Sapphire standard: How sustainable is your gin?

The team behind Bombay Sapphire Gin is on a mission to ensure their product is 100% sustainable by the end of the year.

The aim is for Bombay Sapphire, distilled in England but owned by the Barcardi group, to be the first major brand made with 100% sustainably-sourced botanicals. 

After decades spent building sustainable partnerships with farmers and suppliers, Bombay Sapphire has announced that all 10 of its botanical ingredients are on track to be certified sustainable by late 2021. 

With the suppliers of eight botanicals already certified according to the For Life standard, the goal is for the remaining two producers – for grains of paradise from Ghana and licorice from China – to be certified in the months which follow the lifting of travel restrictions.

Bacardi has set 2025 as a target for sourcing 100% of all its key ingredients across the board from sustainably certified suppliers.

The 10 Bombay botanicals include juniper from Tuscany, coriander from Morocco, lemon peel from Spain and cubeb berries from Java, are selected by Ivano Tonutti to create the gin’s fresh, bright taste.

The For Life certification is awarded by Ecocert, the world’s leading specialist in the certification of sustainable practices. 

“We take a 360-degree approach to sustainability,” says Bombay's Ivano Tonutti. ”It’s our responsibility to care as much about the farmers and their communities as we do the botanicals they grow and harvest for Bombay Sapphire.

"By looking after their well-being and investing in sustainable farming practices, we are helping to protect the environment and their livelihoods for generations to come.”

Sarah Nichols, Marketing Director for Bacardi ANZ, says: “Our sustainability credentials are second to none and thanks to the team’s hard work we are reaching new heights. We’re now hoping to inspire others to follow in our footsteps. It’s only if we invest in the environment as an industry that we can really move the needle.”

For details see www.bacardilimited.com/corporate-responsibility/environment/