The UK’s most-searched gin flavours and brands, revealed

To mark International Gin and Tonic Day (19 October), a UK brand has compiled a list of the most-searched gin flavours in the country.

Homewares retailer Iwantoneofthose.com (IWOOT) combined the number of times each flavour was hashtagged on Instagram and monthly search volumes to discover what’s been tickling UK gin lovers’ tastebuds in 2020. 

According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WTSA), sales of gin and flavoured gin in UK shops went up by 22 per cent in value in 2020. Some 75 million bottles were sold – 10 million more than the previous year – valued at £1.2 billion. Flavoured gin in particular proved popular: the category increased its value by 31 per cent in 2020, with 27 million bottles sold worth a total of £456 million.

The results of IWOOT’s investigation prove that “pink gin” is still the most popular category. People most commonly searched for the colour, but this was closely followed by “pink” flavours such as rhubarb, raspberry and blackberry:

1. Pink Gin – 330,291
2. Sloe Gin – 167,201
3. Rhubarb Gin – 52,365
4. Raspberry Gin – 25,495
5. Parma Violet Gin – 24,221
6. Blood Orange Gin – 21,319
7. Orange Gin – 16,773
8. Lemon Gin – 16,369
9. Elderflower Gin – 14,552
10. Alcohol Free Gin – 14,219

While it was last in the top 10, the frequency of searches for “alcohol-free gin” shows the growing popularity of “no and low” drinks. As many people look to cut down their alcohol intake, a bevy of brands has sprung up to provide flavour-packed (and health-conscious) alternatives.

As well as popular flavours, IWOOT also set out to find the most popular gin brands among UK drinkers. The top 10, determined by how often each was searched on Google, shows a few interesting entries alongside the global giants:

1. Hendrick’s – 468,764
2. Tanqueray – 304,088
3. Gordons – 194,039
4. Beefeater – 163,732
5. Bombay Sapphire – 147,849
6. Roku – 151,271
7. Aviation American Gin – 120,074
8. Malfy – 95,100
9. Empress Gin – 82,589
10. Whitley Neill – 70,706

According to data from Google Trends, gin has been the most commonly searched spirit on the search engine this year, topping vodka, whisk(e)y, Tequila and rum.

You can read IWOOT’s full blog post for International Gin and Tonic Day here.