Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire Success

Bombay Sapphire gin, the fastest growing of the major premium gin brands, is the world’s number one premium gin by value for a second consecutive year, Pitts Bay Road-based Bacardi Ltd. announced yesterday [Nov. 22].

Bombay Sapphire has increased its share by value within the premium gin category from an impressive 31.7 percent to an even more remarkable 32.7 percent, as reported by IWSR (International Wine and Spirit Record), for the 12 months to the end of December 2009.

Owned by Bermuda-based Bacardi — the largest privately held spirits company in the world — Bombay Sapphire has achieved a consistently strong rate of growth in value over the last five years, and this has continued to improve in 2009 with a compound annual growth rate of 12.0 percent, according to IWSR. Even in the current economic climate, when many other spirit brands are promoting on price, Bombay Sapphire has proven its enduring and growing appeal as consumers continue to pay a premium price for the iconic gin brand in the striking blue bottle.

“We are thrilled to see Bombay Sapphire continue to drive volume and value growth in the premium gin category. Over the past 12 months we have continued to raise consumer awareness of Bombay Sapphire, through an innovative global advertising campaign and imaginative brand experiences. We have been consistently and carefully nurturing the brand, building Bombay Sapphire into one of the most successful spirit brands in the world,” said John Burke, Global Gin Category Director for Bacardi.

Bombay Sapphire has nearly tripled in size in the 11 years since it was acquired into the Bacardi Ltd. portfolio. The rate of growth under Bacardi ownership underlines the company’s global reach and consumer-focussed marketing expertise.

Bombay Sapphire has always taken an innovative approach to gin making — one of the secrets to its success. It is based on a 1761 recipe created by pioneering English distiller Thomas Dakin. Dakin’s recipe and advanced distilling methods signaled a new era of quality for gin. In fact, Bombay Sapphire continues to be made using a Carterhead still purchased by the Dakin family in 1831.

Bombay Sapphire was the first premium gin to showcase the importance of botanicals, which are hand-selected from exotic locations around the world. These botanicals, along with the brand’s signature Vapour Infusion process, create the tantalizing, smooth and complex taste of Bombay Sapphire.

“Bombay Sapphire has redefined what discerning consumers expect from a gin,” added John Burke. “As gin value continues to grow within the Premium White Spirits Category, Bombay Sapphire strives to set itself apart from other premium gins on the market and to continue engaging consumers. The imaginative, yet authentic distillation process and careful selection of botanicals results in the distinctive taste of a quality spirit which keeps them coming back.”

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