Once in a Blue Moon: Hendrick’s Releases Limited-Edition Lunar Gin

It’s time to cheers to the unusual with Hendrick’s Gin. The much-loved gin brand has just unveiled Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, a small batch, limited release gin conjured up from the oddities in Ms Lesley Gracie’s Cabinet of Curiosities at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace.

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is the latest limited-edition release from the brand and follows in the footsteps of Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice and Hendrick’s Orbium. Legend says this unusual gin was conceived beneath the celestial light of the moon. It yields an alluring complexity and a delightful warmth, which is best suited to refreshing sundowners, night-sipping, moon gazing and other sensible modes of contemplation.

The Hendrick’s Lunar Gin bottle retains the distinctive Hendrick’s shape, evocative of Victorian apothecary jars, yet the colouring is a sophisticated, deep blue reflective of the night sky. The brand iconography of Hendrick’s Lunar Gin includes curious celestial imagery that conjures a feeling of drinking a cocktail under moonlight.

Ms Gracie is known for a spot of midnight gardening and regularly tends to her blossoming collection of botanicals under the influence of moonlight. It was here one moonlit evening, whilst tending to the botanicals in her beloved hothouse, she was inspired to create this refreshingly rich, warm, alluring gin.

Describing the inspiration behind Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, Ms Gracie said: “It’s a feeling. That feeling when it’s a real dark, calm night, there’s a clear sky and the stars are out. I like that feeling and wanted to bottle that sensation of sharing stories under the stars. In the still of the night, you can get all sorts of smells, there are certain flowers that only release their scent under the light of the moon. There is a peculiar sensory attachment to scents at night, your body doesn’t react to aromas in the same way as during daylight, the darkness changes things, including how you respond to those around you, everything feels different at night.”

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin is an intriguing combination of the refreshing, the warm and the floral and is designed to be shared and savoured of an evening as the sun goes down, and the moon charges the sky. While this new Hendrick’s creation celebrates the beauty of the floral gin trend that continues to grow; the beauty of this gin is all about evoking a moment, rather than focusing on one specific ingredient.

This unusual gin offers a slightly different take on the classic Hendrick’s gin and is rich with night-blooming floral essence, offering a delicate balance of warm baked spices, and finished with a crisp burst of citrus. Sipping on Hendrick’s Lunar you’ll get surprisingly spice-led, but mellow notes of juniper, lemongrass and rosewater, while a touch of orange flesh develops in the background. It finishes off with honeysuckle flowers, musky rose, and a touch of Hendrick’s signature fresh cucumber.

If you love floral gins, then Hendrick’s Lunar Gin will be right up your alley. As with many of Hendrick’s Gin offerings, Lunar Gin is a superb mixer, even with its floral notes, it can be used in almost any gin cocktail with great-tasting results. The spicy, juniper heart makes it ideal for a Negroni but Lunar Gin is at its best in a simple gin and tonic, especially garnished with a lemon twist to elevate the subtle citrus character in the gin.

Hendrick’s Lunar Gin will be available in leading bottle stores from September at a RRP of R499,95 for 750ml.