Our annual Ginposium gin industry event returns for another serving – all of the sessions from Ginposium 2020 Part II are now available on this website.
What is Ginposium?
The Leading Gin industry event where some of the world’s most respected personalities and experts from the drinks and gin trade come together to discuss the state of the gin industry and share their knowledge and expertise on all things gin at this Gin Guild organised event.
The Ginposium was a perfect blend of content – from professional advice to thought provoking new products”.
(Alco)Seltzer! | Speaker | ||
| Hard seltzer, spiked seltzer or hard sparkling water is a type of highball drink containing carbonated water, alcohol, and often fruit flavouring. Hard seltzer/ soda is an emerging category and expected to trend in the liquor market as consumer trends shift towards including “Better for You” drinks alternatives. The category is experiencing phenomenal growth in the United States, growing over 300% per annum, with sales values of $2.7B USD in less than 4 years. (Source: Nielsen CGA On premise and Total measured Off premise channels 52 weeks ended 28 December 2019) | James Chase | Chase Distillers |
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The rise of Indian gin | |||
| Gin from India (including elements from the Himalayas, which might excuse the use of the pun “Peak gin”), is a growing category, with a number of new brands taking advantage of local juniper and other local botanicals. Gin Guild Warden member Anand Virmani, of Goa based NAO Spirits & Beverages, presents a view on these new challengers, including those of his own company, from the country that launched the winning combination of gin and tonic. Anand Virmani helped kick start the Gin revolution in India by launching the country’s first Craft Gins - Hapusa, a contemporary Himalayan Dry Gin and Greater Than, a classic London Dry Gin. Over three years, he has been distilling these award-winning Gins and taking them and their stories across the country and the world. | Anand Virmani | NAO Spirits & Beverages | |
The Perfect Blend? - The Art of Blending Gin | |||
| International Spirits Consultant Julia Nourney explores the increasingly popular production technique of gin blending. Julia will look at the pros and cons of both individually distilled botanicals and those distilled in batches, as well as the key considerations when using this avant-garde technique. Julia Nourney is a world-renowned (and well-travelled) spirits consultant, as well as a presenter, educator, and judge at numerous international competitions. She has worked on gin projects with distillers from around the world, including those in Ireland, Lebanon, India, and many more. | Julia Nourney | Independent Spirits Consultant | |
Gin Trends for 2020 and Beyond | |||
| Join Aaron Knoll (author of Consumer Taste Preference in Gin and Botanical Spirits: Report for Distillers and Spirit Creators), and spirits writer David T Smith for a look at the trends they have identified so far in the topsy-turvy world of 2020 and what they anticipate for 2021. Aaron Knoll is the author of The Craft of Gin and Gin 300 and is a prolific blogger at the gin is in, which he founded in 2009 and where he regularly reviews all that is new and interesting in the gin world. David T Smith is a gin specialist and spirits writer who has spoken at conferences, judges’ spirits competitions and consulted on gin projects on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a regular contributor to Gin Magazine and to the Gin Guild seminar programme. He is the author of many books about gin, including: ‘The Craft of Gin’, ‘How to Make Gin’, ‘Forgotten Spirits and Long-lost Liqueurs’ and “Gin, The Dictionary’. This seminar content was prepared and delivered for The Gin Guild in association with the Craft Distillers Expo and the American Distilling Institute. | Aaron Knoll | Author |
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David T Smith | Spirits Writer | ||
Gin in a Spin | |||
| Using Rotary Evaporator and Microwave Distillation to minimise energy use and how they can play their part in a distiller’s tool box. About Symphonia Spirits Symphonia Spirits is a multi-award-winning company that uses science in harmony with nature to compose spirits with a symphony of flavour notes. It showcases the local botanicals that grow in County Armagh, the Orchard of Ireland. It uses science to reduce food miles by finding local substitutes containing flavour molecules found in exotic botanicals, and science to extract flavours using cutting edge distillation processes.Its products include a Irish dry gin judged the Best Gin in Ireland 2019 at the Irish Gin awards, a unique Armagh Bramley apple gin, a Summer Fruit Cup, and their most recent development, an Irish Apple rum. About Ulrich Dyer The company was founded by Ric Dyer, a chemist who spent 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry helping to discover treatments for various diseases, including HIV and influenza, and developing cost and energy efficient manufacturing processes. Laterly he turned his attention to gin making, bringing an innovative perspective to the industry. | Dr. Ulrich (Ric) Dyer | Symphonia Spirits | |
Opportunities for the global gin market | |||
