By: Valerie Milano
Napa Valley, CA (The Hollywood Times) 5/26/2024 – With so much music, food and wine flowing around us here at BottleRock, there is no place better to come and reset one’s bearings than the Hendricks Gin booth, which features its iconic three-story bar.
The second day of 2024 BottleRock music, food, wine and brew festival was no exception, and we took the opportunity to talk with Hendricks Gin Ambassador Vance Henderson about their iconic bar set-up.
“This has been around here for ages, literally years,” Henderson said, adding that they have wanted to bring something new each year, but the festival insists they have the bar. “Thankfully, I’m not the one who has to build it.”
Hendrick’s Gin has a team that builds the three-story structure each time it is rolled out.
“It is certainly something that stands out from everything else you see here at BottleRock,” he said. “And that’s hard to do when you have such amazing brands that are here every year. We have to keep our cucumbers crisp and our roses smelling sweet!”
Indeed, Hendrick’s brings the new and unique with its legendary bar, this year, adding four signature drinks to its unique lineup of cocktails. Billed as the world’s most unique gin, Henderson explained, “it is those signature ingredients – cucumbers and roses – that makes their gin special.”
Enjoy our conversation with Vance Henderson:
“I always say no other gin tastes like Hendricks because no other gin is made like Hendrick’s,” Henderson said. “Hendrick’s is made using two completely separate stills that yield two completely different liquids. We take both of those liquids and combine them together, then we add the essence of cucumber and rose. That’s what makes Hendricks unusual and peculiar.”
After our visit with Hendrick’s Gin and their amazing 3 story bar, we made our way over to see Cold War Kids as they took over the JaM Cellars Stage for a solid performance that got the crowd revved up for what was to follow: a rousing performance by My Morning Jacket.
Punctuated by a bass line loud enough to shake one’s very soul, My Morning Jacket powered through its set with lead singer and guitarist Jim James belting out solos so passionate and moving as to captivate the crowd. The band took control of the audience usings powerful keyboards as they performed “Wordless Music.” Later on, a sudden blast of powerful wind during “Phone Went West,” augmented their happy-sad music.
Over on the Prudential Stage, Moonalice pounded out their new hit song “Happy Here Now,” delighting the crowd that was soon dancing and swaying to the beat. Their long-time lead singer, Lester Chambers – one-fourth of the psychedelic soul group the Chambers Brothers – sat comfortably in a chair with his son, Dylan, standing next to him as they performed on Saturday.
The highlight of their set was when Lester – who turned 84 years old last month – belted out a passionate rendition of the Chambers’ 1967 hit “Time Has Come Today,” which closed their set.
As always, the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage was a star-studded affair as Neal Patrick Harris, Bianca Del Rio, T-Pain, and Stephen Curry made their mark throughout the day. There is no way to confirm just how much actual cooking was being done there, but the crowd really seemed to enjoy themselves as Curry and Chef José Andrés tossed dozens of chip bags out to the festival audience.
Tower of Power singer Jordan John kicked off their set by reminding the crowd just how long they have been rocking. “We have over 50 years of history to sing tonight, so let’s get to it.” The crowd ate it up as Tower of Power had fans singing and dancing all over the place.
Meanwhile, over on the JaM Cellars Stage, Pearl Jam lit up the evening with Eddie Vedder’s powerful vocals. The group started out with some of their newer tunes, like “Wreckage,” while also satisfying their dedicated fans with favorites like “Daughter” and “Even Flow.”
Actor Bradley Cooper, who was among the featured celebs earlier on the William Sonoma Stage, found himself on stage with Vedder and the band for a rendition of “Maybe It’s Time.” Cooper seemed somewhat nervous behind the microphone, but the crowd could not have cared less, and they showed their appreciation afterwards.
Pearl Jam closed out their set with a rocking rendition of Neil Young’s classic “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Day Two, again, was filled with amazing performances. Bay Area native Oliver Tree and his band energized a crowd with “Miss You” accompanied by Tree’s dance moves reminiscent of what one reporter called “a toddler doing that cabbage patch amid a sugar high.”
T-Pain packed the Verizon stage in the afternoon, rapping through all of his hits, from “Buy U a Drank” to “Up Down (Do This All Day)” and “Cyclone.” He even managed to turn his matinee performance into a 2 a.m. dance club.
Photos: Ana Maria Gill for The Hollywood Times
