Gin is the favourite alcohol in the UK, confirmed Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA). Gin sales of the trendy spirit were up 27 percent last year, and the popularity of giving gin as a gift means WSTA is expecting sparkling sales for the upcoming Mother’s Day.
Miles Beale, WSTA head, said that the Britons bought 51 million bottles of the spirit, known colloquially as Mother’s Ruin, last year. Moreover, sales were up by £104 million this Christmas compared with the previous year, Herald Scotland reports.
‘We were amazed by the growth of gin in 2016, but 2017 sales of the quintessentially British spirit have surpassed all records again,’
Mr Beale added.
The nation of gin lovers is happy that gin’s booming popularity has also spawned a range of gin-themed gifts, including gin baubles, gin advent calendars, gin glassware and even a Ginstitute hotel. Supermarkets, shops, pubs, bars and restaurants have beaten all previous sales recorded both annually and quarterly – with gin exports topping £530 million last year.
Gin in the UK: data and figures
According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association data, there are now 315 distilleries in the United Kingdom, more than double the number that was operating five years ago. There are now well over 100 British gin brands on the market, a doubling of the number since 2011.
WSTA has constantly being asked what is the magic formula behind the growth in gin sales nowadays. Probably, it’s a bit of magic plus the delightful combination of a quality British product steeped in history combined with skilful innovation by UK distillers. They do their best to produce a huge range of gins catering for the consumers’ increasingly sophisticated palettes.
