Hendrick's unveils $23million gin palace

William Grant & Sons has announced it has invested more than $23million to expand the Hendrick's distillery in Ayshire, England.

The Hendrick's Gin Palace is most significant development for the brand since its launch in 1999.

According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, sales of UK gin have doubled in value in the past five years with exports and domestic sales totalling £2.2 billion in the year ending June 16. In June, Hendrick’s hit the one million cases a year sales mark, after reporting 13% growth in 2017.

The new-look Hendrick's distillery will be an institution dedicated to exploration and discovery where Master Distiller, Lesley Gracie (below), will have the creative freedom to experiment and conceive new Hendrick's variants, as well as being the distilling home for the brand.

The Hendrick's Gin Palace features a mysterious and enchanting walled garden, which leads to a magnificent and imposing Victorian inspired palm house. This is flanked by two botanical hot houses used to cultivate unusual botanicals and flora from around the world. There is the inner sanctum that is Gracie's laboratory, which features a flavour library, a lecture theatre that encourages scholarly learnings and a stylish bar.

There are also two stunning new still houses.

"The Hendrick's family of stills has flourished and now stands at a proud six - four Bennett stills including the original antique copper pot still hailing from 1860 and three precise replicas," Hendrick's notes. "And two Carter Heads including one original constructed in 1948 and one exact reproduction. The new stills have been active for almost a year producing the same delicious liquid that tastes exactly like Hendrick's did on the day it was launched." 

William Grant & Sons said the investment is "a reflection of the confidence and excitement it has in the future of Hendrick's".

"Innovation has always been in the brand's DNA. It spearheaded the global gin boom and it created and continues to leads the super-premium gin category," it said.

Gracie added: "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. 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."

Pamela Selby, the Global Brand Director for Hendrick's, concluded: "The Hendrick's Gin Palace in its design and experience, is intended to inspire curiosity, open minds and serve as a platform for invention. 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 ginaissance and leading role it has played ever since."