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 UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, India, Italy, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, The Czech Republic, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the USA.

There are various classes of membership:

  • Founder Wardens, appointed by each of the four founding companies.
  • Wardens, including distillers and brand owners.
  • Rectifiers, made up of others involved in the wider gin industry including leading bartenders, spirits journalists and educators as well as those working in production and distribution.
Apply to join the Gin Guild

“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 Founder and Chairman of The Cotswold Distilling Ltd

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.

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. All fees are expressed net of VAT.

On receipt of the required sales information the Director General can advise the applicable fee.  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.

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 m

Awards

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.

Apply to join the Gin Guild

Member testimonials

I am fascinated by the gin industry as it is so dynamic and diverse, and I am particularly enjoying the craft distilling movement at the moment.  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

Inver House Distillery, Caorunn