Spirits looking for identity: why recognisability matters

An artisan gin from near Verona, a whisky that brings Scotland and India into the same glass and a Nicaraguan rum refreshed through design all point to the same challenge: finding a clear identity in a spirits market that feels more crowded by the year. Today, it is no longer enough to position a bottle as “premium”. To win over consumers who can research a brand in seconds, a spirit needs a story that is easy to read, consistent and believable at every step.

The current spirits landscape is not moving in a straight line. Quality still matters, but it has become harder to define and harder to prove. Elegant packaging and a high price may still catch the eye, yet they are no longer enough on their own. What matters more is whether a spirit has a convincing reason to exist and whether that reason holds together across production, presentation and consumption.

Territory as a starting point

In Italy, artisan gin has embraced territory as one of its most effective forms of expression. The country now has many active producers, and a significant part of the category has chosen to build identity through local botanicals: Mediterranean citrus, wild herbs and spices tied to specific places. Zona B, a distillery in Vago di Lavagno, near Verona, is led by Alessandro Zaghi, who has built his method around juniper and a carefully selected range of botanicals. His process combines maceration and vapour infusion, using each technique according to the character of the botanical.

More than a production detail, this approach reflects a way of thinking about gin. Territory is not just an aesthetic reference or a marketing device; it shapes the aromatic profile, the raw materials and even the way the drink is meant to be served. In that sense, a gin and tonic becomes almost a test of clarity: few elements, no distractions and plenty of room for the spirit itself.

Where traditions meet

A different version of the same identity question appears in whisky. The collaboration between Turntable Blending House, a Scottish independent bottler, and Amrut Distilleries, the Bengaluru-based Indian producer, brings together distinct origins and styles in a blend designed for an audience that is curious, but already fairly informed. The release combines an Indian single malt, Scotch whiskies from distilleries such as Benriach and Tamdhu, and a grain whisky from Cameronbridge, with an approach to bottling that favours expression over polish.

What makes the blend interesting is not just its composition, but the fact that it does not try to imitate a familiar style. Instead, it turns difference into part of its identity. In this context, Indian whisky no longer feels like a niche curiosity. It has become a more confident voice in the international conversation between styles, markets and drinking cultures.

Updating without losing the core

A third path is taken by long-established brands that choose to refresh themselves without severing ties to what makes them recognisable. Flor de Caña, the Nicaraguan rum produced by the same family for generations, has updated its image and bottle with a lighter look, while keeping the spotlight on its history, renewable energy use and ageing in Nicaragua at the foot of a volcano.

It is a delicate move, because the line between renewal and trend-chasing can be thin. But when it works, the result is a brand that reaches a broader audience without diluting its essence. The goal is not to change in order to follow the market, but to remain legible within a market that is changing fast.

The same broad context fits Rémy Martin, the French maison long associated with cognac, which relaunched Rémy V in 2026 as a white spirit made from French grapes and positioned as a modern, versatile entry in the premium white spirits space. It is neither vodka nor a traditional aged brandy. Rather, it is an attempt to claim an in-between space for drinkers looking for lightness without sacrificing a sense of quality.

Seen together, these examples make one point clear: spirits are now competing not only on taste or price, but on their ability to build a recognisable identity. In a market where consumer attention must be earned every time, knowing exactly who you are can matter almost as much as what is in the bottle.