Renowned for being a drink of choice among older generations, gin is making a resurgence in Australia.
Called one of the ‘fastest growing spirits’ in the country, the alcoholic beverage’s popularity has reportedly grown by almost 20 per cent in the last three years.
The drink – derived from juniper berries – has spawned numerous new concoctions, with hundreds of thousands of cases being sold each year.
Renowned for being a drink of choice among older generations, gin is making a resurgence in Australia (stock image)
Speaking with Daily Mail Australia, Southtrade International’s marketing director Fraser Lockwood said sales of the spirit had been through the roof.
‘Gin has been in the fastest growing spirits category in Australia for the last three years,’ he said.
‘We are now selling over half a million cases per year and still growing.
Mr Lockwood added that gin drinkers had turned to the beverage thanks to the ‘extra flavours’ and ‘versatility’ it offered.
He said: ‘You’re seeing a younger demographic of twenty-somethings drinking gin when previously there “go to” may have been vodka or wine.’
‘All major London Dry Gin brands are well distributed across Australia and just as excitingly we have great local gin distilleries popping up too – driving even greater interest in the category.’
Called one of the ‘fastest growing spirits’ in the country, the alcoholic beverage’s popularity has reportedly grown by almost 20 per cent in the last three years
Southtrade International’s marketing director Fraser Lockwood told Daily Mail Australia sales of the spirit had been high, totalling more than half a million cases each year
According to a Roy Morgan survey, gin drinking is indeed on the rise in Australia, with 633,000 adults enjoying the beverage in 2010 and more than 860,000 preferring the spirit in 2015.
Andrew Price, the General Manager of Consumer Products said that the popularity of the drink had ‘increased across all age groups,’ with it becoming the second most popular white spirit.
‘However brand preferences vary greatly across different age groups,’ he said.
James Hayman, a fifth-generation distiller for Hayman’s Gin, said that more than 97 per cent of the gin consumed in Australia is imported,
‘There is a real appetite and thirst for knowledge about this great tipple,’ he said.
However, the number of local distilleries are also growing, with up to 100 in the country, according to the ABC.
James Hayman (pictured), a fifth-generation distiller for Hayman’s Gin, said that more than 97 per cent of the gin consumed in Australia is imported and that there was a ‘real appetite’ for the spirit
With the surge in popularity, Hayman’s Gin(pictured) has been embarking on new ways to bring the spirit to the public, including their upcoming Hayman’s Supper Club event
‘The Australian gin industry is more than double the size it was two years ago, and I think more than double the size it was four years before that,’ Stu Gregor from the Australian Distillers Association told the publication.
With the surge in popularity, Hayman’s Gin has been embarking on new ways to bring the spirit to the public.
Their latest offering is a special Gin Supper Club, combining the alcoholic beverage with flavoursome meals at Sydney’s iconic pub The Lord Dudley.
‘It is a great way to show consumers how a good gin can complement your dining experience, a role that was once traditionally held by wine,’ Mr Lockwood said.
More information can be found on the The Lord Dudley’s website here.