The data, compiled by Roy Morgan Research, indicated that in 2009, 636,000 Australian adults drank the spirit at least once in any given four-week period; but by 2013 this figure had grown by almost 50% to 947,000.
Age and growth are balanced
While slightly more women than men drank gin in 2013, the spirit’s popularity has risen almost equally among both genders. Men accounted for 49% of gin drinkers last year, just as they did in 2009, the market research agency found.
Furthermore, gin’s popularity is growing among all age groups, although the growth is faster in some groups than in others. Whereas 91,000 18-24 year olds drank gin in an average four weeks during 2009, this figure had surged to 175,000 by 2013, a 92% increase.
The number of gin drinkers aged between 25 and 34 also shot up during the same period, from 126,000 to 205,000.
The new gin buyer
Angela Smith, of Roy Morgan Research, said gin’s newfound popularity is visible across Australia: “The last five years have seen an increase in the popularity of the spirit in Australia, particularly among younger drinkers.
“No doubt contributing to the trend has been the establishment of specialised gin bars over the last few years, such as the Gin Garden in Sydney or the longer-standing Gin Palace in Melbourne, which serve multiple gin brands and gin-based cocktails.”
With almost a quarter of all gin drinkers being highly educated twenty somethings with high-flying lifestyles, compared to just 7% as a share of all drinkers, this demographic will please distillers and those who market the spirit.
“What’s more, several boutique gin distilleries have sprung up in Australia in recent years, possibly generating interest in the spirit among our more patriotic imbibers,” Smith added.
An example of this would be Four Pillars, a gin that was created just five months ago with native Australian botanicals, including Tasmanian pepper berry leaf and lemon myrtle, won a double gold earlier this month at San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious spirits panels.