British drinkers bought 40 million bottles of gin in 2016, enough to make over 1 billion gin and tonics! We say cheers to that!

Gin sales in the UK are going from strength to strength and according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) sales increased “dramatically” in the tax year to April 2017, delivering double digit growth.

According to Nick King from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust “The well documented renaissance is far from slowing down, with early movers such as Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick’s and Sipsmith making enormous in-roads. Production and demand are in strong growth, which inevitably attracts more people to the party.”

Gin sales, which grew at 12% over the last 12 months, has fuelled a surge in the number of distilleries, with 40 opening in 2016 alone.

Pete Cameron, co-founder of The Dyfi artisan distillery in Wales said “There is obviously now far more variety available in the gin market and more people are getting interested, it’s becoming a self-sustaining thing. But actually I think we are now producing for a demand that was always there.”

Tax revenues from sales of spirits have overtaken those from beer for the first time amid record sales of gin, according to HM Revenue & Customs.

To support the rapid growth of the gin market AirPack has launched protective inflatable packaging specifically designed for both small and large gin bottles, helping to keep as many of those 40 million bottles in the best condition. For more information on our range of gin bottle packaging, contact our sales team on 01256 300 480.