Trendy gin drinkers are being misled by illegal fake spirits that do not meet EU standards
A campaign has been launched to stamp out fake gins which are flooding the market and tricking drinkersDRINKERS of trendy gins are being misled by flavoured spirits incorrectly labelled as the traditional tipple.The popularity of gin has seen fakes rise Gin sales surged by 41 per cent last year to a record 66 million bottles, worth more than £1.9billion.
More than half the increase was due to gin laced with the taste of foodstuffs including raspberry, rhubarb, salted caramel and chocolate.James Hayman, MD of 150-year-old gin makers Hayman’s of London, said some flavoured ones were “misleading consumers by blurring boundaries”.He told The Sun: “A lot of these products are good but they’re not gin. They should be labelled as a ‘spirit drink’.
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association said the flavoured gin market rose 751 per cent from 2016 to 2018, driven by under-45s sales.B&M is selling Zymurgorium glittery pink unicorn gin that tastes of marshmallows – but it costs £18
Once you let the gin out of the bottle ... you can't put it back.