Here’s an amusing tidbit that arrived in the Gintime mailbox this week. Apparently bartenders in Vancouver have come up with loads of special ways to mark the Winter Olympics currently taking place in Canada. At Yew Restaurant + Bar at the Four Seasons, for instance, Justin Taylor and Jordan Moore have created three cocktails commemorating all the Olympic Games held in Canada. So you can have an updated whisky sour for Montreal 1976, a beefed-up Caesar for Calgary 1988 and a cucumber-flavoured Gin Fling (ooh could that possibly be Hendricks?) with a smoked salmon garnish for Vancouver 2010.

For budding athletes Lauren Mote of The Refinery has worked with personal trainer Vaneska Zahuta at VanFit Athletics to create five healthy cocktails with performance-boosting “super foods”. The gin-based “Beet It” has beetroot  juice and rhubarb bitters and is rich with iron, anthocynim, vitamin C and antioxidants. Great way to keep out the cold!

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Gin has come a long way since the days when the horrors of the eighteenth century Gin Madness were depicted in Hogarth’s famous “Gin Lane” with its vivid images of the effects of addiction on London’s population. And no wonder that gin was blamed. Because although at the time gin was drunk by both sexes, women took to gin like ducks to water and the authorities were very concerned about the ability of  gin addled women to give birth to and raise healthy children hence the nickname Mother’s Ruin for gin. They were not wrong – in  the 1720s almost 75% of children born in London never reached five years old. In 1751 nine thousand children died from alcohol poisoning,

A new exhibition at London’s Foundling Hospital featuring Tracey Emin, Matt Collishaw and Paula Rego picks up on contemporary themes of maternal neglect and childhood deprivation so graphically illustrated by Hogarth. In a brilliant demonstration of how much the image of gin has changed Hendricks Brand Ambassador Louis Lewis-Smith has created an exquisite Hendrick’s Gin punch to mark the opening of the new exhibition.

Here’s more about the  Foundling Museum which sits on the site of the old hospital that was founded with Hogarth’s money. It was Britain’s first home for abandoned children and also houses Hogarth’s very own punch bowl. Check it out   here     http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/exhibit_temp.php

The new exhibition is a must see but in the meantime, in the spirit of Hogarth, here’s the Hendricks Gin hommage:

To make:
In a finely decorated punch bowl or tea pot, add Hendrick’s Gin, half again of crème de framboise and half again of fresh lemon juice.  Drop in several sprigs of lavender and numerous slices of cucumber.  Top off with sparkling wine before serving into bone china tea cups.  Wonderfully peculiar and not a cat’s paw in sight.

(or per serving)
40ml Hendrick’s gin
20ml creme de framboise
15ml fresh lemon juice
1 piece of lavender
1 slice of cucumber
dash of sparkling wine

Gorgeous!

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Hendrick’s Gin has just been named “Distiller of the Year” by the prestigious US Wine Enthusiast Magazine, another impressive accomplishment in a great year, which has seen the brand grow in volume by approximately 33%.  The honour was awarded in recognition not only of the tremendous quality of the liquid itself, but also for the revival in the Gin category that Hendrick’s has sparked. The “Distiller of the Year” honour was presented to Hendrick’s Gin as part of the magazine’s annual Wine Star Awards programme at an event on Monday, January 25 at the New York Public Library.

Simon Hunt, President & Managing Director North America, William Grant & Sons accepted the award on behalf of the Hendrick’s Gin US team (pictured below). “We are both thrilled and honored to receive this recognition from such a distinguished publication.” Simon Hunt later said.  “To be acknowledged in this way truly validates the position of Hendrick’s Gin as one of the most exciting spirits on the market today, and shines light on the exciting developments in the Gin category. The honour is especially significant for William Grant & Sons given our distillery tradition with our roots in the Scotch whisky business. It’s wonderful to be continually recognized for the quality of our Single Malts Glenfiddich and The Balvenie but also for another product of Scotland – Hendrick’s Gin!”

