LOOKING FOR SUNNY SPOTS

Reports of gin’s demise are grossly exaggerated – there is plenty of brightness

If you had been reading the news in the first two weeks of 2023, you’d be forgiven for thinking that gin was at the start of an unstoppable downward spiral, with distilleries closing and various commentators – full of hyperbole – keen to add a few more nails to the coffin. Apparently, things looked bleak.

Or did they? Taken in context, things have probably never been so good for gin; it has never been so established or widely loved. The fact that there are no longer reports of “gin being the next big thing” is, in some ways, positive: it means that gin is the big thing NOW.

During the last 12 years, I’ve spent a solid proportion of my time writing about spirits and I’ve repeatedly heard (and thought myself) that “rum will be the next big thing”. However, whilst rum, especially in the UK, has undoubtedly and thankfully grown, it has not yet been “the next big thing”; I’m sure many in the rum industry would love to see rum grow as much as gin has.

Another commentary that is often made is regarding the rising popularity of Tequila and mezcal. I love these interesting and delicious spirits, but whilst they remain at their current price point and lack the wider distribution in Europe and beyond, they are never truly going to hit the mainstream. That is not to say that I don’t welcome the surge in interest in these categories, but it does not feel like they are direct threats to gin.

Now, that is not to say that times are easy for gin distillers. They are not: costs are rising across the board, especially for energy, bottles, and shipping. But I promised sunshine – some areas of gin to get excited about.

Firstly, many of the gin distilleries of scale that I have seen go into administration have found either a buyer or investment to keep going. Also, if we look abroad, there are some exciting things happening.

While starting from a low base, gin in China is starting to pick up the momentum that it lost due to the pandemic, adding potentially millions of new products to the world of gin, and the country’s own domestic production is also increasing (discover more in the feature on page 90).

India is another country with both a large population and a growing appetite for gin. I recently spoke to Dimple Athavia of All Things Drinks, who recently spent three months in the country. Dimple told me that gin is very much on the up in India, although this growth is primarily focused in the regions of Goa and Mumbai due to reasons of licensing and restrictions on alcohol. Drinkers of all ages are moving to gin, with people who previously only ever drank brown spirits embracing juniper. Part of the reason for gin’s success in India is the good level of education held by the local consumer when it comes to herbs and spices, i.e. botanicals, as they are exposed to many of these via flavorsome and adventurous cooking. It’s interesting, however, that tonic water does not seem to be the primary mixer of choice; plain

sparkling water is more popular.

“Yes, it is currently a hard time for distillers...but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities”

Looking even further east, Australia continues to be a powerhouse, both in terms of quality and quantity. The use of combining wine and gin continues to grow, and I am really looking forward to seeing the collaboration between Warner’s and Four Pillars distilleries.

Finally, there is even more gin growth taking place in central and southern America. Again, starting from a low base, more gins are coming onto the market each year and I’m increasingly impressed with their quality and complexity. With a plethora of interesting botanicals from this part of the world, there is still plenty of room for growth (more on page 16).

Yes, it is currently a hard time for distillers, as it is for all of us, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities and, overall, the future of gin looks pretty bright.