This article was initially published in the March issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe – for 20% off in May – click here.
From a shot concept to a ‘multi-sensorial experience’, gin brand owners are upping their game to stand out in a crowded category. Jaq Bayles reports.
Gin’s journey from street-drink demon to top bar angel has been long. Who would have thought the spirit with such negative connotations that it inspired William Hogarth’s 1751 Gin Lane depiction of London squalor would eventually evolve into the darling of mixologists and the cool tipple for consumers the world over?
Of course, gins of today are a far cry from the ‘mother’s ruin’ that devastated sectors of British society in the 18th Century – your ‘botanicals’ back then would likely have been turpentine and sulphuric acid rather than cubeb pepper, grains of paradise or any of the other myriad ingredients possible today.
In recent years, the rise of craft distilleries along with the boom in home cocktail-making have combined to ensure gin’s popularity – and premiumisation – continues. But is there anything genuinely ‘new’ in this crowded market beyond flavoured and cask-aged versions, or weird and wonderful packaging?
Embracing no-alcohol opportunity
Dan Mettyear, research director at IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, believes so. “A big area of innovation within gin is no-alcohol alternatives," he says. "Gin lends itself very well to 0.0%, both in terms of the flavour profile and the occasions it is consumed, so we're likely to see a lot more innovation happening within the category going forward.”
Indeed, many of the big brands have released zero-alcohol extensions, Tanqueray and Gordon’s among them. But, there’s more to come in terms of flavour development too. “The use of local botanicals isn’t necessarily new, but it's still a prominent feature in flavour innovation,” says Mettyear. “It’s what makes gin so versatile, in that there are many ways to give it a local twist. We’ve also been seeing the introduction of more herbal or earthy flavours into gins.”
First gin designed to be a shot
One man believes he has broken totally new ground with his premium gin shot concept, Wattshot. Food scientist Stuart Logan came up with the idea in 2012, but the product was not released until 2021. Wattshot is made in France and the UK is its focus market, but it’s also available in Portugal, Spain, Germany and Latvia, and will soon roll out to India, Japan and Iceland.
The shot was born of Logan’s love for gin and cherry flavour and a desire to “disrupt an overcrowded market”. He came up with the concept when he was in his early 30s and “out partying and clubbing”. He continues: “At one point in the evening, you decide to have shots and shots always taste terrible. They either hurt you or they don’t taste nice - it’s just not an enjoyable experience.”
Wattshot’s goal is to overturn that negativity towards shots. “Most people love the taste, they’re overwhelmed by the fact that it doesn't burn when it goes down, even though it’s still 37% alcohol,” says Logan. “It does have a sweetness to it, which obviously is from sugar, but that’s taking away the burn. It has a floral bouquet of cherry blossoms, which comes through at the back of the throat. And then, most importantly, the taste is actually unique. There are several botanicals apart from the gin botanical process, and there are some plant extracts that give an incredible mouthfeel.”
The shot can also be utilised in a Gin & Tonic serve and several cocktail recipes have been created for it too. Going forward, Logan plans to eventually extend Wattshot across other spirits categories, including at some point an alcohol-free version.
Tapping the coffee trend
From a world-first concept to capitalising on one of the world’s biggest beverage flavour trends: coffee. With ReportLinker forecasting that the global coffee market will see a CAGR of 7.6% from 2022 to 2027 - to reach US$167. 51bn in 2027 - it’s no surprise that producers such as France’s Distilleries et Domaines de Provence are looking for ways to incorporate coffee into their NPD. But, according to the distiller’s export & duty free manager, Jean-Pierre Trouillet, Coffee Gin XII is “not another flavoured gin”.
“Coffee Gin XII is a genuine innovation, which succeeded in pairing juniper and coffee for a fresh, gourmet and deliciously surprising result,” he explains. The release was prompted by “a real craze for the development of coffee flavour, through new coffee liqueurs and in cocktails using it, such as the Espresso Martini or the Cold-Brew Negroni. “Bartenders often create variations on classic cocktails and Coffee Gin XII benefits from this.”
While the product is “very premium in terms of quality and packaging”, Trouillet believes it aims to be “reasonably premium” while keeping an SRP that allows the “greatest number of people to enjoy a good gin without having to pay too much".
"We don’t want to be in the luxury [segment], we want to be in the quality [segment]”.
The last couple of years have seen other gin producers tap the coffee trend: UK brands Sipsmith, Lava Spirits, Shetland Reel Co, Piston Distillery and Samara Gin have all launched coffee-infused or -flavoured expressions, as has Nao Spirits, owner of Indian craft gins Hapusa and Greater Than.
Flavours still driving growth
Whether brands are attempting to own new consumption occasions or follow flavour trends, is gin NPD in danger of being dismissed as gimmicky in the battle to stand apart? “There is space for many more expressions in gin,” says Trouillet. “However, only products that provide added value will resist the saturation of the market.”
Māris Kalniņš, global portfolio director for mixology at Amber Beverage Group, agrees. “Flavoured gins are here to stay. Despite the fact that growth is slowing, the segment remains a large market. In addition to product quality, packaging and originality of the liquid, brand awareness and distribution power are playing an important role in the potential success of new expressions. It’s challenging for new, smaller regional brands to break into the global gin market and that’s why the combination of having the right brand and the right distributor is crucial to success.”
Last year, Amber's Cross Keys gin released a new packaging design and “other visual attributes, making the brand more contemporary and globally appealing”. The Nordic gin’s most recent flavour extension was two years ago: “We launched a sour and refreshing Sea Buckthorn flavoured gin combined with the sweetness of linden blossom and chamomile,” continues Kalniņš. “We wanted to offer something original to demanding gin consumers and continue to produce an array of exciting expressions in this range.
“The flavoured gin segment still is driving category growth and it was largely this that prompted us to expand the Cross Keys Gin portfolio. Our Sea Buckthorn expression stands out among other flavoured gin brands with its orange liquid and refreshing sour touch.” It also comes in a distinctive white clay bottle to aid shelf standout.
Seasonal and ‘sensorial’
Meanwhile, Zamora Co's Martin Miller's gin focuses on seasonality to entice consumers, launching ‘new expressions’ of its Summerful and Winterful extensions every year.
“These seasonal releases are inspired by Martin Miller’s dual heritage, which sees English distilled gin blended with Icelandic spring water for its signature smooth taste and mouthfeel,” says global brand manager Arturo Illan. “Our seasonal edition gins explore summer and winter flavours and we release each expression according to the Icelandic seasons, which follow the old Norse calendar - 21 April for summer and 22 October for winter.”
Meanwhile, Santa Ana Gin, which launched last year, has an eye on being a “multi-sensorial experience”. Brand founder AJ Garcia says this means “merging the qualities of a luxurious floral-forward liquid alongside the romance of a retro-nostalgic Manila”
Garcia explains: “Santa Ana Gin is a tribute to the splendour of 1920s Manila, Philippines, celebrating the city’s vibrant history and the country’s lush eco-diversity. Once an Art Deco city by the bay, Manila was the home of the Santa Ana Cabaret, once the largest in the world.”
The spirit’s combination of seven “traditional gin botanicals distilled alongside four indigenous Philippine botanicals - Ylang-Ylang, Alpinia, Calamansi and Dalandan - result in a rich, textured gin with a beautiful, distinct floral bouquet and palate”.
From a shot concept to new flavours to a “multi-sensorial experience”, clearly gin still has the ability to broaden its reach, with botanical additions still to the fore - and, thankfully, not a hint of turpentine or sulphuric acid.
This article was initially published in the March issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe – for 20% off in May – click here.
