Bombay Sapphire gin is considered the most famous and most expensive of its kind. He earned such popularity due to his original taste, as well as unusual and bright design. Bombay Sapphire gin is now successfully sold all over the world.

The brand was created not so long ago in 1987 in the USA. And here is the recipe by which this gin is made to this day, originally from 1761. This type of gin differs from others in its richer taste and aroma; about ten different notes can be distinguished in it. All ingredients are of the highest quality, they are mixed in special proportions so that none of them dominates. Thus, it is possible to create a special balanced taste.

The production of Bombay Sapphire gin began in 1987 by the already very famous Bacardi company at that time. This drink got its name in honor of the sapphire Star of Bombay, because of the shape and color of the bottle.

The Bombay Sapphire gin gained worldwide popularity at a very fast pace. This was achieved thanks to the great popularity at that time of the Bacardi company, as well as the high quality of this alcoholic drink.

In 2008, designer Karim Rashid created an amazing series of five bottles of Bombay Sapphire gin. They were completely covered with diamonds and top quality sapphires.

The fortress of gin Bombay, like all types of gin, is different for different countries. For Australia, Canada and Britain, Sapphire has a fortress of 40 degrees, for the rest of the countries its fortress is 47 degrees.

This gin contains ten ingredients sourced from around the world and crystal clear water from Lake Vyrnui in Wales. Thanks to this, the Bombay gin has such an amazing multifaceted taste and aroma.

Bombay Sapphire gin is used as part of various cocktails, as well as in its pure form. In any case, it has a unique taste and is able to create a special mood in any setting.

How to recognize a fake

Naturally, since this drink is so popular, you can often find a fake on store shelves. It is quite difficult to distinguish a fake Bombay Sapphire. Since the design of the bottle is not very protected from counterfeiting by some small distinctive features. And the blue bottle does not allow you to clearly see the presence or absence of sediment in the drink. But still, there are distinctive features by which you can recognize a fake:

1. Look closely at the bottle. All the ingredients of the drink are engraved on the side edges of the bottle. Also note that the edges of the bottle should be slightly concave inward.

2. The name of the gin is printed on the white label in the corporate font, and the image of Queen Victoria in a relief medallion is also mandatory. All inscriptions must be embossed to the touch. The back label contains all the information about the drink, as well as the mandatory UK barcode (starts at 500-509).

3. It is obligatory to have a neat, evenly glued excise stamp.

4. The presence of even the slightest mistakes in the text on the label is not allowed. In fakes, the font may differ, and the quality of inscriptions and images in fakes is significantly inferior.

Do not buy alcoholic beverages of this class from suspicious stores or markets. This is best done in specialized stores of alcoholic beverages.

These guidelines will help you choose a quality drink even at the stage of inspecting the bottle in the store. But if you have already bought Bombay Sapphire gin, then you have the opportunity to assess whether it contains sediment. No sediment or any kind of flakes are allowed in real Bombay gin. Also, there should be no alcohol in the smell and taste. If you smell an alcoholic scent after opening the bottle, be sure you bought a fake gin.

In the production of other brands of gin, the ingredients and the alcohol are distilled at the same time. Alcohol is distilled separately and three times to create the Bombay Sapphire spirits. Moreover, the third distillation takes place in the so-called Caterhead stills - copper stills with special grates, into which the vegetable mixture is placed. There are now only three Caterhead cubes in the world, all of which are used exclusively to create the English dry gin Bombay Sapphire. As a result of distillation, which lasts about 8 hours, a concentrate is obtained, which is diluted only with perfectly pure water from Lake Vrinvi. Bombay Sapphire gin makers claim that 47% (and this is the alcohol content in the final product) is the strength that best harmonizes with the complex and rich bouquet of the drink. Bombay Sapphire is virtually the only English gin that is drunk undiluted. On the other hand, the pure, smooth taste of Bombay Sapphire gin makes this strong alcoholic drink ideal for preparing cocktails - especially the famous Martini cocktail. Bombay Sapphire Gin Martini is easy to make: gin and dry white vermouth are mixed in a martini glass. The proportion is usually 1: 1. No ice is added. Decorate with a skewer with a couple of olives. But that's not all that Bombay Sapphire gin can surprise us with! A diamond looks beautiful only in a decent setting - and the producers of the gin are undoubtedly aware of this. British gin Bombay Sapphire is sold in tall, rectangular bottles with crisp, crystal-like edges. The bright blue color of the translucent glass of the bottle resembles a sapphire. The glass is engraved with the symbolic designations of the ten components of the drink, and the label features a portrait of Queen Victoria. And in 2008, the Bacardi company became the organizer of the most unusual and luxurious project in the history of design: the world famous lover of “sensual minimalism” Karim Rashid, in collaboration with the jewelry houses Garrard and Baccarat, developed the design and bottles for the Bombay Sapphire gin. The five bottles, dubbed Revelation, were handcrafted from crystals and set with sapphires and diamonds. The cost of each bottle was $ 200,000 - incredible! By the way, Karim Rashid's collaboration with the Bombay Sapphire brand began earlier - in 1999, when he created a unique design for a cocktail glass. Karim Rashid also hosts an annual young designer competition called the Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition, in which students from all over the world present their variations on the theme of glass design. Bombay Sapphire is an iconic beverage and iconic brand. Gin Bombay Sapphire is very different from competitors in the world market, which cannot but interest connoisseurs of high-quality alcoholic beverages. You can buy Bombay Sapphire gin at an affordable price in our store.

