Contents
Briefly about the drink
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 immediately catches the eye with its characteristic light blue rectangular shape, the color of which is meant to mimic blue sapphire.
gin cocktails
It is not funny, but among the uninitiated, the unusual coloring of these bottles gave rise to a legend that the gin itself contained in them is blue. Of course, this is not true. Bombay Sapphire is crystal clear. This effect is ensured by triple distillation of the product and the use of the purest water from the Welsh Lake Virnui in its production.
How many degrees are in Bombay sapphire gin
According to its strength, the drink contained in blue bottles is divided into two main categories. The version produced for the UK, Australia and Canada has a strength of 40 degrees. The strength of drinks going to other countries is 47 degrees. In addition, there is a 42-degree variation of the drink called the Bombay Sapphire East; as well as a special intra-British mark, the Bombay Star, whose strength is 47,5 degrees.
Composition of gin Bombay sapphire
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 produced (and is still successfully produced) according to a 1761 recipe. However, unlike its predecessor, the new gin brand does not consist of eight, but ten components, grown 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 countries of Europe, licorice root, cubeba berries and cassia bark, which are of Asian origin, as well as coriander and Meleget pepper (aka, grains of paradise), brought from Africa.
In 2011, the aforementioned “eastern” modification of the drink was released, focused on the United States. To balance the increased sweetness inherent in the American tonic, two more ingredients were added to the traditional composition of the drink: lemongrass and black pepper grains.
How to drink Bombay Sapphire Gin
Of course, there will be millions of fans of the blue-bottle drink advocating its use exclusively in 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, we give 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 prejudice 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 cocktail sea. We do not exclude that its natural softness, coupled with the versatility of a well-balanced plant component, will seem extremely appropriate for you to consume before meals.
At the same time, it is important to note that neither in the first nor in the second case, the question is: “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 the unique taste of pure blue-bottle gin, used as an aperitif, seems to us sheer barbarism.
How to spot fake Bombay sapphire gin
Alas, fake Bombay sapphire gin, 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 assess the purity and, accordingly, the quality of the liquid in it. But don’t be discouraged. By itself, the bottle is very difficult to fake. Therefore, you should remember its distinctive features.
Basic rules:
Examine the edges of the bottle
First of all, on the sides of a rectangular bottle, using a special technology, images of all the plants that make up the drink are etched.
Label
It is a blue background, on which is depicted a clear, well-recognized portrait of Queen Victoria, placed in an embossed gold medallion. And, of course, on the reverse side, 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 pasted and free from any defects.
We wish you good luck and hope that you will like this wonderful drink in a sapphire color bottle.
what you need to know about gin
Relevance: 25.02.2016
Tags: gin, gin brands