THE TIMELESS CLASSIC


Yin and Yang, fire and ice, never the ‘twain shall meet. Yet imagine a majestic phoenix, imbibed with power and splendour, imprisoned in a delicate yet steely crystal cage. When the cage is open, the phoenix springs to life, tumbling out of its container in such a joyous and life-affirming manner that it is always a sight to behold, partake and imbibe in.

The combination of fiery gin encased in a timeless cool blue bottle has been the signature of Bombay Sapphire since time immemorial. Based on a secret but stellar 1761 recipe, its creation came about by infusing the finest quality spirit with the aromatic flavours of 10 uniquely combined botanical ingredients, which has resulted in the effortlessly complex and refined taste of Bombay Sapphire that we all know and love today.


Click on the thumbnails to view the classic Bombay Sapphire bottle and limited edition collectibles in detail.

No stranger to detail, Bombay Sapphire was also the first gin in the world to openly divulge all of the botanical ingredients used in the making of its elixir, and in fact spares no expense to source only the very finest botanicals from around the globe. In a bold move that few have ventured to follow, Bombay Sapphire even names the source of each of its botanicals on the side of every bottle, so proud is it of the provenance of these, that this virtually guarantees the quality of its product every single time.

To the uninitiated, this harks a radical break from tradition in gin-making, which is usually processed with only 3-4 botanicals, and with juniper as the dominating flavor. This has the effect of the distinct “ginny” taste which is markedly absent in Bombay Sapphire’s complex blend, which is a hand-selected process of 10 botanicals by none other than Bombay Sapphire’s personal Master Distiller.


Click on the thumbnails to view signature Bombay Sapphire cocktail creations in detail.

In a typical gin-making process, most labels boil their botanicals in the spirit in order to abstract the flavours. This method produces a type of gin that is coarser in texture and may contain impurities trapped in. In contrast, Bombay Sapphire proudly presents its tradition of the vastly superior “Vapour Infusion distillation process”, where triple-distilled spirit slowly infuses through the botanicals as vapours to capture all essential aromatic flavours. While this takes a longer process and is more expensive to produce, it also prevents any impurities from settling in the resulting product. The yield is a winningly complex and refined taste which Bombay Sapphire is legendary for, allowing it the “mixability” in an endless number of classic and contemporary cocktails.

THE IDEOLOGY BEHIND THE MIXOLOGY
Internationally, Bombay Sapphire showcases and illustrates its unsurpassed versatility in cocktails by collaborating with top chefs worldwide to create cocktail and cuisine pairings, which demonstrate and show off the superior mixability of Bombay Sapphire, as well as its ability to be able to create cocktails which complement various different cuisines.

In its relentless quest for perfection, Bombay Sapphire constantly pushes the envelopes of cocktail making, also known as the art of mixology. Its hand-picked, elite team of Bombay Sapphire Ambassadors are individually experts in spirits and on the art of mixology. They constantly experiment with Bombay Sapphire, in order to push the boundaries of cocktail making and also to set cutting-edge trends around the world. With the fire of Bombay Sapphire coursing through their veins, it’s no wonder they are so passionate about the fiery spirit in the cool, blue container, and eager to share this passion with eager recipients worldwide.


Click on the thumbnails to view the selection and distillation process in detail.

Like a seasoned orchestra conductor, professional mixologists demand only the finest ingredients in order to create the finest cocktails of perfect harmony. It comes as no surprise that Bombay Sapphire is of course the ideal spirit for cocktails, due to the impeccable quality of its 10 botanicals, and the superior vapour infusion method used to infuse the spirit with their delicate aromas in equal measure. The secret recipe ensures that the flavours in the gin are balanced so perfectly that no one botanical can overpower another. This creates exceptional mixability where an endless number of other ingredients can be introduced and mixed with this highly unique spirit, with each novel ingredient complementing and enhancing either one, or more, of its 10 botanicals in a myriad of different ways.


THE SIGNATURE BLUE
Bombay Sapphire truly understands the significance of the visual. Apart from the fact that its taste is unlike any other gin in the market, its image also strikes up an immediate differentiation. Long synonymous with its beautifully-designed, translucent blue glass bottle, Bombay Sapphire has become an instantly-recognisable icon around the world thanks to its unique packaging. The distinctive blue glass bottle design also places Bombay Sapphire way above the leagues of its competitors, drawing in inquisitive bystanders who may purchase the gin purely based on the beautiful bottle. However, the exceptional taste of the spirit that is contained within is what draws people back, time and again.


Click on the thumbnails to view distinctive blue Bombay Sapphire bottles in detail.

Like an intricate and exquisite spider web, Bombay Sapphire’s distinctive blue bottle lies at the heart of the many inroads the brand has made into the world of design over the years. Instantly recognisable around the globe thanks to its single, striking design, it is only apt that Bombay Sapphire supports the inspirational designs of international artists, designers and architects through global promotional efforts encompassing the far reaches of the international design community.