Bombay sapphire(aka Bombay Sapphire, or simply Bombay) is a British brand created in 1987, today it is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding, most original and, to be honest, the most expensive representatives of the gin industry.

The bombay bottle is immediately striking thanks to its characteristic light blue rectangular shape, whose color is intended to mimic sapphire blue.

No matter how funny it is, but in the circles of the uninitiated, the unusual colors of these bottles gave rise to the legend that the gin contained in them itself is blue. Of course, this is not true. Bombay Sapphire is crystal clear. This effect is ensured by triple distillation of the product and using the purest water from Welsh Lake Vyrnui in its production.

According to its strength, the drink contained in blue bottles is divided into two main categories. The version for the UK, Australia and Canada has an ABV of 40 degrees. The strength of drinks exported to other countries is 47 degrees. In addition, there is a 42-degree variation of the drink called Bombay Sapphire East; as well as a special intra-British mark, the Bombay Star, whose fortress is 47.5 degrees.

First of all, it should be noted that the drink we are interested in, despite its youth, has a very solid pedigree. It was created on the basis of a very solid, albeit unpretentious, northern English brand Bombay Original Dry, which was (and is still being successfully produced) according to the recipe of 1761. However, unlike its predecessor, the new gin brand is made up of not eight, but ten ingredients, found in three different parts of the world. Among them: unchanged juniper berries, angelica root, violet root powder, bitter almonds and lemon peel collected in various European countries, licorice root, cubeba berries and cassia bark, which are of Asian origin, as well as coriander and meleget pepper (aka, paradise grains), brought from Africa.

In 2011, the aforementioned "oriental" modification of the drink was released, targeting the United States. To balance the increased sweetness inherent in the American tonic, two more ingredients have been added to the traditional drink: lemongrass and black peppercorns.

Of course, there are millions of fans of the blue bottle drink who advocate using it exclusively as part of cocktails. And, perhaps, somewhere they are right. Indeed, today there are dozens of enchanting or simply pleasant cocktails created specifically for the Bombay sapphire. In order not to be unfounded, here are the names of some of them: "Bombay Finbar", "Sapphire Scratch", "Black Antoinette", "Bombay Lemon Bomb", "Scheherazade", "Monarch" and even "Sapphire Shogun".

But don't jump to conclusions. If you have no prejudices against strong alcohol or physiological incompatibility with it, we strongly recommend that you try the drink in its pristine purity before embarking on the open sea of ​​cocktail. We do not exclude that its natural softness, coupled with the versatility of a well-balanced plant component, will seem to you extremely appropriate for consumption before meals.

At the same time, it is important to note that neither in the first nor in the second case, the question: "with what to drink Bombay sapphire gin?" not on the agenda. Cocktails prepared on the basis of the mentioned drink are completely self-sufficient. To muffle with something the unique taste of pure blue-bottle gin used as an aperitif seems to us sheer barbarism.

Alas, counterfeiting the gin Bombay sapphire, in view of its unheard-of popularity and rather high cost, is a fairly common phenomenon. At the same time, on the one hand, it will be much more difficult to recognize a counterfeit product than, say, in the case of Beefeater or Gordons. It all depends on how you look at the famous light blue bottle.

Of course, the opaque glass from which the container is made will not allow you to appreciate the purity and, accordingly, the quality of the liquid in it. But don't be discouraged. The bottle itself is very difficult to counterfeit. Therefore, you should remember its distinctive features.

Fundamental rules:

Inspect the edges of the bottle

First of all, on the edges of the rectangular bottle, with the help of a special technology, the images of all the plants that make up the drink are etched.

Label

It is a blue background that features a clear, recognizable portrait of Queen Victoria, housed in an embossed gold medallion. And, of course, on the back, such a label will contain a UK barcode, which can be expressed as three-digit numbers from 500 to 509.

Excise stamp

It must be present on the bottle of the genuine product, it must be neatly glued and free from any defects.

We wish you the best of luck, and we hope you enjoy this wonderful sapphire bottle.

A noble juniper drink, a descendant of a sweet and rustic genever, it is presented on the market in many varieties, types and variations. We will consider the most popular brands of gin that are respected by connoisseurs all over the world (including in Russia). But this rating does not exhaust the list of worthy brands, there is always a chance to stumble upon a "not promoted", but a good manufacturer.

Attention! The list includes only the brands of "London dry gin" - the most popular type.

Gordon's (Gordons)

British gin since 1769. Today the brand firmly holds the position of the most sold "London dry" in the world, and for more than a hundred years has been the favorite gin of the British themselves.

The first producer and godfather of the drink was the Scotsman Alexander Gordon. The invented recipe turned out to be so successful that it has not changed until now (and, of course, is kept in the strictest confidence - only 12 people know the exact composition and proportions).

