Gin, from Miami to Argentina, does not stop growing (who are the main consumers of this drink in the world)

The growth of alcohol consumption in the American continent has been significant in recent years, being led by the United States and Argentina. Mostly helped by the pandemic there has been an important increase of gin and tonic consumption. 

In Miami, California, Argentina and Chile, the growth in gin and tonic consumption exceeds 30% year-on-year growth, sustained, since 2018. These places have two strategic factors in common: they are strong in wine production, beers and spirits drinks in general, and Spain, which is in the top three with the highest consumption of gin and tonic in the world, has enormous gastronomic influence in these areas.

The Philippines, the United States and Spain are the main consumers of gin & tonic in the world, followed by Great Britain, India, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and Slovakia.

In Argentina, although there are a large number of new local gin brands, with excellent performance worldwide and have achieved great distinctions in world festivals, there is still a great lack of diversity of tonic products in the market, despite its great development over the last years. Although gin is literally booming in all the cardinal points of the country, it still needs a lot of boost on tonics suppliers (especially cans and glass bottles). Something very different is happening in Chile due to its coherent and balanced policy of openness towards imports and, above all, to the tax coherence for exports.

Miami has become a prominent place for gin and tonic lovers, where you can find more than 1,800 gin references and presentations of imported and national brands (including crafted), online shopping stores can have more than 50 gin pages in their catalog and the gastronomic circuit already has a very competitive route where it is a classic to drink the house gin and tonic.

A summary of the inseparable companion:

Tonic water is an essential ingredient of gin and tonic and today there are very renowned tonic brands in the world, such as Blue tonic, Fever-Tree, San Pelegrino, The Original Tonic, Fetimanss, Canada Dry and from the southern countries, Tonic Water (Patagonia), Paso de los Toros. The drink was created in Geneva, Switzerland, by a German watchmaker named J.J. Schweppe, who launched the world’s first carbonated lemon soft drink in 1835. The wide acceptance of the products among the British nobility made them very fashionable. One the other hand, the Englishman William Cunnington, at the end of the 19th century, while in India for geological explorations, observed that the local people had a special taste for quinine, a substance that is extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree, which it was used to fight malaria. Cunnington decided to experiment and mix the quinine with carbonated water and sugar, thus creating the tonic.

The new gin boom

The rise of gin in recent years is due to a combination of factors, ranging from a greater appreciation for classic cocktails to a greater awareness of the quality of the ingredients used in making the drinks.

First of all, gin is a versatile spirit that lends itself to a wide variety of combinations and preparations. The wide range of flavors and aromas that can be found in different brands of gin offers a variety of options to create complex and surprising cocktails. Additionally, the trend towards crafted and local has led to an increase in the production of gins from small distilleries that offer unique and distinctive flavors.

Another major factor driving the gin boom is the trend towards healthier, ingredient-conscious living. Consumers are looking for drinks with fewer calories and less sugar, and gin lends itself to this trend, as it is made with natural ingredients such as juniper and other botanicals. In addition, the presence of natural and botanical ingredients in the preparation of the gin make it seem like a healthier and more natural drink.

The growing interest in classic cocktails has also contributed to the rise in gin consumption. Cocktails like the Gin Tonic and Negroni, which have historically been made with gin, have become favorites with the new generation of alcoholic drinkers. Gin’s distinctive taste and versatility make it perfect for creating classic and modern cocktails alike.

Lastly, marketing and advertising have also played a significant role in the rise in gin consumption. Gin brands have known how to adapt to current trends and have developed campaigns