United Kingdom
Sarah Miller is the founder of ginadingding.com which launched in 2016. Twice shortlisted for the IWSC’s Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication Award in 2022 and 2023, Sarah is now the spirits columnist for New Zealand’s Drinksbiz magazine in addition to writing for a variety of other publications and judging at a number of international food and drink competitions.
Spirits
One of the world's most infamous spirits - absinthe - is flying high once again in the UK, says Sarah Miller ...
Amid the growing sober-curious movement, non-alcoholic aperitivi might just be the next big thing, says Sarah Miller ...
Freelance drinks writer, judge and consultant, Sarah Miller, met Dryad Gin founder, Becky Wright, to find out what it was that set her on the path to gin perfection.
From relatively small beginnings, tequila and mezcal are building a strong UK fan base, as Sarah Miller explains...
Mixers have long been overlooked by consumers and the on-trade alike, playing - at best - the supporting role to spirit's top billing, but drinks pioneers Franklin & Sons are on a mission to make us understand our mixers better.
It's not all about the liquid. The way a bottle looks, feels and functions in a consumer's hands is a huge factor in persuading a potential buyer to part with their money, and also greatly influences an individual's drinking experience.
With the UK gin category so crowded, Sarah Miller looks at how products' provenance is increasingly under the microscope...
Sarah Miller examines the growth of British rum and its place in the UK spirits landscape...
Ten years since Arbikie first opened their doors, Sarah Miller visited the sustainable field-to-bottle distillery for The Gin Guide.
Far from standing still, the world of Scotch is undergoing something of a transformation, as Sarah Miller explains...
Sarah Miller looks at the rapidly developing English whisky industry and the innovations behind it...
Vodka is on the up in the UK market, says Sarah Miller, as producers champion eco-credentials and flavourful character in some unique new releases...
Gleaming pot stills are a timeless and iconic image of the whisky industry. There's always been a certain romanticism surrounding them but none more so than when crafted by a family-run firm with a long tradition of coppersmithing such as Forsyths.
Tequila (and its lesser-known sibling mezcal) are on the rise, as Sarah Miller explains...
In today's ultra competitive market, drinks companies are pulling out all the stops to promote their brands using packaging that will stand out on supermarket shelves and online. But while beautiful bottles and gorgeous gift boxes steal the limelight and the headlines, closures - which are undoubtedly every bit as important - can be all too easily overlooked.
In her first column for Drinksbiz, Sarah Miller reflects on how gin has changed her life and what's next for the juggernaut spirit...
Have you ever wondered what six million bottles look like? Or what it takes to make them? A trip to Encirc's Cheshire plant will give you a pretty good idea, as that's *approximately* the number of glass bottles they produce every single day.
As sustainability becomes increasingly embedded in the way all brands do business, how are innovative producers tackling the challenges they face in reducing their impact on our planet?
IWSC Judge Sarah Miller shares some insight into the current trends, developments and initiatives around sustainable packaging - an increasingly hot topic within the spirits industry.
Nobody wants to talk about the pandemic anymore, but there's no avoiding the way in which it changed our drinking habits. The closure of bars and restaurants not only shifted where we drink, but it also inspired drinkers to be more ambitious on the home front, from purchasing premium products and ready-to-serve drinks to getting creative with the cocktail shaker.
When searching for Macedonian juniper in the spice markets of Delhi, to his surprise, Anand Virmani discovered that the botanical also grew in India. Commonly used in incense sticks and traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it turns out that the dried Himalayan juniper also works very well in gin.
The hospitality sector's supply chain is estimated to be responsible for 15 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK and yet, despite being part of such a notoriously wasteful industry, bars have been relatively slow to confront their environmental impact.
The quest to make spirits packaging more sustainable is full of potential pitfalls - but gin makers are also devising some ingenious solutions. When it comes to spirits packaging, the gin industry is one of the most creative. But with sustainability a growing concern for consumers and producers alike, a beautiful bespoke bottle is no longer enough to cut it.
Making gin is thirsty work, so reducing water consumption is one area that distillers can focus on to reduce their environmental impact. Water is fundamental for all life on earth, but it is also a finite resource.
It seems that each year we enter another period in which commentators are right to call "unprecedented times". And for Gin in the UK, it really is once more but not for the glorious reasons of years gone by. Huge challenges lie ahead for British producers and they are coming in thick and fast from multiple angles.
