Photo: John Paul
Hendrick’s Gin has made a name for itself because of its whimsical and over-the-top television commercials, online ads, and unique flavor profile, including cucumber and rose. Now, the brand officially has a Willy Wonkian, quirky distillery worthy of its identity. They are calling it The Hendrick’s Gin Palace and it’s situated on the western coast of Scotland in Girvan (the main ferry port between Scotland and Northern Ireland).
The brand is a favorite of gin-drinkers and bartenders alike and the new Gin Palace and distillery is worthy of both. An expansion of the original distillery, Master Distiller Lesley Gracie will now have more space and freedom to experiment and create new and exciting offerings. She’ll be able to do all of this in a distillery with twice as much capacity as the previous space.
Photo: John Paul
“I’ve been distilling Hendrick’s for almost 20 years and during that time, my team and I have had the opportunity to explore and experiment on a small scale,” Gracie said in a press release. “However, I’m thrilled and excited to take full advantage of our wonderful new distillery and begin working on a line of experimental liquids, some of which will hopefully blossom into future releases and potential new expressions of Hendrick’s.”
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The new distillery will do more than just stock the shelves with gin. The Hendrick’s Gin Palace is meant to be a “mysterious and enchanting walled garden which leads to a magnificent and imposing Victorian inspired palm house,” according to a press release. Similar to the Bombay Sapphire distillery that opened in Laverstoke, England, a few years ago, the palm house will be surrounded by two botanical hothouses where Gracie and her crew will actually grow some of the ingredients that will be used in future batches of gin.
Photo: John Paul
Gracie’s laboratory is home to a “curious flavor library” that should excite Augustus Gloop to Charlie Bucket and everyone in between. There is also a lecture theater and a bar. The real excitement, though, surrounds the new still houses. The brand now has six stills, including the original copper pot still from 1860, three replicas, and two Carter Head stills.
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“The Hendrick’s Gin Palace, in its design and experience, is intended to inspire curiosity, open minds and serve as a platform for invention,” Pamela Selby, the global brand director for Hendrick’s, said in a press release. “It pulls back the curtain on the wondrous production method and showcases the many layers of Hendrick’s that it has become celebrated for: some humorous, others curiously intellectual, detailed and deeply meaningful. It represents the confidence we have in the brand that helped to kick-start the naissance and leading role it has played ever since.”
