GIN IN VODDY BLOW
Taste for tipple shaken as trend for fruit vodka cocktails is stirred
SAY cheers to a cheeky flavoured vodka cocktail as sales for the spirit rise and gin’s reign starts to sink.
Gin kings such as Gordon’s and Bombay Sapphire have faced a drop in sales while vodkas, such as Smirnoff and JJ Whitley, are showing an increase.
Experts say drinkers have switched from gin mixes to vodka martinis, cosmopolitans and harvey wallbangers.
Figures from trade journal The Grocer reveal Gordon’s is down by 15%, Bombay Sapphire by 34.2% and flavoured gin specialist Whitley Neill by 29.3%.
But Smirnoff, which is owned by alcohol giant Diageo, was up by almost 4% and JJ Whitley by 25%. A growing taste for fruity vodka such as Smirnoff ’s Raspberry Crush and JJ Whitley’s Blood Orange is leading the trend.
The cost-of-living crisis has also led to champagne lovers switching to cheaper alternatives, such as prosecco and cava. Posh Veuve Clicquot fell by 16.7%, Moet & Chandon by 10.7% and Bollinger by 16.2%, while sparkling wine label Freixenet rose by 10.3%. Lucy Auld, marketing director at Freixenet, told The Grocer: “The great thing about prosecco and cava is they are at an accessible price point for the consumer.”