Gin exports tonic for British economy on World Gin Day

Gin has given the British economy a real tonic Saturday on World Gin Day with exports hitting 607 million U.S. dollars a year.

As lovers of the juniper-flavored spirit worldwide toast World Gin Day on Saturday with a classic gin and tonic, Britain's Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss revealed exports of the national spirit had reach a new record.

Truss said exports of top-class British-made gin have risen by 37 percent in the past five years, with sales to 139 countries and regions over the five years bringing 2.74 billion U.S. dollars to the country's growing economy.

Britain is the biggest exporter of gin in the world with 70 percent of the gin going to discerning drinkers overseas.

The British spirit once nicknamed "mother's ruin" has become the sophisticated tipple of choice for cocktail fans across the world, featuring in specialist gin bars from Melbourne to Madrid and to Hong Kong.

Premium gin brands like Tanqueray No. 10 and Hendrick's now account for over a quarter of the British gin market, with sales of premium bottles up nearly 50 percent in the two years to 2014.

It has fuelled a host of British micro-distilleries to create superior spirits to feed the global taste for gin. It was pioneered by Sipsmith, which in 2009 became the first new copper distillery to open its doors in London since 1820.

A spokesman for Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said Saturday: "Today there are more than 35 established micro-distilleries across the UK, and new ventures are springing up every month. Shops and bars around the world now feature small batch British gins concocted in boutique distilleries from Edinburgh to Newquay alongside household names like Gordon's, Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire."

Truss said: "Our gin will be enjoyed around the world thanks to the vision and innovation of our distillers, who have pioneered a global revival of this quintessentially British drink. It's fantastic to see so many new British businesses making first-rate products for export, contributing to our long term economic plan and helping to build a strong economy here in the UK."

Nicholas Cook, Director General of the Gin Guild, which lists the details of 80 different types of UK gin in its online "Ginopedia", said: "Gin is a firmly-established part of British culture, dating way back to the early 17th century. Some of our distilleries have been producing gin since then." Endit