Gin sales to break £1bn for first time this year

Gin sales to break £1bn for first time this year

The 'gin-assaisance' has seen the spirit grow in popularity among the younger generations but rum sales are dwindling

Sales of gin in the UK will surpass £1bn for the first time in 2015, driven by the rise in specialty cocktail bars and increasing popularity among young people.

Britons will drink 29m litres of gin this year, spending £1.04bn on the juniper berry spirit, according to Mintel.

Sales have grown 40pc since 2010, when £742m worth of gin was consumed, and are expected to hit £1.3bn by 2020.

Gin and tonic, prepared with a dash of lime  Photo: ALAMY

"The strong performance of gin continues to stand out within the spirits market, and it is widely seen as the most sophisticated type of white spirit," said Chris Wisson, senior drinks analyst at Mintel.

"One of gin’s sobriquets is ‘Mother’s Ruin’ and the drink still has certain associations with older drinkers, contributing to it being likely to be seen as an older person’s drink and the least likely as a young person’s drink," said Mr Wisson.

"However, our research indicates that gin is in fact now most likely to be drunk by younger consumers, suggesting that it has a chance to forge a dynamic image and move into even more innovative areas."

Mintel found that 42pc of people aged 18 to 34 have drunk gin in the last year, compared to 27pc of people over 45.

Vodka sales have also grown but at a slower pace than gin.

Consumption of the most popular white spirit has increased by 8pc over the last five years, with sales reaching £3.46bn in 2015.

Mr Wisson said vodka "enjoys a number of favourable associations, namely its mixability, unisex appeal and value for money."

However, sales of rum, after inching up for several years, fell by 6.2pc in 2015 to £411m.

Brits will consume £194m worth of tequila this year, 11pc more than in 2014, as the drink rebrands itself as a high-end spirit for sipping as well as for shots.

 

 

Article Source: The Telegraph