To the casual observer, gin has a problem: Big-volume brands are largely languishing, making the overall category seem lackluster as a result. Total gin depletions have fallen in 13 of the past 15 years, according to Impact Databank, with many of the category’s stalwarts failing to find firm footing in the U.S. But painting gin in such a light misses the full picture, wherein higher-end brands, especially those that are imported, have bucked the downward trend and are now driving innovation, excitement, and gains for the category. Take Diageo’s Tanqueray, the largest gin brand in the U.S. at 1.35 million cases: The label has faced consecutive years of declines, but its higher-end, smaller production Tanqueray No. Ten ($44 a 750-ml.) has been a source of growth. “We’ve seen consistent growth with Tanqueray No. Ten, which speaks to the ongoing trend of ultra-premium gin,” says Diageo North America senior vice president for rum, Tequila, and gin Christina Choi.

Super-Premium Prevails

While the top ten gin brands in the U.S. by volume fell a collective 5.2% last year to 6.47 million cases—with all brands either recording losses or just barely breaking even—the top ten super-premium gin brands jumped 5.6% to a collective 1.26 million cases. At the top of the heap is Hendrick’s, which eked out gains of 0.1% to reach 587,000 cases. Hendrick’s is a creative force in gin, regularly releasing new expressions that emphasize its Scottish heritage. Its Cabinet of Curiosities range features a number of limited-edition gins with unique botanical blends; last year’s release, Flora Adora ($40 a 750-ml.), was inspired by master distiller Lesley Gracie’s fascination with butterflies and bees, and the garden florals they most often land on, making for a fresh, floral bouquet of a gin.

“Gin overall has slowed, but Hendrick’s is leading growth at the super-premium level,” says Paul Basford, managing director of William Grant & Sons, Hendrick’s parent company. “We invest heavily behind it and we’ve had quite a lot of success stealing from other white spirits, particularly vodka, because it’s not the heaviest, botanical kind of gin.” He adds that the roaring return of the on-premise has boosted the brand as well, as it’s become a default ingredient in the Gin & Tonic for many bartenders.

Hendrick’s is far and away the most voluminous of the super-premium gin brands, but following in distant second place is Milestone Brands’ Empress 1908. A Canadian gin, Empress 1908’s flagship expression, Indigo, has made waves with its bright purple hue, making it a favorite cocktail ingredient—particularly on social media. Indigo was joined by a new line extension, Elderflower Rose ($40 a 750-ml.), last year. A vibrant pink, the new gin is made with juniper berries, elderflower, orange peel, red rose petals, and black carrot, all distilled at Vancouver Island, Canada’s Victoria Distillers in copper pot stills. According to Milestone Brands chairman and CEO Eric Dopkins, Elderflower Rose has been a hit. “The new expression has been enthusiastically received by consumers and bartenders alike,” he says. “It’s perfect for those seeking out new experiences in the category, and those looking to create stunning, distinctive cocktails.” With just two expressions under its belt the brand has made considerable strides, leaping by 44.8% in 2023 to 133,000 cases, according to Impact Datbank. Dopkins anticipates that, with Elderflower Rose now on the market, the brand will surpass 250,000 cases this year.

Last August, Foley Family Wines began placing more emphasis in high-end gin with the reintroduction of Lighthouse gin, an upscale brand from New Zealand that’s made by head distiller Rachel Hall. While Lighthouse was acquired by Foley in 2014, it’s now a “priority brand” in the U.S. portfolio after its reintroduction last fall, according to the company. The gin is made with Yen Ben lemons, known for their strong lemon flavor and high acidity, and is priced at $50 a 750-ml.

Other upscale gin imports that registered strong double-digit growth last year include two brands from Beam Suntory—the Japanese Roku ($34 a 750-ml.) and UK-based Sipsmith ($47)—as well as Brown-Forman’s Fords London Dry ($31) and Martin Miller’s ($28) from Zamora Co. Upscale imports will likely propel the total imported gin sector to attain half the overall gin market’s volume by mid-decade, doubling its share since 2000. Imports already generate more than double the retail dollar value of domestic gin brands in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

Barrel-Aged Innovation

For some super-premium gin makers, innovation has come in the form of barrel maturation, be it in whisk(e)y, wine, or another type of cask. Islay single malt Scotch distillery Bruichladdich, owned by Rémy Cointreau, launched the Botanist gin in 2010; then-master distiller Jim McEwan created the gin to showcase Islay’s terroir via use of the island’s botanicals. In February, the brand released two gins within the new Islay Cask Matured Series. The younger of the duo, Islay Cask Rested ($50 a 750-ml.), spends 6 months in a cuvée of 16 casks from different regions made from American and European oak, while the older sibling, Islay Cask Aged ($80), is matured for 3 years in those same casks. In the 14 years since its debut, the Botanist has risen to become the No.-4 super-premium gin in the U.S., and in 2023, it climbed 8% to 86,000 cases.

