Speciality Drinks Embraces The Gin-aissance

This summer, Speciality Drinks was very proud to win Think Gin’s Best Gin Wholesaler.

We’ve been championing gin for several years now, shouting not just about our established favourites – many of which were still relatively unknown just a short time ago – but also finding up-and-coming distillers and producers from all over the world.

Our focus has always been on searching out those people making exceptional spirit, and using remarkable botanicals to create truly delicious drinks – the very things which have elevated gin to the point at which we see it today and, over time, given the category the impressive diversity and authenticity upon which its success has been built.

Our buyer Dawn Davies MW turns away far more gins than she takes on, so you can be sure that anything on the Speciality Drinks list is well worth a place on any back bar. 

Gin growth over the course of the last half a decade has been astronomical. While premium spirits in general – particularly rum, single malt whisky and agave spirits like Tequila and mezcal – have seen an increase in popularity, few categories have been able to match gin for the sheer proliferation of quality and variety. Now, with low-ABV alternatives and botanical spirits coming to the fore, it seems safe to say that the only way is up for gin and its siblings.

In 2019, Speciality Drinks stocked over 600 gins, including old favourites and brand new spirits from craft distilleries in the UK and Ireland, and lots more from across the globe – Nikka Coffey and Roku from Japan, Geometric and Pienaar & Son from South Africa, Manly Spirits Australian gin, plus an ever-widening selection from across Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand, the Americas and beyond.

And that’s before you delve in to the world of old and rare gins that are being used to create delicious vintage Negronis and the like.

As we move forward into 2020 and Speciality Drinks’ third decade supplying the finest drinks, we can’t wait to see what else our favourite producers – and gin as a category – have in store for us.