Prohibition may have re-invented drinking in America but it seriously didn’t do gin any favours. It may have been one of the easiest spirits for bootleggers to create, but it was often done so badly that it was hardly recognisable. In fact a majority of gin cocktails that were created at that time had one mission, and that was to disguise the taste of gin.
Understandably, once Prohibition was over, the Americans decided to leave gin to the English but a century later, the American taste for gin has returned. It seems that even the adopted country of Harry Houdini couldn’t escape Gin for long.
PIN ITMelissa Katrincic, president and CEO of Durham Distillery
And as the number of small, independent distillers increases , so does the demand for an association that could ‘progress the affinity and passion for the gin category in the US’ and bring together craft distillers who are ‘seeking to advance’ the sector.
And with that knowledge, the co-owners of North Carolina-based Durham Distillery have established a new organisation in response to the demand for juniper-based spirits in the States.
As the website for the association states, “The goal of the U.S. Gin Association is to celebrate the passion for and innovation within this growing category through education and share the wonderful new things U.S. gin distillers bring to the market each year. The demand for U.S.-distilled gin is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years; as such, this association will be a source of expertise.”
Organized by a handful of pioneering craft distilleries, the U.S. Gin Association will share the wonderful new things U.S. gin distillers bring to the market each year through education and other programming.
The Association currentkly has eight charter members – all of them distillers who make at least one expression of gin – including:
- Black Button Distilling (Rochester, NY)
- Caledonia Distilling (distillers of Barr Hill Gin, Montpelier, VT)
- Freeland Spirits (Portland, OR)
- Golden Moon Distillery (Golden, CO)
- Gray Whale Gin (Sebastopol, California)
- Philadelphia Distilling (distillers of Bluecoat Gin, Philadelphia, PA)
- Revivalist Gins (Elverson, PA)
- Watershed Distillery (Columbus, OH)
“With the exponential trend and enthusiasm in the U.S. market for gin over the past several years, the U.S. Gin Association is a natural answer and extension to the U.S. gin-aissance,” said Melissa Katrincic, co-owner, President & CEO of Durham Distillery.
“As more gins are being distilled in the U.S., this Association will be a source of expertise and celebration, ensuring education for both the industry and our consumers on the latest trends, data and future of the U.S. Gin category.”
The demand for U.S.-distilled Gin is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. A couple of category highlights include:
- Total global gin consumption is expected to rise 4.4% during the period 2018-2023, according to the IWSR’s forecasts.
- Per DISCUS, there has been year over year growth for 2019 – 2020 for the entire gin category, and, the premium, high-end premium and super premium categories increased in gross revenue by 6.3%, 7.7% and 8.7% respectively.
The Association is calling for any interested U.S. gin distillers to contact the organization about membership opportunities.
For more information, go to usginassociation.com
