is this the end of the gin renaissance?
By Naomi Schanen
All aboard the gin bandwagon. Since announcing a 15 per cent rise in sales in the first half of 2018, renowned drinks producer Chapel Down are opening Gin Works – an experimental bar, restaurant and ginnery – in King’s Cross in March.
According to HMRC figures released earlier this year, Britain is now home to over 300 gin distilleries, more than double the number operating five years ago. Thanks to that, sales of British gin here and abroad are worth over £2.2 billion, the highest its ever been. British distilleries are responsible for nearly half of these numbers.
Walk into any bar or pub in Britain and you’ll see spirit mixers and a range of local botanical gins. It’s new, exciting and Instagrammable. But is it here to stay?
Is it time to say goodbye to gin?
“There’s talk about the so-called ‘gin renaissance’ ending,” says Bruce Nagra, co-founder of the Crazy Gin, creators of the first British-Indian clear lassi gin. “A lot of people see this gin hype as a passing trend. But I think it’s here to stay.
Gin is about pushing boundaries with flavours and experimenting. If you make something that’s good, it’s timeless.”