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Gin Finds Itself in a Strange Spot: The Belle of the Ball

Rising sales and bartender love are giving the clear spirit a buzzy resurgence.

A four-continent gin boom (from left): Bottles distilled in upstate New York; Ventura, Calif.; Boston; near New York City; Bangkok; the Yarra Valley, Australia; the Scottish Highlands; and Sendai, Japan. — A four-continent gin boom (from left): Bottles distilled in upstate New York; Ventura, Calif.; Boston; near New York City; Bangkok; the Yarra Valley, Australia; the Scottish Highlands; and Sendai, Japan.
Photographer: Caroline Tompkins for Bloomberg Businessweek

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August 8, 2018, 4:18 AM UTC

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“The Summer of Gin” may sound like the name of an obscure F. Scott Fitzgerald story, but the truth is, the Great Gatsby author’s favorite liquor is enjoying a popularity not seen since those Prohibition days.

Sales of super-premium gin, bottles typically priced above $35, were up 12.9 percent in 2017, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Last year gin sales in the U.K. surpassed £1 billion ($1.3 billion) for the first time.