The state of Gin – online Ginposium to explore the latest tastes and trends  

14th September, 2023

Innovation has been at the heart of the gin industry’s response to an unprecedented year disrupted by on-trade closures, social distancing, and the import and export changes resulting from Brexit.

With continuing restrictions on international travel and large gatherings, industry body The Gin Guild, a week ahead of World Gin Day on 12 June, has provided a third online serving of its popular trade Ginposium seminar.

The annual Ginposium is an industry highlight, and The Gin Guild has gathered a virtual line-up of speakers, including strong representation from the USA, to discuss latest trends and advances, ready to inspire a global audience.

Ginposium 2021 goes live on the Guild’s dedicated website www.ginposium.com on Friday 4 June. 

Gin Guild Director General Nicholas Cook said: “We had such a positive response from our online serving last June during the first lockdown that, with lockdown still blighting the hospitality industry, we also arranged a second serving in November. Covid 19 again preventing our live 2021 event, we have nonetheless gathered a stellar line-up of speakers to promote innovation and collaboration, with which to support the industry’s recovery from the challenges of the past 15 months.”

Keynote speakers include gin authors and commentators: Bernadette Pamplin, Aaron Knoll, Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller, Australia’s ‘Gin Queen’ Caroline Childerley and the USA’s ‘Gin Girl’ Natasha Bahrami, as well as Ginposium regular David T Smith.

Industry experts, experienced distillers and gin producers discussing latest trends and tastes include: The Gin Guild’s current Grand Rectifier Dr Anne Brock from Bombay Sapphire and Maggie Campbell, former Vice-President of the American Craft Spirit Association, Georgia Billing from City of London Distillery; Siobhan Feeley from Sacred Spirits Company; Alice Pearson from Cotswolds Distillery; Rosie Milsom of Atom Brands; Rachel Sutherland of Warner’s Distillery and Kirsty Black from Arbikie Distillery.

Further contributions include Dimple Athavia of the IWSC, international law firm RPC, juniper science from Heriot Watt and state of the art news about the first patented specially designed gin still.

Speakers have created a series of videos and materials which are available at www.theginguild.com and www.ginposium.com.

Nicholas Cook added: “We look forward to meeting in person again soon but, in these challenging times, we believe we have provided our usual thought-provoking and engaging content to our members and the wider industry online.”

The full programme of online Ginposium 2021 content is:

• The Distiller of London: Award-winning authors and drink historians Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller decipher the coded recipes written in the Distiller of London in 1638 and offer glimpses of the evolution of distilling and a new understanding of the origins of gin.

• The State of Gin – Panel Discussion: chaired by Bernadette Pamplin with Dr. Anne Brock, Georgia Billing, Siobhan Feeley, Vanessa Piromallo and Caroline Childerley.
• Gin Ripples across the Pond: The Gin Girl, Natasha Bahrami, discusses gin and variants viewed from the USA, including Distilled, Redistilled, Compounded, Zero and Low ABV, canned cocktails and the flavoured gin market.
• What’s New? Tasting new gins from Atom Brands, Procera, Hendrick’s, Citadelle, Bombay Sapphire, Adnams, Cotswolds and Tanqueray hosted by David T Smith and a panel of experts.
• The Richness of Nature: Developing a true London Dry Gin reflecting local botanicals, with Rachel Sutherland from Warner’s Distillery.
• Trespassers will be prosecuted: Protecting the gin category. Nicholas Cook, Director General of The Gin Guild, explains why The Guild has added to its scope by taking on the role of category custodian and is providing a route for protecting and supporting the regulated descriptors for gin.
• Juniper – Upfront and essential? How little is Too Little Juniper for a Gin to be Considered a Gin? A view from America. Panel discussion chaired by spirits author Aaron Knoll, with: Maggie Campbell, who served two elected terms as Vice-President of the American Craft Spirit Association; Jason Barrett and Jeff Fairbrother from Black Button Distilling; Melissa Katrincic from Durham Distillery and Stephen Gould from Golden Moon Distillery.
• Scientific Exploration of Juniper Matthew Pauley, academic and gin industry flavour expert, discusses regional variances of Juniper and sensory analysis of gins.
• Winning Ways – Spirit Competitions and the benefit to brands: with Dimple Athavia of the IWSC.
• Patently Different – advances in still design: with Abhi Banik, Master Distiller, Copper Rivet Distillery.
• Family Planning – Adding to the (brand) family: Rosie Milsom of Atom Brands discusses New Product Development, concept research & development, competition, market assessment and launch pitfalls.
• Gin distilling – from field to bottle: with Kirsty Black, Arbikie Gin.
• Stay on top of Intellectual Property: Ciara Cullen, Partner at international law firm RPC provides a helpful reminder and update on intellectual property issues.

Watch the online ginposium at  www.theginguild.com