The modern gin distilling industry in the UK started with the emergence of the gin distilling families in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their rise and growth was in turn linked to industrial advances in the distilling process which allowed high quality spirit to be produced.

These families ­ Gordon, Burrough, Tanqueray, Gilbey and others ­ were the forefathers of the present association and whilst there was no official trade association until the formation of the Gin Rectifiers and Distillers Association (GRDA) in 1944, there are records of meetings between the gin producing families as early as the 1840's.

The GRDA held its first meeting on the 20th January 1944. Although the Second World War was still in progress the industry decided that it needed a forum to discuss its many problems: these included the protection of the name 'gin' (particularly 'London Gin'), the availability of both ingredients and bottles, quotas, pricing and the resumption of exports post-war. The 50th Anniversary of its first meeting was in 1994.

The vodka trade in the UK had started to show a significant growth by the early 1960s and in 1962 a proposal was made that the vodka producers should join the GRDA. They formed their own association, the Vodka Trade Association (VTA), in 1964. This merged with the GRDA to form the Gin and Vodka Association (GVA) in 1991.

    

The Gin and Vodka Association
Cross Keys House,
Queen Street,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire SP1 1EY

t 01722 415892
f 01722 415840

e gva@ginvodka.org.uk