Photo: Hendrick’s Gin

Hendrick’s Gin is committed to putting the holiday spirit through their flavorful spirit every year. With a variety of activities offered, there will always be a reason to stay a little longer for joyous interactions and tasty recipes to savor. 

To elaborate more, we talked with Charmaine Thio, Regional Brand Ambassador of Hendrick’s Gin Southeast Asia, about how she sees Hendrick’s Gin and how it pairs well with everything that gets you through this holiday season.

Gin is a versatile spirit, fit for many mixologist’s masterpieces. However, it is often stereotyped as a “feminine” drink. Does the drinking community still see it that way? If so, how has it evolved?

I mean, when did it start becoming associated as a “feminine” drink? Looking back at Gin’s history, there was so much connection with the British Royal Navy and all of that.

I would say that, gratefully or thankfully, the drinks industry itself or the bartending industry itself—I don’t think we’ve ever seen it that way. I think it’s always been perceived in that very versatile spirit category where it’s so easy to mix because of, you know, the botanical flavor profile. You can easily play off each of them to create very different styles of drinks, whether that’s in your sweet, sour, fruity realm of things or whether it’s something a little bit more stiff like you’re Martinez or your martinis.

So I think the drinks industry, at least historically speaking, has always looked at Gin as a very versatile spirit and something that you can take and really tweak just to get to your guests different profiles.

We are all familiar with wine pairing in the culinary world. What’s your take on pairing gin with gastronomical activities? Any future for gin pairing?

So I think it has been done, and I personally have done cocktail and food pairings.

I will say, however, that it’s maybe not quite as straightforward as your wine pairings. There’s a little bit more to think about. One, of course, is the alcohol percentage, right? Drinking one glass of wine versus an entire cocktail over a meal hits differently. So that’s one point to think about.

The other thing is that if you’re tasting the spirit neat when it comes to pairing it with food, it can be a bit too strong sometimes. So I think that, if anything, gin cocktail pairings have plenty of legs. I think that’s definitely something that we can continue to explore.

And again, we talked about the versatility of gin and how you can take that spirit and kind of tweak it so that the flavors make sense for what you’re eating.

There’s room for partnership, and I think it’s exciting, and I do hope that more people go into it.

And so recently I did a devastation, if you will. They didn’t want to call it a dinner, but it was like a food snack and cocktail pairing in Manila, and everything was centered around storytelling or unique traditions during the festive period. All the drinks and food were inspired by different cultures from around the world. And I think it is possible; it’s just that you need to have a bartender and a chef to have a very good conversation with each other. So you know exactly which flavor direction you’re going in and how to complement the food with the drink.

So I think again, it’s a little bit less straightforward than just taking the food and finding the right wine, but it’s also an opportunity because, on both sides, you’re working with someone who creates things on both ends. You have a chef that controls how the dish is going to be from start to finish, and at the same time, you have a bartender that’s going to control how the drink is going to be from start to finish, right? In that sense, there’s a lot more room for creativity. There’s room for partnership, and I think it’s exciting, and I do hope that more people go into it.

Whenever we talk about drinking culture, music is always in the conversation. Every spirit seems to find a perfect pair. What’s the best music to pair with gin?

Ooh, I’m not sure about gin as a category on its own. If I speak for Hendrick’s Gin, I think it would be something that’s a little bit more like Off-Kilter, sometimes a little bit of folk, a little bit of disco, maybe funk.

I don’t know about gin as a whole, because I feel like every gin brand also has its own personality and its own identity. So, like Hendrick’s, for example, I think it would have its own playlist, you know, compared to some of the other gins as well.

Cocktail dress code is always such an interesting phenomenon, considering that it’s not as casual as your daily bar night fit nor as formal as your black tie events. Would you consider dressing up for drinks a part of the experience?

That’s an interesting one. I love dressing up. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love a good theme. I mean, I think it always adds to the festivities if, like, you have a theme for when you’re going out. I think, for example, we’ve got festive right now, and I think it is nice to get a little bit more glittery, a little bit more of the riding green to go out and celebrate the festive season.

