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Record gin sales to U.S. a real tonic for British economy

Xinhua, April 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Exports to the United States of British beer, wine and gin were worth more than half a billion U.S. dollars in 2015, setting a new record, government statistics issued in London reveal.

Defra, the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, reported that U.S. sales of British produced alcoholic beverages earned 361 million pounds (520 million U.S. dollars) last year.

More than 125 million liters of beer were shipped to the United States in 2015 worth a record 164 million pounds, a 35 percent increase compared to 2014.

Enough gin to pour 580 million gin and tonics was enjoyed in the United States last year as exports rose 9 percent to a record 159 million pounds, thanks partly to a revival in artisan brands of gin.

Sales of English sparkling wine, which Defra says now rivals the very best French champagne, helped boost overall wine exports to the United States by 23 percent.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: "Business is booming for our iconic drink brand in the U.S.. It's fantastic to see brands so synonymous with British culture becoming the drinks of choice in bars, clubs and restaurants across the U.S.."

"We already export nearly two billion pounds of food and drink to the U.S. every year. I want to give our food and drink entrepreneurs every opportunity to drive up these figures, delivering jobs and prosperity in Britain," said Truss.

Miles Beale, CEO of the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA), said: "English wine is a fast growing industry with bold ambitions to boost production and open up new export opportunities."

"Like English wine our British gin is also experiencing a boom. We have seen an incredible rise in the number of distilleries set up in the last year with record breaking sales reaching one billion pounds," said Beale.

Britain is the biggest exporter of gin in the world, exporting to 139 countries. More than half of the gin (55 percent) produced in the UK is exported overseas, making up 70 percent of global supply, worth 421 million pounds in 2015.

The United States is Britain's biggest gin market, closely followed by Spain and Germany. (1 pound = 1.44 U.S. dollars) Endit