Britain’s thirst for gin sees the nation glug its way through a record 73million bottles last year

 Whether flavoured with chilli and ginger or strawberries and cream, it seems there is no end to the varieties of gin on offer in our supermarkets these days.

And as our love affair with the spirit continues to rise, we glugged our way through a record 73 million bottles last year, figures show.

Sales topped a ‘staggering’ £2billion in 2018 – almost doubling in two years, according to a report by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

Figures show that takings peaked in the run-up to Mothering Sunday over the past two years, suggesting gin – which earned the nickname ‘mother’s ruin’ in the 18th century – is a popular gift for mums.

Between January and March 2017, UK stores sold 6.4 million bottles, of which 2.6 million – 41 per cent – were sold in March.

In the same period last year, 52 per cent were sold that month. The latest figures show that sales of gin over the 12-week Christmas period were up 40 per cent on the same time last year. During the whole of 2018, Britons bought more than 73 million bottles of gin, worth £2.1billion and breaking all previous records.

WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: ‘The truly staggering rise in gin sales shows that British gin is gaining more and more fans by the day. And we fully expect to see sales rise again in March this year, just as they did last year.

‘It’s high time gin’s new status and reputation were celebrated and supported by Government, which should be offering more support for British gin exports and a less taxing duty regime, both of which fail to support our entrepreneurial and innovative distillers.’

In the 18th century, gin earned the nickname ‘mother’s ruin’, possibly because of its popularity