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UK gin sales reach £1.9 billion
By Owen BellwoodGin sales in the UK have been valued at £1.9 billion (US$2.4bn) in 2018 after more than 66 million bottles were sold during the 12-month period.
Gin sales in the UK were valued at £1.9 billion in 2018The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) released its end of year market report, which shows that 19 million more bottles were sold this year than in the same period last year.
The WSTA said that sales were boosted by the heatwave the UK experienced over the summer, with more gin sold during the three-month period than in the summers of 2014 and 2015 combined. Over this period, almost 28 million bottles of gin were bought.
This quarter saw gin sales grow 53% by volume and 59% by value, compared to the same period in 2017, the largest growth by quarter on record for gin and the first time a spirit has seen growth of over 50%.
The WSTA said that “a huge part of the gin surge” has been down to sales of pink and flavoured gin. The latest data shows that flavoured gin has driven over half of all growth in the last recorded 12 months, despite only making up one fifth of total sales.
Flavoured gin alone brought in £165 million during this time, up 751% on the same period last year.
The WSTA report also shows that it was in the UK’s pubs, bars and restaurants that gin saw the largest growth in value sales. For the first time in a 12 month period sales passed £1 billion, with over 56% more gin sold than last year.
Gin is now the second most popular drink sold in the UK on-trade, behind vodka, overtaking whiskies and liqueurs for the first time.
Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, said: “Gin is once again breaking records helped by our innovative distillers who have introduced an exciting array of new flavoured, pink and more traditional gins this year.
“The popular new products combined with a fantastic long hot summer and the excitement of the World Cup has helped boost the category beyond all predictions.”