It is only known that the recipe includes juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice, violet root, orange and lemon peel. Distillation lasts ten days, in addition, sugar is not added to the drink - it is so good that it has no flavors that would need to be masked.

Beefeater

Another old English stamp - the first one was issued in London in 1862 by James Barrow. The company belonged to the descendants of the first manufacturer until 1994, when the company was bought by the alcoholic corporation Pernod Ricard.

The brand's website directly indicates the composition of the gin: juniper, angelica root, coriander, licorice, almonds, violet root, orange (bitter orange) and lemon shavings, but this does not mean that the company did not keep a couple of ingredients secret, besides the proportions are unknown.

All herbs and additives are soaked for 24 hours before distillation, which allows you to achieve the deepest and most intense taste. The finished alcohol is taken to Scotland, where it is diluted and bottled.

Another feature of the brand is that this gin has a different strength depending on the market: the 47-degree version is supplied in the USA, while the rest of the world is content with only 40%.

Bombay Sapphire

Despite the name, which clearly refers to the times of the East India Company, this is a fairly young brand that appeared just over 30 years ago, in 1987, and today belongs to the Bacardi concern.

The recipe for the drink includes 10 ingredients (not counting 100% grain alcohol): almonds, lemon peel, licorice, juniper berries, violet root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeba and meleget peppers (heavenly grains).

Distilled not in copper, but in special "cutterheed" cubes. Herbs are placed in special mesh baskets so that alcohol vapors are additionally saturated with aromas. Thanks to this technology, the gin takes on a light floral bouquet.

Tanqueray

This brand also hails from the shores of Foggy Albion, but the brand has achieved the greatest recognition, oddly enough, in the New, not the Old World, namely in the USA. Like Gordons, it is named after the founder of the company, Charles Tankeray, who opened production in London Bloombery in 1830.

This is London Dry Gin, made by double distillation with the addition of herbs and spices, but which ones are the secret of the manufacturer. The sommelier only recognized the juniper, angelica, licorice and coriander with certainty. The strength of the drink varies from 40% to 47.3% depending on the market.

Booth's (Boots)

Perhaps one of the oldest types of gin made today, the history of the brand dates back to 1740. The founding father of the brand, Philip Booth, not only produced alcoholic beverages, but financed Ross's polar expedition with the proceeds, which is still reminded of Booth Bay, Felix Harbor and several other place names.

The peculiarity is aging in oak barrels from sherry, due to which the drink has not transparent, but golden-yellow color and rich bouquet.

Gilbey's (Gilbis)

It owes its appearance to Sir Walter Gilby, a baronet and participant in the Crimean War. In 1857, returning from the battlefield, the young aristocrat, together with his younger brother Alfred, established a trade in colonial wines, and a few years later opened his own distillery.

In 1872, the brothers began to produce gin, which today is especially popular in America and the Philippines.

Plymouth (Plymouth)

Initially, this was the name of any gin made in the English city of Plymouth, it was not a brand, but a name protected by origin. However, today in the mentioned city there is only one production left - Black Friars, which owned all the rights to the brand, until the sale in 1996. Today the brand is part of the Pernod Ricard alcoholic concern.

The history of this genie begins in 1793, although the Dominican monastery (the successors of which are the "black brothers") existed at the beginning of the 15th century.

Slightly sweeter than most London drys. It is believed to be due to the high content of various herbs, especially roots, which gives the drink an earthy flavor with softened tones of juniper.

Greenall's (Greenalls)

In 1762, Thomas Greenall built the brewery, and this is how the history of the company began, which in the 1990s was retrained from winemakers to hoteliers. However, the gin was not produced by Mr. Greenall at all, but by his competitor, Thomas Dakin, twenty miles further. Only thanks to complex economic and family ties in 1870, these two industries merged: the first gave the new enterprise the recipe for the gin, and the second - the name.

Neither the recipe nor the technology has changed since the time of Mr. Dakin: all the herbs that make up the drink (which ones are not exactly known) are soaked in grain alcohol in order to maximize the taste and aroma.

Seagram's Extra Dry Gin (Seagrams)

Another rather young brand that has achieved popular love and recognition. appeared on the market only in 1939, but today no less than many brands with a more ancient history are popular.

The peculiarity of the production is distillation at low temperatures in order to extract the maximum taste and aroma from the ingredients. Then the drink is sent to age nobly in oak barrels.

Thanks to this technology, gin is famous for its soft taste and exquisite unobtrusive bouquet.

Hayman's (Haymans)

Unlike many other brands, it specializes not only in the London Dry style, but also in Old Tom - alcohol, "dry" of the Dutch genever, but sweeter than the classic "London dry".

The company was founded in 1821, but it was not until 1863 that gin began to be produced. According to the official information on the manufacturer's website, the gin recipe has not changed since then.

London Hill (London Hill)

Another old English brand that has existed since the 18th century - namely, since 1785.

Not much is known about the recipe: only that the composition includes about a dozen herbs, which are crushed in mashed potatoes and subjected to double distillation along with grain alcohol.