New research has backed up what we already know here at Craft Gin Club - that the whole country is undergoing a gin renaissance, with UK gin sales expected to pass £1 billion in 2015.

Overall, one third (33%) of adult Brits have drunk gin in the past 12 months, helping us to get through 29 million litres of gin as a nation. It really does make us feel quite patriotic!

The research, from consumer trends experts Mintel, also shows that gin popularity is growing fastest among younger drinkers, with 42% of so-called ‘millennials’ –  those between 18 and 34 – having drunk gin in the last year, compared to 27% of over-45s.

Mintel predicts that sales will only keep rising over the coming years and are expected to hit £1.31 billion by 2020.

The rise of gin is in part being driven by the growth in the numbers of craft producers which, as we ow, means this isn’t just about being trendy, but also about wanting to drink something that tastes great!

Craft gin is driving the renaissance

“The strong performance of gin continues to stand out within the spirits market, and is widely seen as the most sophisticated type of white spirit by category users”, said Chris Wisson, senior drinks analyst at Mintel.

Whereas gin used to be known as ‘Mother’s Ruin’ and be seen as old fashioned, Wisson continued: “our research indicates that gin is in fact now most likely to be drunk by younger consumers, suggesting that it has a chance to forge a dynamic image and move into even more innovative areas.”

Here at Craft Gin Club, we’re certainly excited to see what innovations the new breed of craft gin producers has in store - we’re certainly looking forward to bringing our members some more unique fruits of this vibrant industry throughout 2016 and beyond!