Gin has undoubtedly been the hero of the UK spirits scene in recent years. From 190 gin distilleries in 2015, there are now 820 across the UK – and this number rose by 110 in just the last year alone, contradicting reports that gin fever has reached saturation point.

But while our appetite for home-grown gin remains strong, British drinks producers are taking ‘ginspiration’ from its success and looking to replicate it with other spirits. Here, Steve Bradley, sales director for distilling, bottling and packaging machinery supplier AVE UK, part of the Della Toffola Group, outlines his key spirits trends to watch out for, and reveals the bottling and distilling solutions that can help producers stand out from the competition in a crowded marketplace.

Ginnovation

Consumers have purchased bottled gin in the millions – 80 million to be precise, in the year ending March 2021 alone! It’s fair to say that our national obsession with filling our home bars with multiple varieties of bottled British gin, which peaked during the pandemic, is starting to wane. But drinkers have not yet had their fill; instead, they’re looking for novel and exciting ways to enjoy their favourite spirit, prompting a rise in innovative gin-based beverages.

The ready-to-drink (RTD) market is particularly buoyant. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association reported that RTD sales in the UK off-trade rose 23% in 2020 alone, equating to a total spend of £412 million – almost double the value of RTDs compared to five years previously. 

Canned gin cocktails now come in a wide variety – from the classic dry gin and tonic to modern twists such as gin with rhubarb and ginger to gin liqueurs mixed with sparkling wine. These convenient, on-the-go offerings have proved hugely popular since people emerged from the pandemic and returned to in-person socialising, and this summer’s hot, dry weather has only furthered our appetite for al fresco drinking. The trend for gin-based RTDs looks set to continue, with ever-more innovative flavour options as well as low sugar and low alcohol alternatives ensuring that gin remains top of the spirits chart, whether at home, in the pub, or on the go.

For gin distillers, keeping up with the latest trends is crucial to maintaining brand position in such a saturated market. But for many of the UK distilleries at the smaller or craft end of the industry, cost can be a limiting factor. To support these producers, AVE UK now offers small to medium-sized canning lines at an affordable cost, with the ability to produce up to 20,000 cans per hour. This enables even small-scale gin distillers to diversify their key offering and stay ahead of the pack as consumer tastes evolve. 

Next-generation whisky 

Already world-renowned and favoured by those who enjoy the finer things in life, Scotch whisky has long been one of our leading overseas success stories, accounting for 21% of all UK food and drink exports. But to ensure it remains relevant and successful for years to come, whisky producers are now looking to target a younger generation, too.

With its quality and purity in no doubt, the emphasis here is less on tinkering with the spirit itself and more about elevating its look to appeal to design-conscious millennials. ‘Dressed’ bottles that offer variation in labelling and orientation are becoming increasingly popular and helping whisky to shed its dusty Gentleman’s club image and stand out on the shelf. This change in marketing approach is expected to herald a resurgence in whisky drinking, with it set to rival gin as the go-to spirit of choice in the next few years.

But as well as meeting the needs of a more youthful customer base, whisky producers also need to balance the requirements of consumers from different countries, given its status as a premium export product. Appealing to such a wide demographic while also ensuring that key traditional customers are kept happy can be an expensive challenge. To this end, AVE UK offers smaller bottling and labelling lines that enable producers to remain flexible and create a range of different, unique ‘looks’ to appeal to international markets, hipsters and traditional customers alike. Accommodating both glass and PET, these adaptable lines will ensure that whisky producers can keep their core market happy while introducing a new generation to one of our greatest exports.

Rum

Ahead of whisky when it comes to upgrading its image is rum. Popular brands such as Kraken and Dead Man’s Fingers were quick to recognise the appeal of innovative bottling and labelling among younger drinkers and have established themselves as key players in the market, largely as a result of their unique and memorable designs.

This trend away from standard 750ml glass bottles towards eye-catching, funkier shapes has helped to position rum as a key trend in the world of spirits. A renowned Caribbean export, the number of rum brands in the UK has gone from 50 in 2009 to over 200 in 2021. And as many British spirits producers are now starting to realise, it’s a delightfully untemperamental drink to create – if you’ve got a line that can handle one spirit, the chances are it will be able to handle rum, too.

For distillers looking to capitalise on rum’s popularity, ensuring your line is flexible and adaptable enough to meet the unique bottling designs associated with the drink’s modern incarnation is key. To support this, AVE UK offers a combined rinser-filler-capper with a universally adjustable star wheel. This allows producers to create multiple different round bottle varieties of between 50-110mm in diameter without needing to purchase a different part for each one, ensuring they can stay at the front of the pack when it comes to design innovation.

As well as small-medium canning lines, flexible bottling lines and versatile rinser-filler-cappers, AVE UK represents Italian equipment partner Frilli, which specialises in the design, construction and refitting of bespoke distillation plants. Its high-quality copper and stainless-steel distilling solutions are ideal for the production of whisky, gin, rum, brandy, vodka and other spirits. For more information on any of AVE UK’s distilling, bottling, filling or labelling solutions, contact steve.bradley@aveuk.net or visit www.aveuk.net