By value, spirits sales have grown by £78m in the past year, with gin (up £29.5m), flavoured and spiced rum (up 15.3m) and non-cream liqueurs (up 11.6m) leading the way.
According to research carried out by CGA Strategy for William Grant & Sons, pubs account for 28.1% of total spirits value sales and 31.4% of volume sales.
At The Morning Advertiser’s Future Trends: Spirits event held in London on 4 October, experts from across the sector will use their insight to map out the upcoming trends.
Here are seven things you will learn about spirits at the event:
1. Sales and trends
Graeme Loudon will give an overview of the spirit category’s performance over the past 12 months to show where the growth in the category is.
2. The future of gin
Gin has stormed on-trade sales, showing significant growth as consumers continue to buy into new and existing products in the category.
In this session, Diageo reveals some exclusive research looking at the future of the segment.
3. Vodka’s rebirth: regaining interest in vodka
Three speakers will outline the category’s performance, new products and how to talk about vodka in a more interesting way.
4. Where next for whisky?
Daniel Lanso, of Pernod Ricard UK, will delve into the future of whisky, talking through the opportunities within the category, how the on-trade can tap into them and what innovation he expects to see in the coming years.
5. Trends from The World’s 50 Best Bars
Operators from some of the world’s top bars will take centre stage to talk about the biggest trends hitting the global cocktail scene.
6. How big will rum grow?
Rum has long been hailed as the next spirit to rise as fast as gin did, but why? In this session, global rum expert Ian Burrell talks the merits of rum, its future and why more and more are falling in love with the drink.
7. The future of cocktails
How to separate fad from future in the world of cocktails. Cocktail Credentials' global cocktail ambassador Ben Reed shares the secret to predicting possible futures and the implications to ensure that we’re all plotting and planning with the right practicalities in mind.