Industry Report: The Good, The Bad and The Deliciousness Of Gin

Here are the trends to be aware of in 2025

Dear Drink To That reader,

The drink and hospitality industry is always changing. Trends rise and fall, categories come back around in a cycle.

It’s why I’m your boots on the ground, investigating the latest trends and stats so you can keep up to date with what’s going on.

Today’s report is about gin, a category that’s been booming for well over a decade.

But has the gin renaissance lost its lustre in a post-COVID world or has gin reclaimed some of the old glory that made it the dominant spirit of the early 2010s?

The answer is a bit of both.

Here’s the word on the street.

The power of premiumisation

It’s no secret that premiumisation has been a big trend in spirits for a while now. In the case of gin, there are specifics worth mentioning.

According to CGA Strategy, a boutique drink research agency:

• Craft gin distillers are experimenting with a wider range of botanicals than ever before and that’s contributing to the premium quality of gin.

• In a CGA report of gin drinker demographics, 42% are aged between 21 - 34 and this is tied to a premium image because these drinkers tend to frequent upscale bars.

• Gin cocktails rank among the most popular serves in America. CGA’s research found that Tom Collins, negroni, gin fizz and martinis are all in the US’s top 25 serves.

The gin cocktail quartet: spritzs, savoury ingredients, low and no, zero waste

Speaking of cocktails, the Diageo Bar Academy recently wrote about gin trends and have broken it down into four areas:

• Gin spritzs remain popular because of their light and refreshing nature.

• More mixologists are turning towards using umami and savoury ingredients. In fact, one of the most popular ingredients that have been used in gin distillation lately is oyster shells because they add minerality. Other popular ingredients used in gin cocktails include seaweed, mushrooms and miso.

• Alcohol free gin cocktails have risen in popularity in line with the behemoth that is the no and low category. A popular brand to use in cocktails at the moment is Gordon’s 0.0% gin.

• Zero waste gin cocktails are another popular trend. This is using every part of an ingredient to limit waste and includes repurposing fruit peels, herb stems etc. A specific technique that’s gaining traction in gin cocktails is oleo saccharum. This involves extracting oils from leftover citrus peels and mixing them with sugar for an aromatic syrup.

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Flavoured gins aren’t as popular as they once were

Research from IWSR highlights that flavoured gins have dropped in popularity. According to senior research analyst Patrick Fisher “Much of the surge of gin sales in the UK over recent years can be attributed to the growth of flavoured gins, but these have now seen volumes plummet by nearly half from their 2020 peak, which then accounted for more than 30% of the category.”

Gin booms in the East

IWSR has also highlighted that gin sales are continuing to rise in countries like India and Japan. According to Jason Holway, IWSR’s Senior Research Consultant, “the category is now home to major international brands, a number of specialist producers and some large local players. There is ongoing innovation from brand owners and enthusiasm for cocktail culture among consumers.”

For Japan, gin and tonics are one of the best-known long drinks in the country and are staples in izakayas. In fact, the category’s momentum in Japan has been strong in higher price tiers. Premium plus gin volumes surged to +31% in 2023 with an expected CAGR increase of +12% between 2025 and 2028.

Japanese shochu producers have cottoned on to gin as a lucrative venture, with Piotr Poznanski, Research Director at IWSR saying “shochu producers…switching to gin should keep the category vibrant for years to come.”

What are your thoughts on these gin trends? Let me know by replying to this email or getting in touch through infodrinktothat@gmail.com

Cheers to you,

Jamie Ryder

Copywriter and Founder of Drink To That