Similar to any other consumer product, there are traceable trends within the alcoholic drink market. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that, in recent years, gin has well and truly taken over. In fact, gin revenue in the UK alone amounts to US$3.47 billion in 2022 and is expected to continue growing at 16.58% annually (CAGR 2022-2025), with average consumption per person 1.07 litres in 2022.[1]
So, will this reign last forever? Gunners Cocktails, and their brand-new rum-based Sinner cocktail, think not.
Gin might be ‘King of the hill’ but, as with any trend, this cannot endure indefinitely. Indeed, despite a slight resurgence in premium gin, total sales in value of non-flavoured gin have fallen by 46.6% compared to 2021 and total sales in value of flavoured gin have fallen by 26.6% – it appears gin may have had its heyday.[2]
As this trade fatigue persists, room has been made in the market for a worthy successor. Over the last three years, UK rum producers have notably increased and the UK rum market has become the third largest in the world.[3] [4] This year, rum sales in the UK topped £1 billion making up 13% of the whole spirits category.[5]
The stage is set. Gin is by no means old news, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t space for a new captain in town.
Operators have taken notice of this growing trend, with innovative breakout cocktail brand, Gunner Cocktails, releasing a hotly anticipated alcoholic sequel to its non-alcoholic canned cocktail, The Saint, named The Sinner – featuring the same effervescent mix of ginger, bitters and lime but with the added lift of rum.
Sales of pre-mixed drinks between 2016 and 2021 grew by over 220%. Giles Fuchs, serial entrepreneur and owner of the iconic Burgh Island Hotel, took notice. After finishing a round of golf with friends in 2016, he ordered a round of Gunners cocktails and wondered, ‘why isn’t this in a can…?’
This product speaks to the versatility of rum as a spirit. One of the main reasons gin has seen such a renaissance in recent years is its ability to compliment and complete a whole host of flavour combinations. Rum also possesses this quality, able to be ‘dressed up’ in premium beverages, like the Gunner Sinner, but also appealing to consumers more widely as a club and bar staple.
Leveraging the flexibility of rum has seen brands such as Gunner Cocktails flourish. Indeed, Gunner is forecasted growth of 500% in 2023. The company’s 21st Century twist on the 1843 classic dark and stormy cocktail is already stocked at the Hurlingham Club, The Guards Polo Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, looking at home in Rafael Nadal’s hands earlier this year. What more reason do you need to increase stock of rum products, like The Sinner?
We are excited to see this new trend take further shape and look forward to seeing where innovative brands decide to take the spirit in the coming year as more consumers choose the dark stuff every day.
[1] https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/alcoholic-drinks/spirits/gin/united-kingdom
[2] https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2022/03/03/sales-of-gin-decrease-by-38.5-compared-to-2019#:~:text=Total%20sales%20in%20value%20for,%25%20and%208.5%25%20respectively%20quarterly.
[3] https://spiritsbeacon.com/features/insight/the-rise-of-uk-rum
[4] https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2022/05/03/how-popular-is-rum
[5] https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2022/07/25/uk-rum-sales-reach-one-billion-pounds
