Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin owned by Bacardi that was first launched in 1987 by
IDV.
In 1997 Diageo sold the brand to Bacardi.
Its name originates from gin's popularity in India during the British Raj and the sapphire
in question is the Star of Bombay on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
Bombay Sapphire is marketed in a flat-sided, sapphire-coloured bottle that bears a picture
of Queen Victoria on the label.
The flavouring of the drink comes from a recipe of ten ingredients: almond, lemon peel, liquorice,
juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise.
The spirit is triple distilled using a carterhead still, and the alcohol vapours are passed
through a mesh/basket containing the ten botanicals, in order to gain flavour and aroma.
This gives a lighter, more floral gin rather than the more-common 'punchy' gins that are
distilled using a copper pot still.
Water from Lake Vyrnwy is added to bring the strength of Bombay Sapphire down to 40.0%.
In 2011 it was announced that the company is planning to move the distillation process
to a new facility in Laverstoke, Hampshire.
The plans include the restoration of the former Portal's paper mill, and the construction
of a visitor centre.
In February 2012, they received planning permission for the site and the centre is scheduled to
be opened in Spring 2014.
Production and bottling of the drink is contracted out by Bacardi to G&J Greenall.
Varieties Bacardi also markets Bombay Original London
Dry Gin.
Made with eight botanical ingredients rather than ten, Bombay is less common than Bombay
Sapphire, though Wine Enthusiast has called it better.
In September 2011, Bombay Sapphire East was launched in test markets in New York and Las
Vegas.
This variety has another two botanicals, lemongrass and black peppercorns, in addition to the
original ten.
It is bottled at 42% and was designed to counteract the sweetness of American tonic water.
Design connection The brand started a series of design collaborations.
Their first step into the design world was a series of advertisements featuring work
from currently popular designers.
Their works, varying from martini glasses to tiles and cloth patterns, are labelled
as “Inspired by Bombay Sapphire”.
The campaign featured designers such as Marcel Wanders, Yves Behar, Karim Rashid, Ulla Darni,
and Dror Benshetrit and performance artist Jurgen Hahn.
From the success of this campaign, the company started a series of events and sponsored locations.
The best known is the Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition, held each year, where design
students from all over the world can participate by designing their own “inspired” martini
cocktail glass.
The finalists are then invited to the yearly Salone del Mobile, an international design
fair in Milano, where the winner is chosen.
Bombay Sapphire also endorses glass artists and designers with the Bombay Sapphire Prize,
which is awarded every year to an outstanding design which features glass.
Bombay Sapphire also showcases the designers' work in the Bombay Sapphire endorsed blue
room, which is actually a design exhibition touring the world each year.
From 2008 the Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition final will be held at 100% Design
in London, UK and the Bombay Sapphire Prize will take place in Milan at the Salone Del
Mobile.
Evaluation Bombay Sapphire has been reviewed by several
outside spirit ratings organizations to mixed success.
Recently, it was awarded a score of 92 from the Beverage Testing Institute.
Ratings aggregator Proof66.com categorizes the Sapphire as a Tier 2 spirit, indicating
highly favorable "expert" reviews.
References
External links Bombay Sapphire Homepage
BoozeBasher review of Bombay Sapphire Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition
Bombay Sapphire Prize Bombay Sapphire sparkles in latest collaboration