Juniper flavour ‘lost’ amongst gin boom

Will Lowe, master distiller at The Cambridge Distillery and spirits educator for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) tells SB why clarifying the definition of gin is crucial as the spirit’s popularity surges.

Will Lowe, distiller at The Cambridge Distillery and WSET spirits educator, says confusion looms over the gin world

“There’s no doubt that the growth in popularity of gin has stormed up over the past year. According to the latest sales figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, more than £1 billion’s worth of gin has been sold in the last 12 months, and 49 new gin distilleries have opened across the UK.

“While this is good news for Britain’s pubs, there is confusion looming over the gin world as many new distilleries are veering away from traditional recipes and the ‘predominant flavour of juniper’ that the EU definition requires is being lost.

“As a distiller myself, there’s no denying that experimentation with production methods and botanicals is what allows gin varieties to have their unique identities, and gives the growing generation of gin drinkers a world of choice. But the question is being raised again as to what does it really mean to be a gin and, importantly, what does it mean to the consumer?

“The record breaking sales, which also reflect a 40% rise in exports over the past five years, have been pinned down as a result of the rise in popularity of all things British, according to the WSTA, from James Bond to Downton Abbey. The increasing demand for British gin-based drinks and opportunity it brings for a new wave of budding distillers is something to be celebrated, but education is needed to bring clarity to the definition of what makes a gin a gin, before the bubble bursts.

“As an educator for WSET spirit courses, it is my duty to make sure the experimentation with new varieties is well-informed. WSET’s spirit courses explore the production methods and characteristics of the main spirit categories, while also exploring key brands and the use of spirits in cocktails. With hundreds of options on the market, both classic and not, it is more important than ever for bartenders and drinkers to understand the sources and processes behind the spirits they are using.

“For me without that bold juniper flavour it’s just not gin, but I’ll gladly taste them all until I’m convinced otherwise.”