Noblewood Group, owner of Beluga Vodka, has entered the gin market with the launch of Oyster Gin. The new brand launches with two expressions inspired by the Adriatic Sea, which borders Montenegro, where the group is headquartered.

Drinks International caught up with Katerina Mechetina, co-founder of Noblewood Group, to discuss the launch and the state of the gin category.

Drinks International: It’s the first step for the group outside of vodka. Why was gin the next step, and why now?

Katerina Mechetina: Beluga has shown that we know how to build and develop successful super-premium spirits brands internationally. So expanding beyond vodka was always part of our long-term thinking.

Gin felt like a logical next step. For us, Oyster Gin sits precisely at the intersection of the current trends. It is a brand built around luxury lifestyle and a distinctive flavor proposition, which aligns closely with what today’s premium gin consumers are seeking. Our objective is not simply to enter the gin category, but to contribute to its ongoing premiumization and evolution.

DI: There’s been a lot of talk about how the category is defining itself after the boom has ended. What’s your view on the current state of the gin category?

KM: I actually see today’s market as a very positive development for the category. The explosive growth is behind us, and rather than pursuing rapid expansion, the market is becoming more selective. Consumers are increasingly looking for brands with genuine character and a clear point of difference, rather than simply another gin on the shelf.

At the premium end of the market, we continue to see encouraging resilience. Probably consumers drink less, but they’re choosing better, and they’re looking for brands that offer something beyond the liquid itself. They want quality, but they also want brands that reflect the way they see themselves and the lifestyle they aspire to. For us, that’s where the opportunity lies.

DI: Where does Oyster fit into that modern landscape?

KM: Oyster Gin was created specifically with this evolving landscape in mind. However, we didn’t want to simply follow existing trends. Our ambition was to create a contemporary super-premium gin with a distinctive identity.

The Adriatic inspiration gave us the perfect platform, while the liquid offers a modern interpretation of London Dry through a carefully balanced botanical profile. The liquid is obviously fundamental, but the lifestyle within the brand is equally important today. The bottle and visual identity reinforce the premium positioning and help create an immediate emotional connection with consumers.

Perhaps most importantly, Oyster is built around versatility. It works beautifully in classic cocktails, contemporary serves and food-pairing occasions, allowing both on- and off-trade to engage with the brand in different ways while maintaining a consistent luxury positioning.

DI: Before, the gin category was built on G&Ts almost exclusively. Are modern consumers engaging with the spirit in different ways? And how does that evolution compare to what’s happened within vodka?

KM: Absolutely. The Gin & Tonic will always be a classic, but today people are exploring gin in many more ways. We see it in signature cocktails, food pairings, aperitif occasions and even as a sipping spirit. Bartenders are also using gin in increasingly creative ways, giving consumers many more opportunities to discover different flavour profiles.

Today, consumers are just as interested in how and where a spirit is made as they are in how they drink it.

I reckon something very similar has happened in vodka. Consumers no longer choose a bottle simply because it’s vodka or as a neutral mixing spirit—they choose a brand because of what it represents. For me, that’s one of the biggest changes across premium spirits in general. Though the liquid remains incredibly important, of course, consumers aren’t just buying a drink anymore – they connect with the lifestyle that surrounds the brand. That’s exactly how we’ve approached Oyster Gin.

Oyster Gin is available now in key European and US markets.