Skip to main content

Hendrick’s: The Gin for the Flavor Connoisseur

It’s enough to get people in a tizzy. The argument over who makes the world’s best gin. After all, this is not flavorless vodka we are talking about. Maybe you’d get an angry retort from a Moscovite for saying such a thing. But gin is a connoisseur’s spirit. From artisanal brands to old mainstays, the colorless liquid has a rabid following among liquor aficionados. But with so many bad, cheap gins on the market, how is one to choose the best for dirty martinis or more fanciful concoctions? Mainstays such as Tanqueray and Bombay have a lead in market share but Scottish brand, Hendrick’s, with its unique flavor profile, has become one of the top choices for the more discerning gin drinker.

It all starts at the distillery in Girvan, Scotland. The small town on the country’s southwest coast is known for windswept fields of green as well as for Glenfiddich whiskey. While the whiskey distillery is massive and employs a large number of people, the botanical-rich Hendrick’s is crafted by master distiller Lesley Gracie at the site of a former munitions factory. Since 1999, Gracie has been creating the unique gin in small batches via two stills: a Carter-Head and a Bennett. Like twin siblings, the stills have to work in tandem. The Carter-Head bathes the botanicals while the Bennett boils them. Gracie sources only the finest botanicals from around Europe.

Recommended Videos

Hendrick’s is the only gin on the market that uses 11 different botanicals in its creation. There’s the requisite juniper berries as well as earthy coriander, angelica and orris root, lemon peel, chamomile, cubeb berries, orange peel, yarrow, carroway seeds and elderflower. Cucumber essence and rose oil are added to the finished product. The roots and seeds are kept in compact, wooden boxes near the distillery entrance. Sinking your hands into the various botanicals is a treat for four of the five senses. The fifth sense gets its due with each sip of the finished product.

Most gin aficionados love their gin martinis but I am partial to the English Garden. Perfect for the lazy days of late summer.

English Garden

one shot Hendrick’s Gin

splash of lime juice

splash of St. Germain

top off with pressed apple juice

pour over ice and garnish with cucumber slices

Shandana A. Durrani
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Shandana A. Durrani has been a magazine editor and travel writer for more than two decades. Her work has appeared in numerous…
World Whiskey Society is collaborating with Ducks Unlimited on two new whiskeys
World Whiskey Society is partnering with Ducks Unlimited for its new releases
World Whiskey Society

We've often written about releases from the World Whiskey Society. This is because the brand launches unique and interesting whiskeys sourced from all corners of the globe. Its newest releases are no different. That's right, instead of launching one new whiskey, it's dropping a pair of straight bourbons made in collaboration with Ducks Unlimited.
World Whiskey Society and Ducks Unlimited

For those unaware, Ducks Unlimited is a non-profit organization known for conserving North American wetlands, grasslands, and waterfowl habitats.World Whiskey Society is pairing with the organization to launch The Ducks Unlimited Special Edition 10-Year-Old Kentucky Bourbon and The Ducks Unlimited Shotgun.

Read more
These cocktails celebrate bees and their crucial place in the food system
Bees play a vital role in our food system as pollinators
cocktails for the bees 240918 rsh 13869

A cocktail menu for the bees? That's the case at Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval, a lounge in Chicago which brings together flavors from Japan and Peru, which will feature a special menu for Earth Month called Viva Abejas. Running from March 25 to April 22, the menu highlights the important role that bees play in our food ecosystem by acting as pollinators.

The menu uses bee-centric ingredients like orange blossom honey, Alma Finca Orange Liqueur, and blood orange, found in both cocktails and food, and the program is supporting education and initiatives like The World Bee Project. You can get a sneak peek of the kinds of delicious recipes found for Viva Abejas season with the two cocktails shared below.

Read more
The best steaks to cook sous vide for perfect doneness every time
The best steaks for sous vide: Perfect cuts, cooking times, and tips
Chef preparing sous vide steak

Sous vide cooking has taken the guesswork out of making steak. Though I have learned how to make steak over the years, it doesn't mean that I'm not going to use a cheat sheet if it makes the process smoother. I enjoy being able to make a meal without worrying about an overcooked exterior with a raw center or a steak that’s tough and dry. We all know that no matter how nice your family and friends are, you're going to get judged if you mess up the steak meal!

With sous vide, you can achieve perfect doneness every time, but the method is only as good as the steak you choose. Not every cut benefits equally from the slow, controlled water bath. Some steaks emerge from sous vide cooking ultra-tender and full of flavor, while others may not deliver the same mouthwatering results. The secret to getting it right starts at the butcher counter. So, what is the best steak to sous vide in the first place? Let's get into it.
The importance of thickness and marbling

Read more