Brits buy 47m bottles of gin

BRITONS bought a record 47m bottles of gin over the last year, up by seven million on 2016, as consumers named the G&T their favourite drink.

Gin moved up from third place last year as 29% of consumers named it their favourite spirit, ahead of whisky (25%) and vodka (23%), the annual poll by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) found.

Sales of the quintessentially British spirit have doubled in value in the past six years to £1.2bn in the 12 months to September, up from £630m in 2011, WSTA’s market report figures show.

The equivalent of more than 8.8m bottles of gin were sold in pubs, bars and restaurants to a value of £729m in the same 12 months, while 38.7m bottles were sold in shops and supermarkets.

In the 12 weeks up to September, gin sales were up 26% by volume in shops and supermarkets and up 34% by value compared to the same time last year.

HMRC figures early in the year showed that gin exports were outperforming those of British beef and soft drinks.

WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: “The latest WSTA market report is showing yet another sparkling result for gin sales in the UK.

“The British public show no signs of growing tired of trying new gins with well over 100 brands now available on the UK market.

“It comes as no surprise that gin has climbed to the top of a poll of most popular spirit drinks.”