Another super-premium gin brand making waves in the barrel-aged space is Aviation, which inched up by 0.5% last year to 107,000 cases. The brand’s Old Tom gin ($45 a 750-ml.), launched in 2016, is made from a globally sourced blend of botanicals, including cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper, and two types of orange peel. After distillation, it’s aged in Diageo portfoliomate Westward Whiskey American single malt barrels for a year, which lends it a certain caramel sweetness. Aviation was acquired alongside Davos Brands by Diageo in August 2020, and since then, has opened its own distillery and visitor center in Portland, Oregon.

For New Riff Distilling co-founder Jay Erisman, barrel-aged gins such as the distillery’s Wild Gin Bourbon Barreled ($30 a 750-ml.) are an ideal way to get gin in front of first-time consumers of the spirit. “It’s something of a gentler introduction to gin for gin newbies,” he says. “We get a lot of comments along the lines of, ‘I don’t like gin, but I like this one straight up.’” New Riff’s Bourbon barrel-aged gin is aged in the distillery’s own Bourbon barrels for up to 7 months, yielding soft vanilla flavors that don’t appear in the unbarreled counterpart, Wild Gin. Such vanilla notes are typical for gins aged in Bourbon barrels—just as the barrel passes on oak spice and sweetness to the whiskeys it holds, it likewise imparts those flavors on the gins that follow.

Pernod Ricard is in super-premium barrel-aged gin by way of its partnership with Kentucky distiller Rabbit Hole. The distillery’s Bespoke gin ($50 a 750-ml.) sees a London Dry-esque gin finished in its Boxergrail rye barrels. “A lot of people find that the juniper and piney notes of London Dry gin can be a bit off-putting,” says Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian. “The intention with our Bespoke gin was to offer a more nuanced flavor profile that’s softer and more balanced than traditional gins—the rye barrels soften the flavor by adding citrus and floral notes.”

Spikes Of Citrus

Citrus-leaning gins are nothing new, but these days super-premium producers are tapping into the lucrative flavored gin segment via seriously citrusy expressions. Another Pernod brand, Malfy, hails from Sicily and features a distinct citrus punch in all of its gins. Its flagship dry gin is infused with Italian lemons, while its three citrus-forward expressions—Con Arancia, Con Limone, and Gin Rosa—include Sicilian blood orange, Amalfi lemon peel, and Sicilian grapefruit, respectively. The portfolio retails for $30-$35 a 750-ml.

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish gin sources botanicals from not just its home base of Ireland, but eight other countries, all of which were visited and explored by Drumshanbo founder PJ Rigney. The brand’s flavor extensions, Sardinian Citrus and California Orange Citrus, focus exclusively on evoking zesty flavors, and consumers have responded in turn—Drumshanbo rose by 1.5% last year to 66,000 cases, continuing a growth streak that has remained in place since the brand launched in 2014. The Drumshanbo lineup retails for $30-$44 a 750-ml.

Last September, William Grant & Sons acquired the Surrey Hills-based Silent Pool Distillers for an undisclosed sum. Silent Pool is known for its ultra-premium gins, which have carved out a sizeable presence in the UK market. Its gin range includes a Rare Citrus expression ($150 a 750-ml.), which distills Buddha’s Hand, Natsu Dai Dai, and Hirado Buntan citrus fruits, as well as one that uses loads of makrut lime.

A Big Brand With Promise

Another London gin, the No.-2-by-volume Bombay Sapphire, debuted Premier Cru ($35 a 750-ml.), a citrus-forward expression of its own, last March. The gin is a distillation of pounds upon pounds of late-harvest Murcian lemons from Spain. While Murcian lemons go into the flagship gin, there are four times more in this new expression, which is also joined by citrusy kicks of Mandarin and sweet oranges. “Obviously, we normally balance out the lemon flavors in Bombay Sapphire,” says Bombay Sapphire master distiller Anne Brock. “But for Premier Cru, we wanted them to shine, and unbalance that balance.”

While smaller, super-premium gin brands have remained steady over the years and many larger labels have been in slow decline, no gin brand has been as consistent and reliable as Bombay. It was acquired by Bacardi during the days of the merger that formed Diageo more than 20 years ago, as government regulators directed Diageo to dispose of some of its gin brands. Back then, the brand showed more growth than it has as of late—it slumped slightly in 2023 to 1.27 million cases—but its declines have been less than that of many of its competitors. That’s largely due to how popular the gin remains behind the bar, given how influential cocktails are and always have been in the gin sphere. Super-premium gins make for elevated cocktails, and Brock notes that Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru kicks up a classic Martini or French 75.

For larger, longstanding gin brands, the road ahead may very well remain littered with potholes and bumps. But by targeting the luxury end of the category, as many have started to do, success like that seen in the craft space may follow in due time.