Britons buy 47 million bottles, of gin in a year, set record

Washington: Britons have bought more than 47 million bottles of gin this year, setting a new record, partly driven by the growth of craft and premium distillers such as Sipsmith, The Guardian reported.

UK gin sales have doubled in value over the last six years, reaching £1.2bn in the 12 months to the end of September, according to the latest market report from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Sales have also grown more than any other spirit sold in UK in the last year, the trade body said, with 47 million bottles sold, compared with 40 million in the previous 12 months.

The figures were released as a YouGov poll found gin is the most popular spirit in the UK, with 29 per cent of drinkers voting it their favourite.

Gin has leapfrogged from third place, compared with the same poll a year ago, with whiskies (25 per cent) in second place and vodka (23 per cent) close in third.

“The British public show no signs of growing tired of trying new gins, with well over 100 brands now available,” said Miles Beale, WSTA chief executive.
“Our innovative gin distillers are now offering a range of gins infused with locally sourced botanicals, including seaweed and rhubarb, and even Christmas gins with frankincense and myrrh,” he said.

Supermarkets say gin is the new Christmas spirit and are gearing up for record sales over the festive period. This year the Co-op predicts that it will sell five times as much gin as sherry, and twice as much as port.