Andrew Parsons, Master Distiller at Sky Wave Gin and a Warden Rectifier of The Gin Guild, was in the audience at The Gin Guild’s Ginposium 2023 in London yesterday, 9 June 2023. The event, which was held at The Royal Society for Arts, brought together gin enthusiasts from all over the world to celebrate the spirit.

Parsons listened to a number of excellent presentations on wide ranging topics such as distillery safety best practice, sustainability in the gin industry, the use of salt in gin, the rise of Asian gins, and sustainable packaging, and posed a number of probing questions. He also attended a highly entertaining Q&A session with Desmond Payne MBE, Master Distiller Emeritus at Beefeater Gin. There were also a number of tutored gin tastings, including a session from the inestimable David T Smith, and a dive into sustainability in the glass making industry.

“Gin is a vibrant and exciting industry,” said Parsons. “There is a huge amount of creativity and innovation happening, and I am confident that gin will continue to grow in appeal to a wide range of consumers.”

“I was delighted to be able to attend the Ginposium and share my passion for gin with others,” said Parsons. “It was a great opportunity to learn from other industry experts and to meet some of the people who are passionate about gin as much as I am. It was also great to catch up with some old friends such as Pal Gleed (the Director-General), Dr Ann Brock (Master Distiller, Bombay Sapphire), Sarah Miller (gin-a-ding-ding), Ben Marston (Puddingstone Distillery), Ellie Tinsley-Hall (Kimia) and of course David T Smith.”

The Ginposium was a great success, and it is clear that gin continues to go from strength to strength. Parsons was proud to be a part of the event, and he is confident that Sky Wave Gin will continue to play a leading role in the industry.