It wasn’t all that long ago that gin was seen as little more than the unfashionable bedfellow of tonic water. Fast forward a decade and it has now overtaken vodka as our favourite spirit.
LISA PIDDINGTON looks at its rise in popularity and chooses the most stylish varieties from HARVEY NICHOLS BIRMINGHAM.
From gin-themed events to a gin spa, the juniper-based spirit is impossible to miss as it fills bars, delis and supermarket shelves in abundance. It seems a new artisan brand is unveiled every week, with fruit-infused, organic and regional varieties leading the way.
Go back a decade though, and it was a very different story as the once hugely-popular tipple was seen as the unfashionable choice for a night out. Its growth over the last ten years, however, has been nothing short of phenomenal: In Britain, we bought just shy of 50million bottles of gin over the last year, up seven million on 2016; and we spent an incredible £36million in the week before Christmas 2017 alone. In turn, this has seen an explosion in the number of distilleries popping up around the county, more than doubling in the last five years. To put that into context, London now boasts more gin makers than the whole of England did in 2010.
Demand for the more niche gins created by artisan producers is certainly heading up its revival; infused with lavender, rose, pomegranate and even Turkish delight, these great-tasting options are appealing to a whole new generation of trendy drinkers.
All gins featured are available from the Wine Shop at Harvey Nichols Birmingham. Throughout June and July the luxury Mailbox store is offering a specially-themed Edinburgh Gin afternoon tea priced at £30 to include a choice of cocktail.
There will also be an Edinburgh Gin masterclass on Saturday July 14 at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, priced at £15 per person. For more information and to book, please call 0121 616 6028.
