There are all sorts of wacky marketing ploys to get you to try a new spirit. But this cucumber gin thing seems extra wacky.

That is until you sit down with Michael Webber, chief chemist for William Grant & Sons in Scotland, as he explains the idea behind Hendrick's gin. After all, this is the man who oversees the making of the legendary Glenfiddich single-malt scotches.

"We wanted to create a totally different gin. It’s thought of as the quintessential English drink, but almost all gin is distilled in Scotland. We began by thinking about those English films where everyone seems to spend their time in a rose garden eating cucumber sandwiches and the idea developed from there," Mr. Webber said.

After experimenting with various combinations of botanicals, the herbs and essences that are the base for all gins, they came up with a blend based on juniper, coriander, citrus peel, rose petals and cucumber.

"But we didn't know exactly how to introduce the cucumber into the blend. NO one had ever put cucumbers in gin. We did a lot of experiments macerating and steam- distilling cucumbers before we came up with the right formula. And it was the same with the rose petals," Mr. Webber explained.

Hendrick's is made in small batches using a 550-liter pot still from the 1880s. The cucumber and roses are added at the very end so that their flavors and aromas don't disappear.

But do you drink a cucumber and rose gin the same way as a regular gin?

"In the UK, we drink it with tonic; it's very thirst-quenching. But one of your Texas bartenders came up with a good idea: adding a slice of cucumber as a garnish to Hendrick's and tonic. Also, I saw a Scottish Rose, a beautiful martini made with Hendrick's and a splash of cassis with crushed rose petals floating on top," he said.

Hendrick's is a full-bodied, full-flavored gin that's smooth and elegant. Traditional juniper aromas are tempered by the delicate rose and cucumber fragrances. Shut your eyes and you could almost be in a lovely English garden, sipping gin and tonics while playing croquet with folks dressed in their summer whites.