Recent years have seen a rapid growth in the Australian gin market, with an estimated 8% of the population consuming over 12 million bottles annually – and this growth is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Of course, many of the big and globally established brands of gin dominate the market but there is still a significant share of the market that goes to craft gin distillers and the Australian Gin Distillers Association (AGDA) was created in 2018 to promote these entrepreneurs and their products.

The AGDA organise a series of gin events hosted in major centres such as Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Auckland where Australian and New Zealand craft distillers bring their unique gins to the public in tasting sessions. These tasting sessions, such as those at the Sydney Gin Festival and the Perth Gin Festival not only give members of the public the chance to sample a wide variety of gins, with the opportunity to purchase bottles of those they really like, but aims to help promote the concept of drinking for pleasure but in a responsible manner. 

Furthermore, exposure to the public helps the distillers promote their brand while also benefitting from direct feedback from those attending the gin tasting sessions in Sydney and elsewhere around the country.

Gin tasting in a sociable, welcoming and well organised environment, appreciating and discovering exciting new gins is a great way to spend a few hours in the company of like-minded people – Look out for a gin festival coming your way soon!