Because of the wave of various new gins that sweep across the country’s bars almost every weekend you might be forgiven for thinking that there are gins with little heritage.
Craft gin makers go to great lengths to create a backstory and history to fit their spirit and their brand when it hits the bar shelves. It’s often elaborate and complex tales of how the gin started and the foraging that led to the finished product.
Hendricks actually has quite an interesting story (which is true) and there might be more than it’s history you were unaware of
Hendricks Gin wasn't born yesterday
Hendrick’s Gin launched in 1999/2000 and was one of the spirits at the forefront of the gin revolution. It actually took two decades to develop the distillation and get the flavour notes that we know can taste in Hendrick’s
Hendricks is not from SA
The name sounds like it has deep roots in South Africa and was named after an Afrikaans man, but it wasn’t. Hendricks is a product of William Grants & Sons and has its origins in Scotland. The name helps give it gravitas in the SA market, but it’s definitely a proudly Scottish gin from the Girvan Distillery in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Treasury of Tipples - Mr Macawbers Hot Gin Punch - pic supplied
It’s all about girl power
The Master Distiller of Hendrick’s Gin is Lesley Gracie who has been there since day one is the lady behind the juniper. It was Gracie who over two decades developed the gin and the distillation process. She worked in the Technical Team for William Grant and Sons for 27 years before embarking on the creating the botanical mix for Hendrick’s
There’s a lot more than juniper berries in Hendrick’s
Hendrick’s Gin Global Brand Ally Martin says there are some of their secrets they can share publicly. “We add three extra elements to Hendrick’s which is spice, floral notes and green notes.” He says amongst ingredients, the carroway seeds add the spice, elder flower and camomile the floral notes and yarrow the green notes.