I think it adds to the vibe, you know. For example, if there is an occasion or even with our recent, like Hendrick’s “Flora Adora” pop-ups, I think it’s quite nice to kind of put on your garden outfit and your florals and go out for, you know, summer-style cocktails and the outdoors, you know, surrounded by the Flora Adora world.

So, I don’t know what the current trend for cocktail outfits is, but I’m here for it.

As a brand ambassador, can you tell us about what Hendrick’s Gin has in store for this end-of-year season? 

So with Hendrick’s this year, our campaign is called “Add a Little Hendrick’s to Your Holiday.” So essentially, we’re trying to ask everyone to maybe think a little bit outside of the box and how to put a little bit of an unusual touch into your holidays, whether you’re hitting out for a beverage, whether that’s putting on your cocktail outfit, or whether that’s hosting at home.

I think the holiday season is a lot about homecoming. It’s a lot about spending time with friends and family and the home environment as well, and how you transform those gatherings into unforgettable moments or really special things that you, as a host, can make unique. 

And of course, it’s the season of gifting, so we have gifting options for people as well. Essentially, we just want to encourage you to have a little bit more of an unusual holiday season.  

In Indonesia specifically, I’m not sure if you got to go, but two weeks ago we had the Hendricks Festive Wonderland exhibition. So we had our hot air balloon installation, and of course we have a whole host of festive cocktail recipes that you can enjoy at home.

Sounds fun! This December, Hendrick’s Gin will be encouraging people to host more gatherings with loved ones. Why is gin (especially Hendrick’s) a perfect addition to the menu when hosting a gathering?

I think going back again to our initial conversation about the spirit itself and how versatile it is. I think Hendrick’s also adds on to that because of our unique botanical blend.

You have a little bit of everything from around the flavor spectrum, so you know it’s a little bit green. It’s a little bit citrusy. It’s a little bit spicy. It’s really well-rounded.

And then, of course, you have our unique infusions of rose and cucumber. So that makes our gin very complex, but at the same time very refreshing. So it’s great for people of all sorts of walks of life.

But you know of all sorts of spirit preferences. I find that Hendrick’s is a very easy win across the board for people because you have people who are maybe a little bit more experienced drinkers, but they will always enjoy the complexity of Hendrick’s and the versatility of it.

And maybe you’re coming into the spirit for the first time, but it’s still refreshing. It’s not difficult to be introduced to, if you will. It’s like that one friend that you bring to the party, and instantly everyone’s OK with it.

Interesting. If you hosted your own hosting event, which particular Hendrick’s Gin would you choose as the star of the event?

For me, it would still be Hendrick’s original.

I think, again, as “the one friend” that can blend with every scenario, or, like, can jive with any crowd that is Hendrick’s original. I do think that with the “Cabinet of Curiosities,” they are like, I don’t know, you have, like, your party friend, and then you have your more children, something like that, whereas with Hendrick’s original, they’re going to be OK with everyone.

When hosting, what are the things every host should prepare to ensure a great experience?

So, for me, I think one thing is very important: the soundtrack to your movie scene. Again, back to the playlists. I think that is something that really does help to create the atmosphere. 

In terms of, like, cocktail ingredients, ice. I don’t know why people always forget about ice. Very, very important ingredient, especially here in Southeast Asia. You want to keep things fresh, you know? So you can never have enough ice.

Aside from that, [it’s important to] create a nice cozy vibe, whether that’s like blankets or cushions or air conditioning, you know, again, depending on where you are here in Southeast Asia.

I always say that you should make whatever recipe for cocktails you have.

And one of my favorite party tricks as well when it comes to hosting at home is to make bigger batches of cocktails, because I feel like, as a host, the last thing you want to do is be stuck in the kitchen, preparing cocktails every 5 minutes. You want to be able to move around the room, mingle with your guests, and, like, have those genuine human connections, which is quite hard to do when you’re fiddling around in the kitchen.

So I always say that you should make whatever recipe for cocktails you have. Multiply it. Make it big. Get yourself a beautiful teapot. Prepare 10 to 15 drinks right away. Then you can just help your guests, whether it’s pouring it out of the teapot themselves or into a couple of ice cubes. 