Tequila is one of the fastest growing spirit categories in the world, but such unprecedented demand is putting the already precarious Mexican agave industry under huge strain. A type of Mezcal made from agave - a large and spiky succulent native to arid regions of the Americas - the huge popularity of the spirit, and demand for the plant, can result in shortages tempting farmers and producers into cutting corners.
From extreme weather patterns to melting glacier caps and rising sea levels, climate change is wreaking havoc on our world. Caused primarily by burning fossil fuels, which increase heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere, the only way to limit global warming is to dramatically reduce emissions worldwide.
Despite the spirits industry often appearing male dominated, women have played a significant role in the history of distillation. So, why did they become so negatively associated with gin?
Spirits packaging has always been crucial in making a brand stand out, but never more so than now. The pandemic accelerated online sales meaning more consumers than ever are purchasing products without first picking them up. In an increasingly competitive market, it's little wonder so many brands are trying to claim an advantage with new, attractive and eco-friendly packaging.
'There has definitely been an explosion on the gin front' confirms François Granier, Wine & Spirits Trade Advisor at Business France, a government agency responsible for promoting French exports and facilitating international investment in France. While the global gin craze has played its part, there's interest from the inside, too.
We are in the midst of a climate crisis, and sustainability is on everyone's agenda. Consumers are increasingly keen to invest in products that tread lightly on the planet, and producers are under increasing pressure to prove their eco-credentials.
Based on the belief that business can be a force for good, the B Corporation movement, which originated in the United States in 2006, reached UK shores in 2015. But it was in March 2020 that the number of businesses applying for certification soared, making the UK one of the fastest growing - and now the second largest - B Corp community in the world.
The spirits industry has a tendency to romanticise, if not outright fetishise, traditional distillation in copper pot stills. An inherently energy-heavy process, with high temperature required at its heart, the use of gas-fired alembic stills is both inefficient and incredibly carbon intensive...
We are in the midst of a climate emergency, and well-informed consumers are increasingly aware of this fact. They are actively seeking out sustainable brands, and are also willing to pay more for sustainable products.
Despite being fundamental to the nature and flavour of gin, we tend to talk about juniper in a very generic way. And perhaps that's understandable; EU regulations stipulate that the spirit must be "produced by flavouring ... [specifically] with Juniperus communis", or common juniper.
Other
From peaceful Victoria Park to the changing face of Hackney Wick, E9 is a place of contrast and evolution. Here are a local's stories from the beating heart of Hackney.
About me
Meet the Team introduces you to the writers and experts behind Gin Magazine and gin-mag.com, as they talk about their lives both in and outside the gin world. This week, we meet Sarah Miller, the face behind Gin A Ding Ding and lauded as one of the UK’s top gin bloggers.
Always keen to support the gin community and highlight the wonderful people within it, we caught up with top gin blogger, gin awards judge and founder of #GinADayMay, Sarah Miller, to find out all about her blog 'Gin a Ding Ding' and some of her top gin recommendations and tips for gin lovers and bloggers.
In our latest Meet the Blogger, we caught up with Sarah Miller, the founder behind the very popular Gin A Ding Ding gin blog. Sarah is a gin drinker, gin reviewer, gin writer and more recently a gin judge.
Featuring me
What makes a good gin? What should you look for when trying a gin and buying a gin? The Gin Guide Awards Judges take you through the qualities of an exceptional gin - read on!
Maybe you're just not partial to the London dry variety? Here are others to try ...
The IWSC's 2023 Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication Trophy is sponsored by In 2022 the IWSC launched its Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication award. This year marks only the second year the title will be awarded and following 2022's strong shortlist of contenders, our 2023 shortlist once again highlights the exciting future of the category.
This is something I wrote for Harpers Wine and Spirits earlier this year on where the gin market is going and how gin brands can still make a splash in a crowded market. The last two years have been tough for everyone and Britain's gin distillers are no exception.
Welcome to Show Me the Proof, a column where we pose big questions to the booze world and get drinks experts to argue the finer points. Today, distiller/author Aaron Hyde explains why he's happy with using the word "smooth" to describe a spirit he likes.
We are delighted to be announcing the shortlist for another new award to the IWSC, our Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication award. Seeing the positive impact our Spirits Communicator award has had on our winners the IWSC created this new award to recognise individuals who have recently set out on their journey to become the next big name in spirits communication, demonstrating their knowledge and passion to their audience in innovative and creative ways.
2020 looks to be another big year for gin, but what exactly does the future have in store? We spoke to experts from around the world to get their take.