THE DESIGN REVOLUTION
In the creation of a premium brand, Bombay Sapphire has been held in the highest esteem since day one. The element of design within the brand has one single mission: to convey, strengthen and further establish its existing brand identity. Some of these elements include the upholding of the premium quality of the brand, its contemporary style and also its timeless elegance.

Even at the very beginning of its association with glass design, Bombay Sapphire has inspired and attracted strong interest from some of the world’s greatest designers. The brand’s inaugural foray into the realm of design came about nearly 20 years ago, when three international and legendary designers, Michael Graves, Adam Tihany and Milton Glaser, were inspired by Bombay Sapphire to create their unique interpretations of another iconic design - the much-venerated martini cocktail glass, a staple in all Bond movies.

Since this illustrious beginning, custom-made glasses by the likes of superstar designers of today such as Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders, Tom Dixon, Yves Behar and Eva Zeisel have been showcased in a wildly successful global advertising campaign for Bombay Sapphire, with their breathtaking creations shown in various locations worldwide. Today, the Bombay Sapphire-inspired empire featured in the campaign has burgeoned to encompass a broad range of design disciplines including ceramics, textiles and even furniture.


Click on the thumbnails to view Eva Zeisel's creation, and Karim Rashid and Tom Dixon in detail.

In order to establish even greater credibility in the design world, and to ensure that Bombay Sapphire was thought of as a serious force to be reckoned with in its desire to celebrate and promote good design, the Bombay Sapphire Foundation was established in 2001 to recognise, encourage and reward the very best and finest in contemporary design, in particular, glass design.

The members of the prestigious Bombay Sapphire Foundation include many leading international designers, some of which are the world’s most respected doyens from the glass and design industry. These include Ron Arad, Tom Dixon, Nicole Farhi, Thomas Heatherwick, Lesley Jackson, Dan Klein, Karim Rashid and Nadja Swarovski, amongst many others.

Not one to rest on its laurels, the Bombay Sapphire Foundation runs two annual international design competitions. The Company Sapphire Designer Glass Competition, one of the top design contests in the world for budding designers, attracts thousands of designers from over 20 countries taking part each year by creating a martini cocktail glass design inspired by Bombay Sapphire. The participating designers in the Designer Glass Competition are given one brief: To capture the timeless and elegance that the brand Bombay Sapphire evokes,its contemporary and alluring personality, as well as the sensuality that is both utterly masculine yet feminine at the same time. Apart from this, the Foundation also runs the world’s biggest international award for glass, the Bombay Sapphire Prize. The £20,000 prize is open to any artist, designer or architect working with glass and is judged based on excellence and innovation by the eminent members of the Foundation.


Click on the thumbnails to view further Bombay Sapphire design creations in detail.

THE WAY FORWARD
Bombay Sapphire certainly knows how to pull out all the stops, as befitting its luxury image. It pledges to continue in its tradition to work with internationally-renowned designers and partners, be it a special project or an advertisement, and aims to break new ground with every step that it moves forward.

One of the brand’s most recent campaigns involved the launch of a stunning initiative - Revelation. Bombay Sapphire Revelation is a unique collection of five handmade crystal bottles individually decorated with sapphires and diamonds, priced at US$200,000 each. The creation of Revelation is an awe-inspiring collaboration between three of the world’s prominent names in luxury design: inspirational designer and long-time Bombay Sapphire collaborator Karim Rashid, luxury crystal maker Baccarat and the oldest jewellery house in the world, Garrard.

“Bombay Sapphire has a reputation for pushing the boundaries with its innovative and inspiring marketing programmes and the Revelation project is certainly no exception,” comments Gary Chau, Bombay Sapphire Travel Retail Marketing Director. “This unique collaboration of luxury design brands is exceptional and hugely exciting for the Bombay Sapphire brand. Together we have created the ultimate bottle of Bombay Sapphire.”

Designed Karim Rashid, one of the most famous designers in the world today, each of the five Revelation bottles has been handcrafted in France by Baccarat, the pre-eminent creator of the world’s finest luxury crystal. The bottle has been cut into the shape of a giant gemstone with 10 principal facets, representing the 10 botanical ingredients used to create the complex and refined taste of Bombay Sapphire. Each Revelation bottle is unique with its own individually designed stopper decorated with sapphires and diamonds set by the oldest jewellery house in the world, Garrard.


Click on the thumbnails to view the unveiling of Relevations in detail.

Reflecting the global popularity of Bombay Sapphire, the limited edition Revelation bottles were launched at five airport locations – starting with London Heathrow airport on March 27th, to coincide with the opening of the new terminal five and subsequently New York, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney. One Revelation bottle was exhibited at each of the five international airports for two to three months before being securely transported to its new owner anywhere in the world.

Profits from Revelation will benefit the travel retail industry’s chosen charity, The Smile Train, which provides life-enhancing cleft surgery to children in poor countries.


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