Hendrick’s Gin

Introduction

Hendrick’s Gin is something special. That’s what the inventors William Grant & Sons say, who are actually more known for good whiskey. They even promise it with slogans like it’s not for everyone that adorns the back of the bottle.

Unlike other gins, Hendrick’s adds extracts of fresh cucumber and Bulgarian rose petals. This results in a surprisingly invigorating gin with a delicious floral nose. It is almost like smelling perfume.

The gin itself appeared relatively recently in 1999, but thanks to good advertising it has already gained worldwide recognition and won several awards. That this gin comes from Scotland is no longer so special, for example there would be the Caoruun gin and The Botanist to name just the best known.

It can be found in shops around the world. At the end of this article we list down the price of Hendrick’s gin from various shops in the USA, UK and Australia where you can order this premium gin online.

Tasting Hendrick’s Gin

The main question in the tasting is why this gin should be so very special. The juniper aroma is sharp and very present. There there is a slightly sweet smell that builds up into an unusual, floral nose, which makes Hendrick’s somewhat of a mild gin. The mildness continues on the palate, as does the lasting notes from the juniper. Towards the end, the rose essence clearly comes into play and the floral taste prevails in addition to very gentle peppery notes.

The finish takes the floral notes with it, but it is short-lived. Though you can still feel the floral notes in your mouth after enjoying the gin.

All in all, a consistent gin but it is difficult to taste the cucumber in it. Perhaps that is why it is recommended to drink Hendrick’s martini or gin & tonic with cucumber, probably one of the most famous peculiarities of this gin.

Matching tonic water for Hendrick’s Gin

Classic tonics such as the Classic Henry Tonic Water or the Fever tree Indian tonic water make a superb G&T with Hendrick’s gin. Even the lighter tonic water or some of the more spicy ones pair well. But try to avoid floral tonics as they do not mix well with Hendrick’s gin’s flavor profile.

Our Recommendations

Thomas Henry Tonic Water
Intense tonic water with a very good balance of fine citrus aromas and emphatically bitter notes. In combination with Hendrick’s gin you can clearly see the gin. The fin flavors of the gin remain clearly present. Served with a piece of cucumber, the flavors of the gin are further emphasized.

Fever Tree Indian Tonic Water
The reserved tonic water with fine citrus aromas gives Hendrick’s Gin the space it needs to make its impact. A pleasant bitter note in the finish makes the combination a strong gin & tonic.

How to drink it

Hendrick’s can be drunk at room temperature, but it’s better served cool. Ice can be added if desired. For serving pure, you can use regular low glasses. You can add a tonic to the gin. In this case, a straw will be appropriate, although a high glass can also be taken. As decoration, Hendrick’s recommends slices of cucumber rather than using citrus peels.

Cocktails with Hendrick’s Gin

Among recommended cocktails are variations on the classic Martini and Negroni. Of course there is Gin and Tonic as well as unique drinks specially invented by Hendrick’s brand ambassadors from around the world. Among the latter, are such small masterpieces as the Leap Year, Gold Rush and Flora Dora. But here are some of our recommendations.

Gin Buck

The taste of the gin itself only plays a subordinate role. But the dry nature of Hendrick’s gin makes it worthwhile in the gin buck cocktail. The combination with ginger ale is highly recommended. View the Gin Buck Cocktail Recipe.

Earl Grey Martini

An absolute delight as rose, cucumber and Earl Grey Tea go along well together. The aromas of the gin no longer come out particularly, but the end result is a nice, round cocktail. View the Earl Grey Martini recipe

Arthur Tompkins

Hendrick’s meets fresh lemon juice and an orange liqueur. An unusual combination that goes well with the unusual gin. View the Arthur Tompkin’s recipe

Raspberry Thyme Smash

Hendrick’s with thyme and fresh raspberries is a great combination, perfect for summers. View the recipe

Leap Year Cocktail

Made by this gin’s ambassador Duncan McRae, this cocktail adds to the sweet rose aromas through the addition of red Martini and mango. View Leap Year cocktail recipe.

Gold Rush Cocktail

Another gin and mango concoction, with notes of sweet elderberry. Not a bad way to mark the coming of spring, is it? View the recipe here.

Gin and Tonic

Pour 50 ml Hendrick’s gin and 200 ml Schweppes Original Tonic into a chilled glass. Add 2 cucumbers slices and some dried rose petals into the glass. This is the classic Gin Tonic recipe with Hendrick’s.

The classic Tom Collins is also a possibility. You can read its recipe in this article about Monkey 47 gin.

What is it made from?

Hendrick’s is made from 11 different types of plant spices. Fragrant coriander seeds, invigorating ginger, lemon and wormwood are brought in from Eastern Europe and Morocco. Juniper berries from Italy give an exotic, spicy and bittersweet taste. Musky and sweet angelica root from France and Belgium binds together the other flavors. They also have healing and protective properties. The intricate blend of the drink is completed by the Orris root.

You may also like to read upon the broader topic of what all gin is made from.

History of Hendrick’s gin

It all started when in 1966, William Grant’s great-grandson, Charles Gordon, purchased two rare distillation units: a rather rare Carter apparatus from 1948 and an old Bennett distillation still made in the almost a century ago in 1860. For nearly 33 years, employees of this distillery kept returning to the question of the practical use of the above purchases. It was then that Leslie Gracie was invited to the company. Her botanical experiments were distinguished by extraordinary courage and freedom as compared to generally accepted stereotypes. As a result, after 11 years of hard work and numerous experiments, Hendrick’s gin appeared. It struck the world with its unusual-ness and made it’s distillers as venerable experts in the art of distillation.

How is Hendrick’s gin produced?

Hendrick’s is the only gin that distills in two copper distillation stills, first in the so-called Carter Head, and then in Bennet Still. Despite using the same botanical mix, alcohol of different quality is obtained in these different distillation columns.

The Carter distillation still, one of the few that has survived to this day, was built in 1948, and carefully restored in the ‘Hendrick’s Gin Distillery’ by local boilers. Due to the fact that the ingredients gently ‘bathe’ in pairs rather than boil, a magnificent light, soft, citrus alcohol is obtained.

The second device was invented in London in 1860, and is one of the oldest distillation devices that is in operation today. The botanicals are cooked in it, giving the alcohol an extraordinary depth of aromas and complexity of character. Combining alcohol from these two distillation stills in proportions known only to the master of blends, we get an exceptionally soft gin with a harmonious palette and character.

The strength of this drink for domestic use is 41.4%. The export version reaches 44% alcohol. If you are interested in learning about Beefeater gin, then read here.

Awards and Accolades

Since the launch of Hendrick’s gin , this drink has received many prestigious awards at international competitions, including: Gold medals at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition (2000 and 2004) ; titles: Gin of the Year Food and Wine Magazine 2003 , The Best Gin in the World by the Wall Street Journal. 

Hendrick’s is prepared by hand and in small batches of 450 liters, in Scotland. The smaller the batch, the more carefully the master blender can control distillation and blending processes.

Hendrick’s Gin Price

A 750 ml bottle of Hendricks sells for about $33 in the USA, £30 in the UK and AU$80 in Australia. That is lower than the Monkey 47 gin price. But higher than Beefeater’s price which sells for $17 per 750 ml. It is also much higher than the sale price of Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray gin.

Below are Hendrick’s gin prices from various stores.

Price in Different Stores