Maybe Sammy is serving up Hendrick’s Gin Martini that it helped to develop that will raise money to support the hospitality industry as it gets back on its feet.

For the first 12 months post release, $1 from every bottle of Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martini – served in bar or as a to-go offering – will be donated to William Grant & Sons StandFast fund.

Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martini was crafted by Hendrick’s Master Distiller Lesley Gracie in collaboration with the Maybe Sammy team and four other top international bars: Brujas, (Mexico), Nauticus (Scotland), Nutmeg & Clove (Singapore) and Yaldy (Germany). 

It’s part of a new super-premium ready-to-pour bottled cocktails developed by William Grant & Sons Master Distillers, which includes Monkey Shoulder Lazy Old Fashioned, Reyka Rhubarb Cosmopolitan, Glenfiddich Scotch Manhattan and a Hendrick’s Gin Martini. 

Gracie has also long been fascinated with wormwood, the chief botanical in vermouth, and has been playing with her own Hendrick’s vermouth concoction for quite some time. To make a bottled version of the king of cocktails, she sought the expert inputs of top bars from around the world and worked collaboratively with them to finesse the final recipe.  

Each bar developed three variations of a Hendrick’s Martini, exploring unusual ingredients that were often unique to their location. Inspired by these creations, Gracie and Global Ambassador Ally Martin drew from the best of the different flavour elements that were presented and developed the Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martini, seeking feedback from the bars at every step.

Luke Sanderson, Hendrick’s Gin Brand Ambassador, said: “The hospo industry has been hit hard and we wanted to do something to help the bartending community get back on their feet and feel connected once again. I can think of no more pleasurable way to support our industry friends than sipping on a perfect Hendrick’s Gin Martini – made in collaboration with Maybe Sammy, one of the best bars for martinis you’ll find in the world.” 

Gracie said, “I worked closely with some of the very best martini-making bars in the world, taking inspiration from what they do and translating it into something you can easily pour at home that’s fresh, floral, round and smooth like Hendrick’s. The whole process of developing this drink was good fun. It’s fascinating that each bar had such a wildly different take on what made the perfect martini.

“It sent me down a rabbit hole of flavour discovery, experimenting endlessly with different ingredients and flavour combinations. I took inspiration from all of the ingredients they used and worked to pull together common themes, finding the best bits of all of them to include in this final concoction. The finished liquid is creative and yet classic, and such a smooth and exquisite drink. There’s a nod to all of those top bars in there, and some really interesting botanicals that make for a delicious, balanced drink! And now that it’s bottled, this will be in my freezer ready to be poured whenever martini hour beckons.” 

Ally Martin, Hendrick’s Global Ambassador added: “The martini, with its famously fervent followers, is the quintessential gin cocktail. Because of this, there is no better beverage to showcase Hendrick’s Gin. This gin martini was created by Master Distiller Ms. Lesley Gracie in collaboration with five world-class bars. We chose to work with these illustrious bars to bring the bar experience into the home– after all, nobody knows how to craft a martini better than the finest bartenders in the world.

“To create the final martini, each bar worked alongside Ms Gracie and I, honing and developing the recipe with ingredients that inspired them. We then cherry-picked our favourite parts of each recipe, which resulted in a cocktail that celebrates each bar’s unique take on the perfect martini. From the citrus elements of Yaldy, the green notes shown to us by Brujas and Nauticus, to the more floral tones of Nutmeg & Clove and Maybe Sammy, each of the bars has left its own unique mark on this martini. This cocktail is an exquisite expression of their perfect Hendrick’s martini.” 

Andrea Gualdi, Co-owner of Maybe Sammy, concluded: “The Martini for us is simply THE cocktail. It has such an important place in popular culture. We love Hendrick’s and collaborating with Ms Lesley Gracie, in the middle of a global pandemic, was an unbelievable experience and a true honour.”

For more information visit: www.batchandbottlecocktails.com.au