Ginning Up
Gin Is ‘In’ Despite a Flood of Spirits Competition

    With our gin, the on-premise world would be a different place. Try to imagine a parallel cocktail universe without the classic Martini or the Gin & Tonic and all of the evolution and innovation that these two cocktail stars have inspired in the bargain.
    Take away the English beef eaters and the notorious Chicago speakeasies where patrons once risked arrest to wet their whistles, and the contemporary highball scene would be a much less cosmopolitan and not nearly as profitable a place in which to work and thrive. In the absence of gin, the behind-the-bar experience, too, likely would not be anywhere near as much fun or as challenging for bartenders and mixologists.
    In spite of a history that has witnessed an attempt by the English government to tax gin out of existence early in the 18th century, not to mention the more recent Prohibition era’s attempt to do gin in on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, there is nary a crimp in the supply and the style and the global flow of gin these days. Contrary to the predictions and the belief among some spirits watchers that gin gradually might fade out and lose market share to its alter ego vodka cousin –– overall gin sales are showing no sign of declining.

Gin Renaissance
    Instead, “Gin has had a renaissance,” says Edwin Atkinson, director general of the Gin & Vodka Association of the United Kingdom. “You have to start by appreciating that the indications were that it was going to lose market share. It has not. (And) there are many more super premium and premium gins coming on the market ... doing well.”
    This cheery assessment of the state of gin from a European country known for its great gin brands — from Gordon’s to Beefeaters to Bombay — is corroborated by sales figures for gin in the huge American market as well.
    Only lower-end gin sales have dipped, if ever so slightly, in America, where in 2004 nearly 11 million 9-liter cases of gin were sold, generating more than $869 million in revenue for distillers, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
    “At retail, this volume was worth around $2.7 billion (including restaurant and tavern sales),” the Distilled Spirits Council’s Shawn Starbuck Kelley says. “Reflecting Americans’ desire to drink better, super-premium brands drove growth –– increasing 7.2 percent in both volume and revenue.”
    A recent report from the International Wine & Spirits Record concludes that far from a spirit in decline, gin futures are pointing up. “Gin has a very bright future, if marketed actively.” With steady consumption levels established in Europe, America and Asia, the IWSR goes on to predict that gin’s mixability, healthability, cocktailability and refreshability could put the category in an enviable position of reaching 65 million cases over the next 10 years.

New Gin Sins
    If half the fun of ginning up in the era of Prohibition was just being in an illegal club where two kinds of gin — bad and worse — were proudly served, the good times now are in the glass in swank new gin joints where gin poster kids Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall would feel right at home.
    The typical gin drinker of 19th and early 20th century would not recognize many of the premium and super-premium gin brands leading the profit charge. Along with established brands such as Broker’s and Seagram’s — a stalwart in bar profitability and stability for generations — gin brands such as Miller’s, Plymouth and Quintessential Q Gin, named the smoothest super-premium by the Beverage Tasting Institute, are winning over more discerning patrons with new distillation processes and some novel botanical additions.
    “It is the most fun to work with,” says Julie Reiner, owner of Manhattan’s Flatiron Lounge, in reference to a gin category and a gin spirit that has become a cornerstone of her considerable success. “It is challenging. There is so much you can do with a gin cocktail. We certainly gravitate toward it.”
The Flatiron Lounge offers such gin-inspired sips as the Corpse Reviver, a gin classic that cries out for Plymouth gin in Reiner’s expert estimation. Other Flatiron Lounge originals include the Juniper Breeze, made with Plymouth and Elderflower with a citrus blend, and the Hibiscus Swizzle, consisting of gin with a blend of exotic South African berries and a drizzle of Hibiscus syrup.
    Reiner tends to let the individual cocktail determine the brand of gin poured. “Certain gins work better in certain cocktails,” she says.
    Plymouth is one house favorite for its smoothness and its fresh juniper and lemony taste in a proof that is lower than Tanqueray. For other standout cocktails, Reiner likes Hendricks for its unique addition of cucumber as a different kind of botanical. And for drinks that call for higher proofs, she allows that few brands top Tanqueray. It is really about education and coaxing, Reiner says. “A lot of people try gin with tonic. But, they have not given it a proper shot.
    “At Flatiron, we try to educate people, she says. “Instead of a Cosmo, we suggest a gin cocktail such as a Southside or a Gin Mojito that is very approachable to someone who likes vodka. We give a money back guarantee. Order the Gin Mojito, and if you hate it, I will give you the Cosmo.” In the end, Reiner says, “Less than a half of a percent want the Cosmo.”      NCB