UK has more choice of pink drinks than ever, thanks to record year

There will be more than a few couples toasting this Valentine’s Day with a pink gin or rosé prosecco – and according to new research they have more options than ever, thanks to a record year for pink drinks.

The figures from the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA), which represents the industry in the UK alone, show that flavoured gin grew by more than 750% between 2017 and 2018.

British consumers bought 66 million bottles of gin in the past year, up 41% on the same period the year before and worth over £1.9 billion in total. A huge part of that surge was down to sales of pink gin and flavoured gin, with hundreds of new products coming to market.

Two years ago only a handful of brands were making flavoured gin, yet last year the category was valued at £165 million.

Miles Beale, the chief executive of the WSTA, said: “Pink drinks are increasingly popular thanks to our innovative distillers and wine makers who are responding to consumer demands for quality drinks with a splash of colour. We have seen a massive increase in the choices of pink and flavoured gins, there are signs of a renewed fondness in rosé wines, and liqueurs like Campari and Aperol mixed with sparkling wine have boosted Brits’ love of pink cocktails.

“The introduction of new products combined with a fantastic, long hot summer has helped boost the pink category and Valentine’s Day will no doubt see another pink spike. There is no doubt that the pink category has benefited by consumers’ love for sharing vibrant, colourful drink trends on social media.”

Indeed, research has shown that the explosion in pink drinks has been driven by a resurgence in gin – once seen as a stuffy, old-fashioned tipple – and growing popularity with demographics under the age of 45.

The gin category is expected to grow this year as brands launch new flavoured and pink gin products, while sales of rosé wine have recorded their first growth in five years.

The WSTA’s latest figures show that Brits bought over 100 million bottles of rosé wine through the off-trade in the last 12 months – over 2 million more bottles than the previous year – with value growth at 5%.

The discounter Aldi expects to sell 13 million bottles of rosé this year, and only accounts for a 7.5% share of the UK’s grocery market.

Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying for Aldi UK, said: “We usually see a rise in rosé sales as the weather gets warmer and we move into spring, but recently we’ve started to see an increased demand for rosé all year round thanks to drinkers who love to post about it on Instagram.

“To meet this rising demand, we’ve stocked our shelves already and are expecting an early rush on sales.”