HENDRICK’S GRAND CABARET LAUNCHES A DECADENT GIN FOR FREE SPIRITED SOULS

MARCH 2024: Hendrick’s GRAND CABARET is a new limited release gin for dreamers, artists and free-spirited souls. It is inspired by a historic fruit-based libation that was in vogue in Paris in the early 20th Century.

Imbued with untamed exuberance and poetry, Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret boasts a rich ensemble of bright flavours that seduce the senses. It’s designed to appeal to free spirited souls seeking a wildly indulgent, yet altogether refreshing spirit for their glorious gatherings. The exquisitely extravagant expression will be the biggest release yet from Hendrick’s Cabinet of Curiosities and will be available in over 50 markets internationally.

Hendrick’s Master Distiller, Lesley Gracie, was inspired after reading about a stone fruit eau de vie that was served with a dash of gin and scented with rose, which gained popularity at fashionable Parisian parties in the early 1900s. This eau de vie was in turn inspired by a 17th Century revelation: the distilling of stone fruit yielded a wildly indulgent tasty portion.

Lesley has long been tantalised by the notion of experimenting with unusual combinations of botanical fruits, and yet this was the first time she’s selected stone fruits to anchor a rich cabaret of flavours in a gin. Pirouettes of decadent stone fruit share the stage with sweet herbs and make for an elegant sensory feast that is deliciously indulgent and yet as light as silk. The result is a decadently delicious, pleasure-seeking expression of Hendrick’s that’s ideal to add a refreshing elegance to glorious gatherings together.

Hendrick’s Master Distiller, Lesley Gracie, comments: “I’m always looking for inspiration, and this time I found it leafing through historical recipes for stone fruit spirits, eaux de vies, peach schnapps, cherry liqueurs and the like way back when those indulgent stone fruit flavours were really the ‘in thing’ for those that had the means to celebrate in spectacular style. So I played around and found that when you put these different stone fruit flavours together they give you a really nice rich depth of flavour with a great brightness and lightness. I added sweet herbs to round the vibrant fruit out. It’s the first time I’ve experimented with stone fruits in Hendrick’s Gin and I love how it adds a decadent depth of flavour and yet still has the signature refreshing lightness of Hendrick’s too.”

Ally Martin, Hendrick’s Global Brand Ambassador, adds: “It’s fascinating to dig deep into cocktail history and see what flavour combinations were captivating creative minds in Paris at the turn of the 20th Century. It seems that stone fruit flavours, rose scents and gin were a magical combination in the most opulent of establishments, and who better to deftly combine these flavours today into a ravishingly fruity spirit than Hendrick’s Master Distiller, alchemist and liquid poet, Lesley Gracie.

“This is a bright, bold gin that has a rich depth and layers of flavour and yet is still refreshing and light – it’s ideal in a Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret and Tonic. If you want to be a little more fancy, the  Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret Royale is an indulgent way to toast tantalising celebrations and combines Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret, cranberry, lime and a touch of sugar syrup which is topped with Champagne or sparkling wine for added decadence.”

The Hendrick’s GRAND CABARET bottle bursts onto the scene with a luxurious purple hue, and the signature apothecary bottle is adorned with an eclectic mix of intriguing icons, including a stunning chandelier – a nod to the extravagant gatherings which inspired the liquid’s creation.

 

HENDRICK’S GRAND CABARET LIQUID OVERVIEW

AROMA

The classic juniper character of Hendrick’s Gin is enhanced by the natural soft sweetness and bright fruitiness of deliciously decadent stone fruit which complements and accentuates the freshness of our signature cucumber notes.

 

TASTE

A cabaret of stone fruit flavours seduces with wild waves of light, fruity freshness that is rounded out by sweet aromatic herbs for a deliciously smooth, distinctly different, fragrantly fruity finish.

 

HENDRICK’S GRAND CABARET ROYALE RECIPE:

Ingredients:

30ml Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret

30ml Cranberry juice

15ml Lime juice

15ml simple syrup

Top with Champagne or sparkling wine

Garnish with a cucumber slice and orange peel

Method:

Combine ingredients in a champagne glass and top with Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with a cucumber slice and orange peel.

 

 

ABOUT LESLEY GRACIE

Lesley Gracie is the master distiller at Hendrick’s Gin. With a background in chemistry, Lesley’s genius lies in her fascination with flavours and how they work together. She visualises flavours as shapes and strikes to create a round, balanced expression in all of her elixirs. In 1999, Lesley was approached by the great grandson of William Grant, Charles Gordon, to create an ‘ultra-premium’ gin which was to become Hendrick’s. Lesley was appointed as the master distiller and went on to spearhead the development of this most unusual Hendrick’s Gin and is responsible for the creation of all of Hendrick’s liquid innovations. Over the past two decades, Lesley Gracie has amassed an array of botanicals, distillates, and experimental liquids which are housed in a locked cabinet – known as the Cabinet of Curiosities – in her laboratory at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace. In 2018, she was awarded ‘Gin Distiller of the Year’ by the World Gin Awards in recognition of her ground-breaking work. In 2021, she was inducted into the Gin Magazine Hall of Fame in honour of her contributions to the gin world and her record of continually crafting new, innovative expressions that push the boundaries of gin creation.

 

ABOUT HENDRICK’S GIN

HENDRICK’S GIN is a delicious, super premium gin that’s made with a number of unusual twists to deliver a most curious drinking arrangement. Unlike ordinary gins, HENDRICK’S GIN is distilled in Scotland in batches of only 500 litres at a time. Only HENDRICK’S GIN is made with infusions of cucumber and rose petals, alongside a blend of 11 botanicals, to produce a wonderfully refreshing gin with a delightful floral aroma. HENDRICK’S GIN is crafted using two utterly dissimilar stills – a rare Carterhead and an antique Bennett copper pot still – to create a divinely smooth gin that is simultaneously light and complex.

 

ABOUT WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

William Grant & Sons Holdings Ltd. is an independent, family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the global premium spirits company is owned by the sixth generation of his family and distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt, Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie®, a range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch, Grant’s®, as well as other iconic spirits brands, such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry®, Tullamore D.E.W.® Irish Whiskey, Monkey Shoulder® and Drambuie®.