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This Valentine’s Day year forget all that silly flowers and chocolate stuff. If you really want to be appreciated by your SO a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin will make far more of an impression. And if you buy it at Selfridges, you’ll receive a special Valentine’s card for you to scribe your affections before parting with the rose petal infused gift of love.

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Those Hendrick’s boys are always thinking up new ways to have fun and the inaugural Hendrick’s Bartender Curling Championship was a great way to make the most of winter weather. A host of the UK’s top bartenders took to the ice to demonstrate their curling skills and the winners were ‘Slippery When Wet’, a team from a mix of London Bars. 

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Gintime was heavily involved at the first Bibulous at Vinopolis and it was a brilliant showcase event for our participating brands – the gorgeous Beefeater 24, Caorunn, Hendrick’s Gin, Martin Millers, Plymouth and The London No. 1. In a supremely glamorous setting Gintime editor Geraldine Coates conducted a Master Class and tasting of our featured gins to an audience made up of bar professionals and interested amateurs. Check out the gorgeous Gin Lane girls’ independent opinion here.

And no we didn’t pay them although we have to say they are our new best friends!

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Hendrick’s Gin have now got the US covered with the appointment of Jon Santer as Hendrick’s Brand Ambassador. Based in San Francisco Jon will be reponsible for the West Coast of the United States of America whilst Jim Ryan in New York has responsibility for the East Coast.

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To great fanfare and general hilarity the Hendrick’s Carriage of Curiosities made its final stop in London’s Manchester Square. We’re delighted to report that Londoners maintained the already high standards of producing curious and unusual objects and were rewarded with vast quantities of Hendrick’s and Tonic. Carriage Host Louis Xavier Smith, Professor David Piper and Assistant of the Absurd, Suzanne Preston, entertained visitors as they arrived. 

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The Hendrick’s Horseless Carriage of Curiosities has begun the final leg of its journey to deliver a delightful experience to Londoners. The Carriage will be at Manchester Square (behind Selfridges) from the 1st to the 4th of October and Hendrick’s is inviting lovers of the peculiar to get their curiosities out of the attic and bring them along to join other oddities in the collection. In return donors will be presented with a delicious Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic, in itself a most curious creation.

At night the Carriage is transformed by an ingenious system of pulleys and levers into a private salon and dining room. The “GRAND DEGU-STATION” menu prepared by Bompas & Parr, culinary creatives and jelly mongers, will be served, accompanied by Hendrick’s cocktails.

Collectors who choose to register their curiosity in advance by uploading a photograph of it with a curious caption at www.hendricksgin.com/carriage will be in with the chance of winning one of eight places at dinner every night. All aboard!

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The gorgeous Opera Quarter Bar and Supper Club (OQB) – the temporary food, art, music and mixology venue in Covent Garden and our Gintime Bar of the Month – closes its doors on 11 August (last day 10 August) so be sure to come down and visit before it disappears forever.  Check out our review at Gintime Bar of the Month. In a last huzzah two fabulous events are scheduled for this week – details below. To book call 02078367825 or Jenny on 02072639304 and anyone in receipt of the Gintime Free Cocktails offer can use it at the Hendricks Vintage Sunday.

Pimms Summer Party at OQB
Thursday 6 august midday to 1230am. 13-15 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PS
Come and join us for delicious jugs of Pimms made by famous mixologists and an indoor picnic. Entry is free and it’s Pimms o’clock all day whether it rains or shines. Free entry.

Hendricks Gin Vintage Sunday at OQB
Sunday 9 august 4pm to 1130pm 1. Join us for our final Sunday with jazz and retro tunes, special guests, all day food and a special Hendricks cocktail. Bring a book or hat to swap you can even enjoy a little vintage dress up with clothes hair and make up styling, old film screenings and interactive art if you’re feeling adventurous. Free entry.

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