With summer here, Hendrick’s Gin has created South Africa’s most peculiar gin cocktail experience, the “something marvellously unusual” valued at R40 000!
To celebrate the start of the Gin O’Clock summer season, the world’s most unusual premium, small batch, and hand-crafted gin, Hendrick’s Gin, has created South Africa’s most peculiar and expensive cocktail experience, valued at R40 000 each. Created in conjunction with other unusual, premium, small batch, and hand-crafted brands – Ardmore Ceramic Art, Barker and Quin Tonic Water, and Svalbardi Polar Iceberg Water – only three of these cocktails will be produced and will be available to buy exclusively from the Oyster Box in uMhlanga, the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, and Marble in Johannesburg from 1 November.
The Something Marvellously Unusual cocktail experience comprises primarily of the elixir and is served in one of only three bespoke and one-of-a-kind ceramic goblets, created by the world-renowned ceramic art manufacturers Ardmore Ceramic Art and inspired by the animal illustrations found within the Hendrick’s Gin brand.
The liquid is a multi-layered sensory expedition. Hendrick’s Gin is mixed with a vermouth that has been hand-crafted using a Klein Constantia Vin De Constance wine, a variety of rare and expensive botanicals and spices, and fortified using Hennessey XO.
This is then combined with a specially crafted batch of tonic water made by Barker and Quin that was developed specifically for this cocktail. This tonic water comprises of a variety of South African botanicals, and is made using Svalbardi Polar Iceberg Water – the purest water in the world. The tonic water is housed in specially crafted tonic water bottles that were created by Consol to perfectly compliment the Hendrick’s Gin bottle.
The “Something Marvellously Unusual” cocktail recipe was developed by Hendrick’s master mixologist Marson Strydom, and comprises a variety of ingredients that are both unusual and rare. The cocktail is an extremely unusual take on the Hendrick’s and Tonic, with various builds that makes it exceptional; the cocktail’s flavour notes are Rose and Cucumber, the two flavours perfectly infused into Hendrick’s Gin, but further includes the flavours of Wild Fig and Pine Needles, that takes the flavour to a place that cocktails have not yet explored.
Shaun Stemmett, brand manager for Hendrick’s Gin South Africa, says the launch of the Hendrick’s Gin O’Clock summer season is the perfect opportunity to showcase the unusual and premium nature of Hendrick’s Gin.
“This summer we are once again bringing the Hendrick’s Gin O’Clock experience to South Africa, with 40 bars and restaurants participating, serving a selection of Hendrick’s Gin cocktails. In addition, we have also brought back the much-loved Hendrick’s Gin Tea Cup Gift Pack, available from all leading liquour outlets and featuring three different tea cup designs for those gin connoisseurs to collect. The Hendrick’s Gin O’Clock summer cocktails are relatively easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy at home, so why not enjoy them in the teacup of the gift pack.”
“While the Something Marvellously Unusual cocktail experience will only be enjoyed by less than a handful of people, the Hendrick’s Gin official 2018 summer cocktail selection will be available at all participating bars and restaurants. These cocktails include the ever popular and always unusual Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic, The Hendrick’s Gin Buck, The Hendrick’s Orchard Collins, and the Hendrick’s Gin Mule. While these cocktails certainly won’t cost you R40 000, once you’ve tasted them, you would probably agree that they should,” concludes Stemmett with a wry smile.