In the 18th century, its reputation was set by bleak scenes from Hogarth before being sealed with the nickname mother’s ruin as the years rolled on.
But the humble spirit of gin has officially enjoyed a renaissance, after figures showed sales surpassed £1 billion this year for the first time.
Bar, pubs and retailers sold the largest volume of gin on record in 2016, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said, as it became the drink de jour.
Experts said the rise of craft distilleries had helped fuel the rise, marketing local ingredients and artisan techniques to a new generation of image-conscious drinkers.
Overseas sales had been boosted by Downton Abbey and the James Bond franchise, they added, while the popularity of Prohibition-style bars brought a younger home-grown audience to gin-based cocktails.
So far this year, British drinkers have purchased the equivalent of 1.12 billion G&Ts, according to WSTA. They have previously predicted 2016 would see the alcohol pass the £1bn mark, and have now confirmed that line had been crossed ahead of forecasts.
Sales have grown more than any other spirit sold in UK pubs, bars and restaurants and are up 19 per cent on last year to a value of £619 million, while the amount sold in shops, supermarkets and off licences is up 13 per cent to a value of £437 million.
More than £1 billion of gin has been bought this year
A total of 40 new distilleries opened in the UK between January and November, a rapid expansion from the 116 in operation in 2010, according to HMRC figures.
WSTA said 283,000 hectolitres of gin, the equivalent of 40 million bottles, have been sold in the UK over the last 12 months, the equivalent of 1.12 billion G&Ts.
British gin is now sold in 139 countries around the world, with America, Canada, Spain and Germany buying the most.
WSTA said UK gin brands had benefited from the US love for shows such as Downton Abbey and the James Bond franchise, helping to sell £159 million worth of British gin to the Americans last year.
British gin exports to the US have increased by 553 per cent in the last decade, the report said.
Lucy Panton, from WSTA, said distilleries had attracted new customers by becoming ever-more inventive with ingredients, with people now more interested in artisan produce and known the stories behind where their drinks are made.
Mark Holdsworth, founder of Half Hitch Gin in Camden, said he had notice a boost in interest in hyperlocal businesses, with a growing trend for specialist gin-only bars.
