Looking at gin’s recent U.S. sales, the category is clearly fragmented. Premium and value brands continue to lose market share while super-premium labels post year-over-year gains. Even as the lower end of the category drags total U.S. volume down—to approximately 8.34 million cases in 2024 from 9.33 million in 2021, according to Impact Databank—the higher end is a hotbed of innovation and emerging brands keeping the category interesting.
At Joe’s Beverage Warehouse, which has two stores in the Chicago suburbs, gin consumers are as split as the category is, according to co-owner Ammar Sheikah. “Anecdotally, I can say there are two types of gin customers: The older, retired gin drinker prefers a value brand like Seagram’s or Gordon’s for mixed drinks on a fixed income, and on the flip side, we have younger, hip customers who prefer top-shelf gin like Hendrick’s, Monkey 47, or other smaller labels like Koval and F.E.W.,” he says. “We also carry several new age flavor-infused gins, such as the Irish Drumshanbo, which comes in several expressions, like Sardinian Citrus and California Orange. Empress 1908 is another trendy gin for cocktails that draws in the younger demographic.”
Max Girardin, liquor department manager at Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder, Colorado, notes that his customers are spending more on gin recently than in previous years. “Our average sale in gin for 2024 was $29 across the category where vodka was $10 for the same time frame,” he says. “We’re also seeing a wider group of people purchasing gin than ever before, but I’d say that the main drivers in the category are 25-to-40-year-old cocktail enthusiasts trying to refine their favorite cocktail at home.”
Though large formats of premium brands like Bombay Sapphire ($43 a 1.75-liter) and Tanqueray ($45) dominate sales at Hazel’s, super-premium labels Hendrick’s ($35 a 750-ml.), The Botanist ($35), Empress 1908 ($40), Citadelle Jardin d’Ete ($25), and Monkey 47 ($90 a 1-liter) hold their own among the bestsellers.
Michael Giardina, vice president of marketing for Hendrick’s gin, notes that while consumers—particularly younger generations—are generally drinking less, they’re prioritizing super-premium, unique, and craft-focused brands when they do drink.
“We believe this is a trend that will remain for the foreseeable future and these market conditions position Hendrick’s well, as we’re still the No.-1 gin in the super-premium category, which has seen year-over-year increases in volume and value,” he says. “While there has been a recent reduction in consumers’ discretionary spending, premiumization is still the macro-trend in the gin industry.”
Simon Ford, co-founder and managing director of Fords gin, now owned by Brown-Forman, notes that although growth in the gin category has yet to materialize in the way it has for spirits like Tequila and whisk(e)y, smaller brands are doing their part to stir up excitement.
“The U.S. gin market is still dominated by a few brands that happen to be the biggest gin brands in the world, which leaves the rest working to create excitement and grow the category so there’s more space for us to play and be successful,” he says. “This is driving creativity in both innovation and marketing for gin, which helps make it an even more interesting category.”
Sheikah of Joe’s Beverage Warehouse has noticed the growth in American gin brands. “For decades, all the best-selling gin brands were European, such as Bombay and Tanqueray, but now we’re seeing American labels making their presence felt,” he says. “Brands like Aviation and Gray Whale are improving in sales for us each year.”