| Global gin trends, the impact of Covid-19 and outlook to 2024. Mark will look at the key drivers and growth trends in the gin market pre-Covid and how the pandemic has impacted these growth drivers and key markets. He will also address the implications for the long-term and how to maximise the opportunities in the gin market About IWSR Drinks Market Analysis Founded 50 years ago, IWSR is the leading source of data & insights on current and future trends driving the global beverage alcohol market. IWSR’s global analyst footprint and access to volume and value data gives the industry unparalleled insight into the current and future state of the beverage alcohol market. The IWSR is the most trusted, accurate and widely used source for beverage alcohol trends in the world. It helps clients benchmark performance, identify market entry opportunities and stay on top on innovation for product development. Access the presentation slides from this webinar Mark Meek With over 25 years’ experience in the publishing and business information industry, including 10 years at the Guardian and then the Independent newspapers, Mark has led a number of high growth companies, including Datamonitor (CEO), Progressive Digital Media (CEO) and OVUM Technology (MD). Mark joined IWSR as CEO in 2013. | Mark Meek | IWSR CEO | |
A workshop on the provision of consumer information (on label and online) |
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| Learn about the information that EU spirits producers are encouraged to make available on label and online. About spiritsEUROPE spiritsEUROPE proudly represents one of Europe’s most valuable agri-food export sectors and, with it, the interests of 31 associations of spirits producers as well as 10 leading multinational companies. Distilled spirits are as diverse as the EU itself, spanning 47 product categories and including a host of geographically-specific products that contribute to the culture of their regions (240 GIs). spiritsEUROPE’s mission is to represent, defend and promote the European spirits sector and help members achieve sustainable business growth. On 4 June 2019, spiritsEUROPE, the trade association representing the producers of spirit drinks in Europe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which the sector commits to provide energy information on label together with full ingredient listing and detailed product-specific information online. The signature ceremony took place in the presence of EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis during the association’s General Assembly meeting in Paris. The MoU is a voluntary agreement facilitated by the European Commission which foresees a highly dynamic and ambitious roll-out plan on providing energy information on label. At the end of the roll-out, at least one in three bottles of spirit drinks placed on the EU market, thus 66%, will include energy information on label. Also, for online ingredient listing, the sector will go above and beyond existing EU legislative obligations, committing to indicate the raw materials used in the production of all mono raw material spirits categories and vodka. The commitment is to offer specific online information “from the click of a smartphone”. spiritsEUROPE is developing the online tools to match the needs of both larger and smaller producers of spirit drinks. Guidelines are available to assist companies in the process. spiritsEUROPE calls on all the spirit drinks producers in Europe to join the commitment to offer consumers meaningful information and demonstrate that the sector (and self- regulation) can be trusted. | Sarah Melina Siebel Director Internal Market  Carole Brigaudeau Director Communications  | spiritsEUROPE | |
For films of previous events and more
See www.theginguild.com
About The Gin Guild
Gin Specification
The Guild only recognises gin styles produced by distilling ethyl alcohol in stills traditionally used for gin, in the presence of juniper berries and other botanicals – provided that the juniper taste is predominant.
Gin Guild Management
The strategy of the Guild is set by a Management Committee made up of representatives from the four largest UK gin distillers (Diageo, Grants, Bacardi and Chivas), with other Guild members and Liverymen from the Worshipful Company of Distillers.
The titular head of the Guild is the Grand Rectifier. The four largest distilling companies are represented by Founder Wardens. Other gin distillers are represented by Warden Rectifiers. Individual Guild members are known as Rectifiers.
Gin Guild Membership
Membership is open to all (subject to gin distillers and brand owners meeting the Gin Guild Gin specification).
Applications for membership of the Guild should be addressed to the Gin Guild Director General (see contact details).
Benefits of Gin Guild Membership
As detailed in the Guild objectives, membership brings together Gin distillers and industry leaders involved in the production, promotion, distribution and consumption of Gin.
The Guild annually arrange, co-host and/or facilitate access for Guild members to a programme of gin related events and celebrations.
Current details are available on request, but include:
- Annual Gin tasting event
- Guild installation ceremonies (including an option for full members of Guild installation at the prestigious venue of the Mansion House, London, followed by a combined Banquet with the Worshipful Company of Distillers in the famous Egyptian Hall).
Gin Guild Promotion
The Gin Guild Website is regularly updated and the Guild produce a regular magazine covering both Guild events and gin articles.
Education and Development
The Guild develop its links and encourage further education and research into gin, and work with the London based Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the International Centre for Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London and the Distillation Department of Minnesota University, USA.
