Hendrick’s Leverages On-Premise Strength To Lead Gin’s Super-Premium Tier
March 20, 2025William Grant & Sons’ Hendrick’s gin continues to forge a path forward for super-premium gin, bucking industry and category headwinds. A steady stream of new releases and a decades-long commitment to the on-premise have been hallmarks of the brand’s long-term upswing. In 2024, Hendrick’s rose by 4% to 615,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank, amid an overall decline for the gin category.
Hendrick’s is by far the leader of gin’s super-premium tier of brands priced $25 and over a bottle, which has been outperforming the overall category by a wide margin. According to Impact Databank, the top 10 super-premium gins in the U.S. nearly doubled to a combined 1.3 million cases from 2019-2024. While that growth has been shared among a number of up and coming brands, Hendrick’s accounted for more than one-quarter of the gains, expanding by 163,000 cases—or 36%—since pre-pandemic.
“I think from the very beginning, Hendrick’s was different: How it was made, the look of the bottle,” says Michael Giardina, vice president of marketing for Hendrick’s. “We have this highly distinctive visual world that really stands out and sets the brand apart.”
Innovation continues to be integral to Hendrick’s upward trajectory. The brand’s limited releases are a way for distiller Lesley Gracie to shape what fits into the Hendrick’s brand. In addition, the new releases build momentum in the on- and off-premise. “Gin isn’t really a well understood category in the U.S. and a lot of people don’t necessarily like that London Dry, juniper-heavy style,” notes Giardina. “This creates a new entryway into the category with different exciting flavors and stories.”
This year’s limited edition, Oasium, builds on the flagship gin’s cucumber- and rose-forward flavor profile with additional citrus and fruit notes. It’s now available across the U.S. for a limited time for a suggested price of $40 a 750-ml.
Looking ahead, Giardina says the brand will continue extending its focus on the on-premise and connecting with consumers through events and other in-person marketing strategies. “The pillars that Hendrick’s has been built on are experiences in the on-trade,” he says. “We try to give unusual, different, fun experiences that engage people and bring them into our world. Then we support that with media on top.”—Shane English
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