In the Hendrick’s Gin Palace, set on the rugged Ayrshire coast of southwest Scotland, creator and master distiller Ms. Lesley Gracie keeps a cabinet of vials containing all manner of glorious experiments and botanical elixirs. Occasionally, one of these experiments is released from the "Cabinet of Curiosities" and shared with the world. The brand new and limited edition Neptunia was inspired by Ms. Gracie's strolls on their local beaches. Using her background in chemistry and fascination with botanical pairings, she worked to capture the allure of the sea, its sensory delights, and bottle it in a gin named in honor of the goddess of the sea.
Their very fist maritime release, Neptunia joins the ranks of "sea gins", which incorporate fresh sea-song notes courtesy of coastal flora. And in the masterful hands of Hendricks, this bottling has rocketed right up to the top of our list! In this fun and evolving subcategory, many producers add an overt and savory seaweed flavor. For Hendricks, the addition of sea kelp to the botanical mix is a fantastically subtle element, coming off as a dash of sea brine. Of course the signature base botanicals of rose and cucumber are still there, with the sea kelp also joined by coastal thyme's minty, earthy, and peppery flavor, and lime - which adds a bright and crisp citrus finish. While we are sure this one will be enjoyed by all manner of enthusiasts, we can't help but think that while the original Hendrick's was the gateway gin for a generation... Neptunia now picks up that mantle as the gateway into seaside gin!
For an extremely easy and rewarding pour - Neptunia's pop of lime pairs perfectly with tonic, that dash of salinity brightening everything up. Think of it like the bit of salt that makes food taste even more vivid and like itself. From there, cycle through all of your favorite fresh lime cocktails, try a Last Word, a Neptunia Gimlet is heaven, or lengthen with a touch of sparkling water to make a Fizz. Replace the simple syrup in your gimlet with agave syrup for a Hendrick's "Margarita", or get really unusual and split your 2 oz spirit base between Neptunia and your favorite blanco tequila - gin and agave work really well together in cocktails and the herby, citrus, salty, and vegetal elements of this gin are a match made in heaven. We know it's only March, but we're ready to christen this one 'gin of the summer 2022' - get it while you can!
