“Wine and spirits, gin and fizz in particular, are now mainstays of a successful pub, showing the increasing diversity of our industry and the modern consumer.” The surge in gin consumption

surprised independent experts who estimated sales would not pass £1 billion until next year. According to government figures, 56 new distilleries went into production in 2015 - 28 in

England, 12 in Scotland, 10 in Northern Ireland and six in Wales. In 12 weeks up to July, £149 million worth of gin was sold in British pubs, bars and restaurants - up 19 per cent on the

same period last year. Earlier this year, a hotel devoted to gin opened in Portobello Road, Notting Hill, west London. The Ginstitute includes a museum, blending room and restaurant serving