 | |
| Type | Gin |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Bombay Spirits Co., Ltd. |
| Distributor | Bacardi |
| Country of origin | England |
| Introduced | 1986 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40% (UK, The Nordics, Cont. Europe, Canada, Australia) 47% (US and export/duty-free) |
| Proof (US) | 80 (UK, The Nordics, Cont. Europe, Canada, Australia) 94 (US and export/duty-free) |
| Colour | Clear |
| Related products | Bombay Original Dry |
| Website | www |
Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin that is distilled by the Bombay Spirits Company, a subsidiary company of Bacardi, at Laverstoke Mill in the village of Laverstoke in the English county of Hampshire.
The brand was first launched in 1986 by English wine-merchant International Distillers & Vintners. In 1997 Diageo sold the brand to Bacardi.[1] Its name originates from the gin and tonic popularised by the Royal Indian Armed Forces during the British Raj in colonial India; "Bombay" refers to the Indian city and "Sapphire" refers to the violet-blue Star of Bombay which was mined from British Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.[2] Bombay Sapphire is marketed in a flat-sided, sapphire-coloured bottle that bears a picture of Queen Victoria on the label.[2]
The flavouring of the drink comes from a recipe of ten ingredients: almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root,[3] angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. Alcohol brought in from another supplier is evaporated three times using a carterhead still, and the alcohol vapours are passed through a mesh/basket containing the ten botanicals to gain flavour and aroma. This is felt to give the gin a lighter, more floral taste compared to gins created using a copper pot still. Water from Lake Vyrnwy[4] is added to bring the strength of Bombay Sapphire down to 40.0% (UK, the Nordics, several continental European markets, Canada and Australia).
The 47.0% version is the standard for sale at duty-free stores in all markets.
- ^ "G&J Distillers Warrington | the Groves & Whitnall's Globe Works". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ a b "Bombay Sapphire Gin - Bacardi Brands".
- ^ "Bombay Sapphire Distillery (Laverstoke Mill) - Orris root". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Kahan, Paul (15 March 2022). Enjoying Gin: A Tasting Guide and Journal. Voyageur Press. pp. 56–57. ISBN 978-0760375105. Retrieved 21 June 2024.