Brockmans is leading the pack in the UK’s “gin-aissance”
The UK's "gin-aissance" has gone from strength-to-strength, if the results of the UK's fastest-growing, super-premium gin brand Brockmans are anything to go by.
The figures
Total revenue at the super-premium gin distiller was up 51 per cent to £2.9m in the year to 31 December, from £1.9m in 2014. UK revenue increased 185 per cent last year.
The company, which distills its drinks in the UK using 11 botanicals, expanded into 12 markets last year including Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg. It is now present in 20 markets in Europe and North America.
Sales volumes reached more than 22,000 nine-litre cases, equivalent to nine million single measures.
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The company signed new supply agreements with Greene King and Taylor Walker last year, and was dubbed the fastest-growing super-premium gin by volume in the UK by drinks wholesaler LWC.
Brockmans has also been named the fastest-growing super-premium gin in Spain by AC Nielsen and is poised to speed up growth in the country after signing a new distribution agreement with Osborne SA in May.
Why it's interesting
Brockmans and many other craft distillers have been riding on the wave of the "gin-aissance" in the UK spirits markets in the last couple of years.
A boom in demand for boutique and artisan gin pushed sales of the drink to just short of £1bn last year, though many expect it to break the £1bn mark in 2016.
Read more: Ima-gin that: British gin broke all sales records in 2015
According to accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, 28 new distilleries opened in England last year.
Worldwide, the premium-and-above spirits market grew five per cent in 2015, according to alcohol analysis firm IWSR.
What Brockmans said
Chief executive and co-founder Neil Everitt said:
The business is absolutely flying. Drinking habits have changed dramatically in the last five years in our largest markets, and there have been winners and losers from this. The premium end of the gin market has been one of the biggest beneficiaries and is enjoying rapid growth.
Consumers in key markets, such as the UK, Spain and the US, are drinking out less but trading up when they do.
We have had a very exciting five years but the trends we are seeing, coupled with the rapidly growing profile of our brand, means that there is likely to be much more excitement to come for Brockmans as we make good on the huge growth potential of the business in both existing and new international markets.
In short
Brockmans managed to ride high on the "gin-aissance" and premium booze waves last year, which led to whopping revenue growth.