Source: Distell

The 43% abv drink is claimed to be the only gin on the market made from marula fruit spirit

Distell is launching its Amarula cream liqueur brand into the gin category.

The spirit rings in at 43% abv and is claimed to be the only gin on the market made from marula fruit spirit, which is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. 

It will roll out in bottles adorned with the brand’s elephant logo and will be marketed with the tagline ‘When was the last time you tasted something for the first time?’.

The brand said it hoped to “encourage British gin enthusiasts who love to experience new, exotic flavours to try its new spirit”. 

The gin will roll into Amazon from mid-August, ahead of a planned on and off-trade launch int he UK, Germany, France and Poland later in the year (rsp: £28/70cl).

However, it comes as data suggest the UK’s gin boom is slowing. As The Grocer’s Biggest Alcohol Brands report recently revealed, many of the UK’s biggest gin brands have suffered declines in sales while vodkas are making gains. 

Gordon’s, for instance, saw 15% (£81m) of its value wiped away over the 52 weeks to 30 April 2022, while Bombay’s sales fell 34.2% (£45.1m) to £86.6m. Flavoured gin specialist Whitley Neill, meanwhile, dropped 29.3% (£24.7m) to £59.6m [NielsenIQ].

Read more: Biggest Alcohol Brands 2022 – is the industry’s glass half full or half empty?