Hendrick's has released Neptunia, the latest limited-edition expression from its Cabinet of Curiosities series, blending coastal botanicals with the brand's signature cucumber-and-rose character to create what Master Distiller Lesley Gracie describes as "gin with salt air in its soul." The release, which landed on shelves this week at an RRP of £36 for 70cl at 43.4% ABV, is the sixth instalment in a series that has consistently pushed the boundaries of what gin can be while remaining unmistakably Hendrick's.
I tasted Neptunia at a preview event at the brand's Girvan distillery in Ayrshire last week — a venue chosen deliberately, since the distillery sits just metres from the Scottish coast that inspired the expression. It is, I can report, a genuinely distinctive gin, and one that rewards attention.
The Details
Neptunia is built on Hendrick's base spirit but introduces a botanical profile centred on the sea. Coastal botanicals include sea lettuce, sourced from the Ayrshire shoreline; samphire from the Norfolk coast; and a proprietary blend of deep-water algae that Gracie has been experimenting with for over three years. These are layered over the classic Hendrick's backbone of juniper, coriander, rose petal, and cucumber.
"I've been fascinated by the sea for as long as I can remember," Gracie told me, standing in the small experimental still room where Neptunia was developed. "The ocean is the world's largest botanical garden — we've barely scratched the surface of what marine plants can contribute to gin. Neptunia is my attempt to capture that liminal space where the land meets the sea."
On the nose, Neptunia offers an immediate hit of brine and fresh cucumber, followed by something harder to pin down — a green, slightly mineral note that suggests rock pools and wet seaweed in the best possible way. On the palate, juniper is present but gently handled, giving space to the coastal botanicals. The finish is long and slightly saline, with a whisper of citrus and a clean, almost oyster-shell minerality.
The serve recommendation is simple: Neptunia over ice with premium tonic and a garnish of cucumber ribbon and a sprig of fresh samphire. I tried it with both Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and the lighter Mediterranean Tonic, and preferred the latter — the reduced quinine allows the subtle marine notes more room to breathe.
"We knew the serve had to be uncomplicated," said Vance Henderson, Hendrick's Global Brand Ambassador, who was mixing drinks at the preview. "Neptunia's complexity comes from the liquid, not the garnish. You don't need to build a cocktail around it — just let it speak."
Industry Context
The Cabinet of Curiosities series has become one of the most commercially successful limited-edition programmes in the gin world. Previous releases — including Orbium (quinine-infused), Lunar (night-blooming floral), Amazonia (Amazonian botanicals), and Flora Adora (garden flowers) — have all sold out within weeks of release in many markets. The series achieves something difficult: it excites gin enthusiasts and collectors without alienating the core Hendrick's consumer who simply wants a reliable, high-quality gin.
Hendrick's itself continues to be one of the category's great success stories. Owned by William Grant & Sons, the brand has grown from a quirky niche product to the world's fourth-largest premium gin by value, with estimated global sales of £280 million in 2025. The Cabinet of Curiosities releases drive disproportionate media coverage and social media engagement relative to their production volumes, functioning as much as marketing exercises as commercial products.
"Hendrick's has cracked the code on limited editions," said Tom Warner, founder of Warner's Gin and a keen observer of competitor strategy. "They create genuine scarcity, genuine quality, and genuine narrative. Most brands manage one of the three. Hendrick's consistently delivers all three."
The coastal theme also taps into a broader trend in gin towards terroir and place-based identity. A growing number of distillers are drawing on their local environments for botanical inspiration — from the Hebridean distillers using hand-picked coastal herbs to Australian producers foraging native bush botanicals. Neptunia, while produced at scale by craft gin standards, engages with the same impulse: the idea that gin can taste of somewhere specific.
There is also a sustainability angle, though Hendrick's is characteristically understated about it. The sea lettuce used in Neptunia is sustainably harvested by a family-run seaweed business in Ayrshire, and the brand has commissioned research into the potential of cultivated sea botanicals to reduce pressure on wild stocks. Gracie mentioned this almost in passing — but for a brand of Hendrick's stature, even a passing mention signals intent.
What's Next
Neptunia will be available globally, though allocations vary by market. The UK, US, Germany, and Australia are the priority markets. William Grant & Sons has indicated that the Cabinet of Curiosities series will continue with at least one release per year, though Gracie is characteristically tight-lipped about what comes next.
"I have many curiosities still in the cabinet," she said, with the half-smile that has become her trademark in press interactions. "Some of them are not yet ready. Some of them may never be. That is the nature of curiosity."
What I can say, from industry conversations, is that the next Cabinet release is likely to arrive in late autumn and may explore the intersection of gin and fermentation — a frontier that several craft distillers are already working on. But that is speculation on my part, and Hendrick's has a long track record of confounding expectations.
For now, Neptunia is the one to find. My advice: buy two bottles. One to drink this spring, and one to hold for a summer evening when the air smells of salt and the light stays late. That is when this gin will truly come into its own.
