Bombay Sapphire Logo

Bombay Sapphire is a popular brand of gin. It’s mostly consumed by the Brits, despite clearly being inspired by India. The drink is notable for being pale blue, which prompted people to use this brand as a byword for many other blue-colored alcohol beverages – primarily, other gins.

Meaning and History

The brand was launched in 1982 by Bacardi, the famed liquor producer. The name is supposed to be just an exotic combination, so the gin doesn’t really have any connection to Bombay. However, the name was inspired by a famous sapphire dug out in Sri Lanka and called the ‘Star of Bombay’.

1982 – today

The label used on these bottles is just rife with the aesthetic of the old British India. In the center, you can see a blue brooch with different gilded attachments (such as the framed blue gem in the bottom and the Imperial crown on top). Most importantly, the portrait of Queen Victoria (the first Empress of India) sits right in the middle.

That’s not all – they also surrounded it by the brand name from above and below. The letters in these were black, distinctly Gothic (to inspire antiquity), and full of twists and hooks.

Basically, they did their best to tie the name to the aesthetic of the British Raj, where the precious namesake stone was excavated.

Emblem and Symbol

There are many varieties of this gin. The general aesthetic is pretty much unchanged throughout the labels, but there are distinctions. For instance, the ‘Original’ is a milky while label with a simpler central symbol. Others – like the ‘Bramble’ – are even more lush and full of new elements.