Gin...no longer mother's ruin

Not so many years back the thought of gin becoming trendy seemed as likely as a boom in sales of vinyl LPs.

But both trends have indeed come to pass, and for publicans the famous old spirit is a potential money-spinner once more. The dozens of new gins looking for a piece of the action speaks volumes, as do the stats. On-trade gin sales rose 6% by volume and 13% by value in 2014 according to CGA figures and suppliers report a further surge in sales this year.

David Styring, trading manager for spirits at wholesaler Molson Coors says: “Gin has seen a massive resurgence. Notably, a key driver behind expansion in the category is the growth in volume of premium gins.”

Having recognised the opportunity, here’s a quick-fire action plan to help pubs make the most of it.

Segment your range

It used to be pretty simple: one standard gin for the optic and one premium for special occasions, but the market has become stratified with gins at a range of price points, so that even within premium gin, there’s a case for breaking things down to give customers a ladder to explore.

These are examples rather than recommendations — and the producers might quibble about their exact positioning — but based on prevalent wholesale/retail prices, a well-constructed range might have Broker’s, Hayman’s London Dry or Bombay Sapphire as the premium pouring gin; Martin Miller’s, Whitley Neill or Caorunn as the next step up; then an Aviation, The Botanist or Williams Chase at a super-premium level.

Observe tradition

It’s easy to get caught up in the world of wacky botanicals that producers are turning to in an effort to stand out, but for an authentic-tasting gin and tonic, a juniper-led, London dry gin is the cornerstone of any range.

But London Dry, which need not be made in London, is not the only piece of gin history that’s making its mark on modern trends. Sussex gin Chilgrove eschews unusual botanicals but has searched for a softer style by using grape spirit instead of grain, harking back to the 16th century jenever gin from Holland that was originally made from a wine distillate.

Old Tom is a sweeter British style of gin that most aficionados think forms a bridge between London and jenever. Hayman’s, Jensen’s and Tanqueray all produce Old Tom, usually used in sweeter gin cocktails like the Martinez or Tom Collins.

Sloe gin makes a fruity, summery alternative take on the gin and tonic and many premium brands make a version, among them Bloom, Adnams and Sipsmith.

Ride the wave

While some prefer to perfect gin’s historical basics, others tweak the process and, above all, their botanicals, to try to establish a USP.

Some are making headway with local ingredients, such as The Lakes with heather, bilberry, hawthorn and meadow sweet, or the 22 botanicals in Islay’s The Botanist, which include gorse, lady’s bedstraw and red clover. Welsh brand Da Mhile goes a step further with a gin made from seaweed harvested off the Cornish coast, and Scotland’s Rock Rose contains rose root, sea buckthorn and rowan berries.

Citrus fruit peel is a traditional botanical used to give zest to gins, but some producers have been dialling the levels up for special gins such as Sacred’s Pink Grapefruit and Williams Chase’s Seville Orange.

For modern gin makers, it really is ‘anything goes’ with more out-there examples including edelweiss (Xellent), cream (Worship Street Whistling Shop’s Cream) and coconut (Hoxton).

Diageo’s Reserve division has released Jinzu, a British gin with a Japanese twist in the form of a citrus fruit called yuzu, cherry blossom and blended-in premium sake.

Expand your horizons

The gin and tonic is, of course, the conventional serve, but it’s relatively easy to reinvent it in other drinks that can boost your gin sales. A basic gimlet is just four parts gin to one part lime juice with a garnish of a slice of lime. London gin maker Sipsmith has made this one easier with its Gimlet Cordial as part of its mixer range of shortcuts for the busy bartender.

The Negroni is another classic gin cocktail, combining the spirit with vermouth and Campari, garnished with a twist of orange peel.

The Bramble offers a sweeter, fruitier option: two shots of gin to one of fresh lemon juice and a half each of sugar syrup and crème de mure, a blackberry liqueur readily available in the Monin range.

Having designed your gin twists, make sure you inform customers of your ability and willingness to serve them by using blackboards and other display options.

Enthusing others

Once you’ve convinced yourself, get your staff on board through training them on the different USPs of the gins you list, why one costs more than another, what drinks are best made with which brands, and something of the history of gin to provide a bit of colour.

“If staff are well versed on the stories and signature serves of gins, they are much more likely to be able to tempt customers to try something new and different,” argues Hayman’s gin director Amanda Hayman.

Some smaller distillers are happy to visit accounts to provide tastings or masterclasses for consumers.

Hayman says: “There’s a growing trend for consumer events where bars will set up multiple gin brands.

“Customers in groups spend five minutes with each brand then move on in a speed-dating style, which we’ve found works well.”