Bengaluru — With Britain’s thirst for gin showing no sign of letting up, upmarket tonic and mixers maker Fever-Tree says its 2017 results will beat the expectations of analysts. The company also soothed investor worries about a pick-up in competition from bigger rival Schweppes, which has recently increased its presence in premium products. Fever-Tree said it had gained "significant market share". The firm’s shares, up about 15-fold since their 2014 listing, jumped more than 10% in early trade on Wednesday, before retreating to stand up 2.7% at £25. "With gin sales soaring, 2017 was the year of the juniper. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten what a good job Fever-tree has done in capitalising on this tailwind," said George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. UK gin sales leapt more than 100% in the first half of 2017, helped by demand for premium brands. Fever-Tree expected its 2017 revenues to rise 66% to around £169m. "Reflecting the continued strong performance through...

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