organisation, will plant tree in the Amazon.
Key Botanical(s): Bulgarian Rosa Damascena, Cucumber, Amazonian Flora
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 43.4% vol
Goes great with: Sliced cucumber, a pineapple cube, tonic and ice.
Opened in September 2018, the Hendrick’s Gin Palace is a place of work, wonder and fun. Situated within the William Grant & Sons Girvan Grain Distillery, the Hendrick’s Gin Palace features two still houses and six stills including four Bennet stills and two Carter-Head stills. The Gin Palace also features a laboratory for experimentation and innovation and two victorian-style greenhouses used to grow and nurture botanicals for possible use in future Hendrick’s Gin expressions. Distillery tours are by invitation only and the Gin Palace is not open to the public.
Tour: No
Shop: No
Booking: Not open to the public
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