• The Gin Guild is an international not for profit member funded gin industry body with key support from the four major gin distilling companies, Bacardi, Diageo, William Grant and Sons and Chivas Brothers. It aims to represent the distilled gin industry as a whole, including extensive membership from the wider gin distilling industry. Objectives include promoting the Distilled and London gin cate
gories across the globe, enhancing their image and widening its appeal to worldwide consumers.
• The Gin Guild brings together gin distillers and industry leaders involved in the production, promotion, distribution and consumption of distilled gin and promotes and encourages commitment to excellence in gin distillation and industry custodianship of the spirit category. It is the natural home of gin innovation, including new start-ups and craft distillers and craft distilled gin.
• Guild members currently represent over 90% of the UK gin market by volume.
• Gin Guild members are international and include those from the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, India, Italy, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, The Czech Republic, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the USA. To be eligible for membership of the Guild (which is by way of application, supported by industry references and at the discretion of the Guild), a nominee must have had a material service or association with the gin industry and have made a positive contribution to the management, promotion, development, production, sales, marketing or distribution of gin, or its academic study and spirit industry training. Those new to the industry and/or new brands are not eligible to apply to be considered to join the Guild until they are established (generally this means not less than two years trade/operation/involvement). All are welcome to attend the Annual Industry seminar (Ginposium), which many new entrants find of considerable benefit for both information and networking, and also (subject to space availability), the Gin Industry Annual Dinner. There are two membership categories:
• Brands as Corporate members (Wardens) and
• Individual members (Rectifiers). Other gin industry supporting industry corporate bodies can be represented however by individuals in a Rectifier capacity. New brands will need to demonstrate that they are established and have proved viable over a period of years and demonstrate that a specified minimum annual sales threshold has been achieved and that they produce compliant products. Guild membership is exclusively industry based and is not open to consumers. If approved, prospective members have to attend a Guild installation in person to join. Please note that the number of applicants that are admitted at any one installation are limited and that in the event of large numbers of applicants those able to be installed will be prioritised at Guild discretion, with the date of application being one of the selection criteria, alongside priority for applications for additional members from existing members. Gin Note™
www.gin-note.com
The significant growth in the number of distilleries producing gins means that there are now a growing and often confusing number of gin styles and tastes to navigate. The Gin Guild, in consultation with over sixty brands, including representatives from some of the world’s key producers, has launched Gin-Note™ (copyright and Trade Mark), for use by brands. The approach is a combination of a simple graphic and text. It is designed to allow consumers, retailers and bar owners to benefit from a consistent approach to describing taste and flavour in gin. Descriptions are prepared by brand companies themselves and are intended to inform, educate and guide those seeking to explore the category. Gin-Note™ is intended to be a simple flavour indicator of a gin. It is not intended to replace a brands own label but is intended to be a navigational aid. It is predicated on brands accurately using the structure to describe the product as it is (not as a brand would like to it to be seen). Too often consumers, without being given sufficient information, are left to buy gin merely based on bottle design. That is all very well, and there are some very effective and beautiful bottle designs in the market, but, after all, it is the gin itself which is most important. We feel that understanding the product before consumers buy it will be a real advance. To date, most distillers who have looked at Gin- Note™ recognise that it gives them a real opportunity to inform and add to their sales support at the point of purchase and as support to further explanation at tastings and trade presentations. Check out the brand section on the Guild website for details of members who have already applied Gin-Note™ to describe their product. https://www.theginguild.com/the-ginopedia/gins-with-gin-note/ www.gin-note.com
Profiles for gins which were awarded medals at the 2020 and 2021
I.W.S.C. competition can also be viewed here. Trade Shows
We have provided conference contributions and keynote and other lectures on gin, with tastings, at trade shows at the NEC, ExCel and Olympia, the Spirit Summit, Think Gin, the Craft Distillers Expo, the Gin Summit (USA) and more. We have networked and spoken at other events including in Ireland, ProWein Germany and Imbibe and lectured abroad in support of UKTI's efforts to increase gin exports. We trialled for our smaller members, attendance at BCB (Bar Convent Berlin) where we hosted and arranged for a number of smaller brands to attend most then becoming regular self-attendees thereafter, and where we regularly now network. Education and information/Media
We organise consumer appreciation and tasting events (including for example presentations at Royal Festival Hall, The Cambridge Union, and two sell-out events at the London Transport Museum). We also provide general member networking and assist Guild members to become involved in third party profile events when we receive enquiries. The Guild has also been involved in wider category promotion, including liaising with UKTI and DEFRA and general press coverage/response, including regularly helping the BBC (TV, radio and on-line), with category coverage, as well as other broadcasters, such as Channel 4. We regularly provide responses to media and press enquiries, local, UK, and international, from USA to Sweden.
