Gin is a category in transition. The widespread opportunities that defined it during the 2014-2019 gin boom are generally behind us, but the global picture hardly tells this story. Between 2023 and 2024, global gin volumes grew by 2% according to the latest IWSR figures. So far, so unremarkable. But dig a little deeper and the landscape quickly becomes fractured.

Globally, there are pockets of rampant growth. The world’s largest gin brand, Ginebra San Miguel, based in the world’s largest gin market, the Philippines, grew by over 16% in 2024, selling more than 42 million nine-litre cases in the process according to Drinks International’s most recent Millionaires’ Report.

India too represents a huge opportunity for the category. Value forecasts from Indian-based market research firm Coherent Market Insights estimates a 7.4% compound annual growth rate between 2025 and 2032 in the world’s most populous market.

But while there are regions of optimism, many of the longest-established markets tell a different story. Gin may have been born in the Netherlands, but since 1689 – when William of Orange became king of England and encouraged the production and consumption of gin as an alternative to French brandy – its home has been the UK.

In more recent times, the formation of gin brand Sipsmith in 2009 has been pointed to as the catalyst of the UK’s craft spirits industry. Thanks to gin, by 2018 there were more distilleries in England than Scotland and, by 2020, figures from HM Revenue & Customs and the Wine & Spirit Trade Association revealed 563 registered distilleries in the UK, a record high.

But as is so often the case with the more intense variety of love affair, the fallout has been dramatic. According to the IWSR, in the UK between 2023 and 2024, gin declined year on year by 13%. That’s more than any of the 12 other major spirits sub-categories and almost twice the rate of decline of the total spirits category, which fell by 7% in the same period.

So, is gin no longer welcome in its adopted homeland? No, of course that’s not the case – what we’re seeing is a reassessment of the category at scale.

“The gin boom introduced a lot of people to the category, and it brought huge creativity and variety,” says Nikolas Fordham, master distiller and general manager at Ramsbury Single Estate. “Since then, we’ve noticed a shift – people are looking for depth, transparency and great flavour. They want to know how and where their gin is made, and whether the brand aligns with their values. Gin lovers are still out there – they’re just choosing with more intention.” That final point is important. The gin boom created a consumer base of drinkers who know what it is they want from their gin. “Up until 2019 people were really interested in trying a broad range of different styles of gin, even when the level of flavouring meant that the taste had evolved so far in terms of strong flavours that it was barely recognisable as gin,” says Howard Davies, co-founder and director of Salcombe Distilling Co, which launched in 2016.

“Having tried many gins, most consumers have now settled on what they established as their favourite during this time and, more often than not, this is a preference for the more classic styles such as London Dry – true gins without bright colouring. We are seeing strong demand for very good quality, classic styles of gin with very little or no flavouring. London Dry standard gins are dead centre in terms of desire, especially in classic cocktails such as Negronis and Martinis. I believe the strengthening resurgence of the London Dry is ultimately good for the gin category in general and will ensure its longevity.”

While the US has never quite fallen head over heels for the category like the UK, it does love its cocktails and it remains the world’s third-largest gin market just behind the Philippines and Nigeria, according to the IWSR and Redburn Atlantic. But like in the UK, that relationship is changing.

“According to DISCUS data, the gin category has declined by approximately 19% since 2019,” says Zach Poelma, senior vice president of supplier strategy & insights at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Historically, gin was a category that over-indexed with older consumers – they primarily consumed mid-priced and premium-priced gins. This is where over 70% of the category consumption was if we go back seven to 10 years.  However, more recently, most of the growth has come from Gen Z and Millennial consumers who have gravitated towards the versatility of cocktails where gin tends to do well.

“[While the category has declined] the super-premium category has grown by 187% [since 2019] and is now nearly 700,000 cases [according to DISCUS]. While it declined by about 2.5% in 2024, this still outpaced most other spirits price tiers as consumers continue to trade up from some of the lower price tiers.”

Continued momentum

Gin brands are finding room to grow at luxury price points, an area that has remained almost untapped.

“While the broader gin category may be experiencing some contraction, we’re seeing continued momentum in the super-premium gin category,” says Olly Horner, co-founder of the Morocco-inspired, copper pot-distilled Palmaráe. “These styles of gin are often distinguished by their quality ingredients, provenance and unique distillation methods. These seem to be resonating with consumers who are drinking less but better.

“Brands that are avoiding the downturn are typically those that have a clear sense of identity and communicate it consistently. Gins that speak to their target audience in a genuine, relatable voice, followed by aspirational storytelling and strong visual identity, seem to be cutting through the noise. In short, it’s not just about what’s in the bottle, it’s about the world the brand invites you into. That’s where we’re seeing the strongest performance.”

While the super-premium-and-above section of the market is proving increasingly popular, it’s a relatively small portion. In the US for example, DISCUS data reveals that super-premium-and-above gin is about 27% of the category, for tequila it’s almost double the figure. While there are plenty of brands, like Tanqueray 10, that have found a large audience at higher price points, the category has never had a luxury makeover like vodka had with the arrival of Belvedere and Grey Goose.

There’s still plenty of room for gin, even if the market isn’t as feverish as it was a decade ago. It seems there’s demand for even new brands that can fulfil traditional roles, satisfy premium and tell a story. Take Ukiyo, a range of Japanese gins that, according to the IWSR, are the fastest-growing imported brand in the UK.

“Around 18 months ago, we set out a clear market focus for Ukiyo, concentrating our efforts on the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore,” says Ryan McFarland, chief commercial & strategy officer at Drinksology Kirker Greer, which owns the Ukiyo portfolio.

“In the UK, significant growth across both retail and the on-trade has fuelled a strong pipeline of opportunities, even in the face of a challenging economic and category backdrop. In Australia, we’re now building on our solid retail partnership with the addition of a dedicated on-premise partner, while in Ireland, Singapore and New Zealand, all have local distribution and retail partnerships in place, and momentum is building nicely.

“While the explosive growth of the gin category between 2014 and 2019 is now normalising in mature markets, it’s important to recognise that gin still holds significant global relevance and scale. The long-term compound annual growth rate remains positive, and several developing markets have yet to reach full potential.

“It’s certainly not as bleak as some might suggest, but there’s no doubt that brands now need to work harder to connect with consumers and drive category value than they did a decade ago.”