Membership of the Gin Guild
Membership is open to a wide range of gin industry players and we always welcome support and participation from new members.
Gin Guild members are international and include those from the following countries, with more on the way:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Peru, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA.
There are various types of membership:
- Founder Rectifiers, one person appointed by each of the four founding companies of the Gin Guild: Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Bacardi and William Grant & Sons.
- Warden Rectifiers, one person from each company involved in distilling or a brand owner.
- Rectifiers, made up of members of the Founder and Warden companies and others involved in the wider gin industry including leading individual bartenders, spirits journalists, supply chain, as well as educators and as those working in production, distribution and media.
Corporate Membership
Brand owners and producers (subject to minimum net annual gin sales of £50,000 per annum), are eligible to join in the corporate rank of Warden Rectifier.
Warden Rectifier status entitles the corporate holder to also nominate one person (free of charge) employed by the Warden’s company, as a Rectifier (which additional membership will continue for so long as the status of Warden Rectifier is maintained and the relevant fees are paid).
The Gin Guild fees for Warden Rectifiers are based on sales, on a variable scale, reflecting both branded and own label sales.
The basic annual fee for Warden Rectifiers is £750 (there is a reduced fee for small/new companies). The basic fee covers net gin sales up to £1m. Fees are expressed net of VAT.
Please note that the sales/financial information (on which the scale fees are based), are confidential and will only be known to the Guild Director General and if necessary to the Guild hon. treasurer – neither of whom work for a gin industry company. This is as prescribed by the Gin Guild board.
Individual Membership
Individual members join the Gin Guild as Rectifiers.
To be eligible for membership, a nominee must have had a material service or association with the gin industry and have made a positive contribution to the management, promotion, development, production, sales, marketing or distribution of gin, or its academic study and spirits industry training.
Details of an applicant’s service or association with the gin industry, giving details and dates, will be provided to the Guild Management Committee to ascertain whether the applicant is eligible for the honour of Guild membership.
Applications for the Gin Guild membership also require support from two suitable industry referees who must have known the applicant for not less than two years (these do not need to be Guild members). Both referees will be required to complete their details and also sign the application.
Individual applicants have the option of paying a one-off fee of £750 for life membership or an annual fee of £200. All individual members pay a joining fee of £125.
All fees are expressed excluding VAT.
What our members say:
The Guild is the heart to which we are connected as Gin distillers, regardless of where we are in the world.
Anand Virmani, Founder & CEO, NÄO Spirits (Hapusa Himalayan Gin/ Greater than Gin)
I would like to expand the gin market in Japan and being part of this membership will help me remain motivated. It will also mean I’m in a good place to educate customers and bartenders more about gin and what I learn from The Gin Guild. And this should ensure customers will respect gin more than they used to.
Hisashi Kishi, Former President of Japan’s Nippon Bartenders Association
The Guild connects us all, it protects us, and it enhances our business. It is a hub for regulatory guidance, support, information, introductions, and the ability to apply pressure in the right places!
Sam Galsworthy, Co-Founder, Sipsmith
As a craft distiller I valued the chance to network and learn from other members. Now, as I represent one of the four Founder companies, I also recognise how important the Guild is to a brand, whether it is large or small. The Gin Guild is helping to nurture a vibrant and diverse gin category, to the benefit of us all.
Dr Anne Brock, Master Distiller Bombay Sapphire
The Gin Guild is an important institution and I think everyone agrees how beneficial this network is to all of us personally and professionally, as well as to the continued success of the gin category.
Lesley Gracie, Master Distiller, Hendrick’s Gin
The Gin Guild has been instrumental in guiding and protecting this splendid and rapidly expanding spirit, and it has also given us all the opportunity to get to know each other and enjoy the fruits of our labours.
Desmond Payne MBE, Master Distiller Emeritus, Beefeater Gin
I am fascinated by the gin industry as it is so dynamic and diverse. Joining The Gin Guild has enabled me to connect with like-minded people in the industry and opens up an array of opportunities.
Ibolya Bakos-Tonner, formerly of Inver House Distillery, Caorunn
As a representative of family distiller William Grant and Sons it’s a great honour to be in a position where we have the opportunity through The Gin Guild to really help nurture the industry as it continues its exciting growth and explosion in innovation.
Duncan McRae, former Hendricks Ambassador to Britain
The Gin Guild has provided a community that I am proud to be a part of. I feel like by joining I actually became part of a family that provides constant support.”
Daniel Szor, The Cotswold Distilling Company
“I think the Guild and their work is having a big impact on our development and success and I can’t tell you just how pleased we both are.”
Mark Gamble, Union Distillers
“I have never in my career seen such a gathering of gin industry players.”
Christopher Hayman, Haymans Distillers
Membership benefits
A key benefit of Guild membership (open to members only), is the opportunity to network.
The Guild has at least two formal dinners a year, at which Guild installations take place. Both offer exceptional hospitality and opportunities for key guests to be invited.
The Spring Dinner is held in May/June and the Autumn Gin Guild Installation event is the more formal, and held at the Mansion House, in the heart of the City of London. These are normally held in October.
Informal events are also planned with the intention of offering a quality and worthwhile entertaining programme of events and support to Guild members, alongside participation in other events (including those of our own creation), to a wider audience.
Prestige
Join and be an active member in an organisation supported by many of the world’s leading gin brands, their distillers and colleagues and celebrate and promote excellence in the distillation and promotion of gin.
Education
The Guild is working with other key players in the industry, including the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh to organise educational events for the trade, industry students and consumers.
Showcase
We provide opportunities, especially for smaller members, to have their products made available to a wider and focused market. These include showcasing a range of gins at events under the Guild’s banner, as well as at Gin Guild events where brands can get feedback from other members.
Showcase
The Guild sponsors a number of key gin trophy awards within the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). They are the London Dry Gin of the Year, the Distilled Contemporary Gin of the Year, the UK Gin Producer of the Year and International Gin Producer of the Year.
Industry events
The Ginposium, the annual gin industry seminar organised by the Guild, is for the gin industry by the gin industry. The Guild hosts presentations by some of the world’s most respected gin distillers and experts sharing their knowledge of gin, botanicals and more. London Cocktail Week is the busiest occasion in the UK’s cocktail calendar and The Guild is a sponsor – reflecting the key role of gin in cocktails.
Join the Gin Guild
If you would like to join the Gin Guild, explore the options available, either as an individual or corporate member.