The Whimsical and Wonderful World of Hendricks Gin

Of eccentricity, obscurity and dapper apothecary. Hendricks Gin is practically a parallel verse of Alice in Wonderland in a bottle. Let’s just say that Mad Hatter would totally approve of a bottle of Hendricks Gin at his tea party. He would look into the bottle of Hendrick's Gin and exclaim “ what a small world this is” - Mad Hatter, 'Alice In Wonderland'.

So just how whimsical can Hendrick’s Gin be? Join us today, on a curious adventure into the whimsical and wonderful world of Hendricks Gin. 

The Peculiar Palace of Hendricks Gin

First stop, the peculiar palace of Hendrick’s Gin, where all the magic lies. Located within the grounds of one of Scotland’s most prestigious grain whisky distilleries, Girvan. The palace houses a rather unusual assemblage of traditional “bennet” style and rarer “Carterhead” style distillation. 

Chamber of Oddity - Bennet and Carterhead 

The leaders of this ensemble are a contrasting pair of copper stills that distils the same botanicals differently. The Bennett steeps the botanicals in spirit prior to distillation overnight to yield a rich and complex liquid. On the contrary, Cartershead imparts its influence upon the spirit by way of a botanical steam bath, gently streaming the botanicas in a basket atop its lofty neck. The harmonious combination of the two stills is what creates an unusually smooth gin with the required character and a balance of subtle flavours.

Palace Queen / Master Distiller - Ms Lesley Gracie

Every drop of Hendrick’s consumed around the world has flowed through the stills contained within the palace under the watchful eye of Master Distiller, Ms Lesley Gracie and her toiling team of 10. Each batch of Hendrick’s Gin is crafted in small batches, only 500 litres at a time to retain careful artistry and its utterly delectable taste.

While the palace is the heart of Hendrick’s Gin, there are more mind-bending places to explore in this wonderland such as the garden of unusual cultivates.

The Garden of Unusual Cultivates

A typical London dry style gin is spirit infused with four botanicals - Juniper, coriander seeds, a root (usually angelica) and a citrus peel. But as you might have guessed, four botanicals would not fit the fancy and fabulous recipe of Henrick’s Gin. 

Eleven Wondrous Botanicals

The Hendricks Gin is infused with eleven botanicals consisting of flowers, roots, fruits and seeds from the world over. These wondrous botanical selection functions to complement and set the stage for a duet infusion of Bulgarian rose petal and cucumber - Odd is the word for Hendrick’s selection of botanicals but odd is marvellous, highly influential and instrumental. Read on to find out why!

Hendrick’s Grow Your Own Cuke (GYOC)

(Image courtesy from thedrinksbusiness)

In the March of 2021, Hendrick’s challenged the members of the drinks trade to grow their very own cucumbers. The campaign was to raise funds for the hospitality industry charity, The Drinks Trust, which has provided support to thousands of industry workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The brand invited over 150 drinks professionals working in the hospitality industry to take on the challenge and will donate £10 for every first sprout, £20 for every first flower and £30 for every first cucumber grown during the competition. 

The competition eventually culminates in a virtual Cucumber Cultivation Celebration, with awards given for the wonkiest cucumber and the cucumber with the most personality, among others. So many quirks and rippling goodness stemming from the unusual cultivates of Hendrick’s Gin. 

Now, if you are ready for more madness, let’s jump down the rabbit hole and explore Hendrick’s very own parallel universe, the occult orbium world.

The Parallel Universe of Hendricks - Obrium World

(Image courtesy from Timeout London)

Orbium is a strange new world inspired by Hendrick’s newest spirit in 2019. The name Orbium is the plural of Orbis, Latin for circle. It refers to Ms Leslie Gracie's description of the spirit’s journey since it combines ingredients from all over the world. 

A New Gin Expression

The Orbium flavoured with quinine, wormwood and lotus was touted as a new gin expression of what a classic Hendrick’s gin would taste like in a “parallel universe”. And in that spirit, Hendrick’s created an immersive activation inviting guests to explore their strange new world. The experience includes dropping into a miniature world full of teeny-tiny objects and mini martinis, a foliage and fog maze and three free vexing to the mind but heavenly on the palate cocktail at the end of the experience. 

In all this, we see the art of juxtaposition mastered like no other. The only thing predictable about this brand is that they will not fail to blow your mind - in a good and quirky way. After all, the usual happens again and again and again. And at Hendrick’s, it is always about inviting their guests to drop the conventional and embrace the delectable.

Clinic of Absurdly Curious Remedies

When it comes to advice for the soul, you can definitely count on them for odd and absurdly helpful advice. Here is one classic Hendrick’s advice.

If life gives you lemons, yet your favourite gin tastes better with cucumbers, make lemonade. A smart way to convey that the classic Hendrick’s is the gin you need when the going gets tough and at the same time, this notion parallels with the familiar adage of a gin a day keeps the doctor away.

Of course, as an emblem of all things odd, curious and peculiar, you will always be reminded to drop the conventional and embrace the delectable. 

There are more verses to travel in the world of Hendricks Gin and one article will not be able to cover it all. But we would like to take you to one last stop. The moon!

Hendrick’s on the Moon

(Image courtesy from Hendrick’s Web)

The Lunar Gin is Hendrick’s latest and limited creation and it was launched with a tone of celestial importance. A piece of cosmic news that Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, like the moon itself, is now going to come into our orbit and be enjoyed around the world.

Once in a Blue Moon

A once in a blue moon release, the lunar gin was devised under a waxing crescent by Ms Lesley Gracie. Meant for slow sipping, fanciful conversations and other contemplative pleasures.

Oddly refined, deeply contemplative there is no better definition for the brand of Hendrick’s except a spectacular source of untamed peculiarity and monumental magic. The magic never ends and it is now up to you to continue your adventure with Hendrick’s at your own curious time.

A Voyage of Marvelousness

To our fellow pilgrims, thank you for having joined us on this peculiar adventure. Our introductory voyage of marvelousness stops here, but yours have just begun. 

If fate favours you, you will soon be able to get hold of a bottle of Hendricks, look into it and maybe see what the mad hatter would have seen. When you do, we hope you allow your curiosity to fully lure you into the whimsical and wonderful world of Hendricks.

Before you go, we at cellarbration would like to let you in on a little secret that would give you a boost on your next voyage. If you are looking to get yourself a bottle of Hendricks, or a ticket to wonderland; we offer the best prices for all our products and provide free alcohol delivery for all you curious people who purchase anything that adds up to $99 or more. May good fortune find you in your next adventure!