Gin is booming. No question. But, apparently, not everyone is obsessed with gin. I know, I was surprised too! But there’s more to it than that. Pay close attention and there are rumours that rum will be the next big thing. Or indeed whisky, which seems more than plausible given the number of gin distilleries that are currently resting on their barrels. And, according to the Drinks Business, vodka is back on the bartenders’ radars too. So there is everything to play for. And they are all playing right into the hands of The Spirit Show who have recently launched The Spirits Society subscription service.

The Spirit Show launched in London in December 2016, offering visitors unlimited tastings of over 200 of the world’s finest rums, vodkas, whiskies and gins. I went and, naturally, I didn’t venture far beyond the gin, but the gin was jolly good and the hinterlands certainly looked tempting too.

Having found their target audience, The Spirit Show are, cleverly, venturing into the subscription service market in the guise of The Spirits Society. Like similar models, you can sign up on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis and expect to receive a full-sized bottle of spirits along with a few other bits and pieces. But, here’s the clever bit: you don’t have to restrict yourself to just gin (or any of the other spirits). Oh no, here you can have your cake and eat it. You can create your own box according to your own preferences and your own spirits cabinet. Select your subscription length and then select how many gins, whiskies, rums or vodkas you do (or don’t) want to receive over that time. Or, if you just want the whole spirit world to open up in front of you, select the ‘Spirit Surprise’ to receive a bottle of anything, from gin and whisky, to cachaça (a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice) and mezcal (a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave plant native to Mexico).

I received the March gin box, featuring Blackdown Sussex Dry Gin and a whole lot more besides, including a mixer, ingredients to make a cocktail and even a snack. I was expecting the gin but nevertheless it was a little box of lovely surprises. Here’s how it unboxed…

I often judge the success of a subscription service by whether or not they can send me a gin I don’t already own (although I am conscious that this information is freely available on my blog) and The Spirits Society certainly succeeded on that front. Better still, the Fentimans 19:05 Herbal Tonic Water was also a new one to me and proved a great hit, coming together with the gin to make a light, grapefruity G&T. The Society Signature Martini, made using the enclosed Blackdown Silver Birch Vermouth and kaffir lime leaves, was also satisfyingly quick and easy to both make and knock back!

The Spirits Society is pretty competitively priced at £40 per delivery. Admittedly their spirits can be relatively easily purchased elsewhere (unlike One Time Gin and, to some extent, Craft Gin Club) but the added extras (which may include glasses, snacks and garnishes) do make a pretty tempting package indeed, and with delivery included doesn’t add up to bad value-for-money either. This may not be the most obvious subscription service for the die-hard gin fan but it is definitely a brilliant option for someone with more diverse tastes and/or who really wants to build up a premium spirits cabinet with which to tempt and intrigue their friends. One thing is certain; the path to the spirit world definitely starts with this society!

Sign up to The Spirits Society here.

With thanks to The Spirits Society for the complimentary delivery.