In the past, bartenders had to re-arrange back bars to cope with the ever-growing amount of gins on offer, and as the hospitality sector gradually opens up, we expect a consolidation of the gin shelf – with a move back to classic, traditional, elegant styles.
Matt Ashton-Melia, sales director at Langley’s gin, shares his predictions for incoming gin trends and the gins to stock to delight customers returning to socialising as we know it.
Having a diverse gin shelf is essential for any hospitality venue and while customers do enjoy the element of choice, the classic gin and tonic is sure to be a drink back in demand this summer. We’re seeing a strong trend towards going back to basics and a desire for high quality, well-made, great tasting gins – a return to gin, as it should be. Alongside this, consumers are becoming more mindful in their choices, seeking premium brands with heritage, a story to tell, and an eye on sustainability – and they care about they what they put in their glass.
Taste the difference
Many gin fans fully understand and recognise the difference between Old Tom and London Dry style gins – and these are the styles we predict will emerge as the heroes of drinks menus over the coming months. One of our key serves is a Langley’s G&B – grapefruit, basil and tonic – featuring our London Dry gin. The grapefruit really balances the notes of citrus from the orange and lemon peel botanicals in the gin, and the basil adds a savoury note – a mouth-watering summer sensation.
Looking ahead
We have completely repositioned Langley’s as a brand, as we want to appeal to this segment of consumers looking for these traditional gin styles. We’ve increased our focus on the UK market, which has come full circle and is now heading towards elegant, sophisticated gins, and we see a clear opportunity for our range to fill this gap and give drinkers and reliable, high quality, accessible gins.
Our gins showcase how these styles should be; innovative yet respectful of the history of gin and the craft of distilling, with a commitment to using only the finest ingredients.
Langley’s gins are available to the hospitality sector via Ten Locks. Get in touch with the Ten Locks team at [email protected] or visit @tenlocksdrinks to find out more.