So you don’t have to constantly be making individual drinks. So for me, it’s like punch bowls or teapots.

For those who are in the mood for a festive day out, can you recommend places to hang out and have a great drink?

Actually, in Indonesia, we have partnered up with a couple of venues, and they are serving some delicious Hendrick’s gin cocktails. So if you don’t want to host at home or you’re in the mood for going out, maybe get dressed up in your shiny outfits with your friends. We do have some recommendations.

Let’s start off in Jakarta. There’s Stalk, Broadway, A&D, Caspar, Lufre, or Sudestada. And if you are in Bali for the festive season (I know some of my friends are), there’s Red Ruby, Jumeirah, and Karma Kandara. and East Java, there’s Almaluna and Blue Angels, so quite a number of spots for you to enjoy the festive season with Hendrick’s gin.

We heard that Hendrick’s always appreciates their mixologist; one of the current events was the bartender’s dinner. What do you look forward to the most whenever you’re meeting up with fellow mixologists?

The thing is, I don’t get to meet everyone all the time on every trip. Whenever it comes to these events, I’m really looking forward to catching up with people that I’ve met before. It’s like a nice little reunion situation. So you do treasure those little moments that you have together.

And, of course, the industry is always changing. There’s always new people, and I’m also always excited to meet new people who are coming to the brand for the first time or even just coming to the cocktail industry for the first time. These things are always really heartwarming for me because I feel like bartenders are the heart and soul of our industry, right?

Like spirits, brands wouldn’t be anywhere without them, so it’s always really nice to, you know, meet these people and catch up with them to see how they’re doing, like how the trade in Indonesia is doing and how the scene is evolving as well. So, like, I always look forward to good news and good stories. I want to hear about the trends. I want to hear about what’s happening. So yeah, that’s why I look forward to the most whenever we have these events.

Would there be a geeking-out session with fellow mixologists at events like this?

Yeah, sometimes some of the weirdest conversations I’ve had are, like, I don’t know, arguing about pH levels at three in the morning. Like, no one needs to have this conversation right now.

But it’s just, yeah, you do sometimes, and it just takes like 1 little trigger point. And then there’s a full-blown seminar happening, which is always funny. I’m always quite amused when it happens, but yeah, it’s great.

What’s your advice on choosing the perfect end-of-year present?

Well, I guess I always like to give Hendrick’s Gin. I feel like my friends have already asked me for it, whether or not it’s the Christmas season.

But I think aside from that, it’s also nice to kind of, you know, if you’re feeling generous. Of course, to maybe supplement your bottle of Hendrick’s Gin with a couple of other things, whether it’s like simple mixers you can throw in [like maybe] a cucumber for their garnish, or, you know, like we talked about, it could even be getting them really unusual, unique glassware, whether that’s a teacup or maybe getting them a giant punch bowl so that they can host at home as well.

I think it’s quite nice, because of course you get the bottle of Hendrick’s, but there are also little thoughtful things on the side to pair with their drinking experience.

What would be the best gin-based cocktail to celebrate the end-of-year festivities? Charmaine Thio Style.

If I can make it with a container and a pair of chopsticks, then we’re winning.

Haha, so Charmaine Thio Style. Well, I am a very lazy bartender. I like easy things. Simple things. Big batches of things. So I’ve actually got 2 cocktails for the festive season, and to recommend one, of course, is the Cranberry Fizz and the other one is Hendrick’s French 75.

As you can tell, all of these drinks had like 3–4 ingredients, so I’m all for lazy bartending. I’ll leave the complex drinks to the professionals.

Other than lazy bartending, this is very much beginner-level bartending. I’ve been trying to get behind the bar to mix something up, and I never get it right.

Yeah, these drinks are very beginner-friendly. No complicated equipment is required. That’s another favorite thing of mine. If I can make it with a container and a pair of chopsticks, then we’re winning.

End-of-year is the best time to refocus your attention on loved ones. Making joyful moments even after many days. Especially surrounded by the perfect food and beverage. Something tasty will surely spark not only your taste buds but also conversations.