The last stop on our travels has brought us to Western Africa, where we will be delving into the culture and mystery of this vast and compelling region. With this intriguing area comes our final botanical Grains of Paradise, an exceptional addition to the Bombay Sapphire mix.

Sourced from West Africa, in the Middle Ages, this spice was termed grana paradise “Grains of Paradise” because of its high value equivalent at the time to gold.

They combine a peppery bite and a light lavender nose with chocolate for that touch of luxury and orange to highlight and accentuate the citrus. In short, they add a spicy, exotic quality to the spirit, making the Thrown to Bombay Paradise one you shouldn’t miss!

A botanical fresh from our latest stop Java, the climbing cubeb plant bears strong smelling berries which, when crushed and infused in Bombay Sapphire, add a distinctive peppery aroma. These work well in combination with both the Angelica and Orris root botanicals while contributing primarily to the wonderful spicy finish of Bombay Sapphire. Cubeb Berries are actually grown extensively in coffee plantations, well shaded and supported by the coffee trees. They are related to black pepper and also known as “Java Pepper”.

As always when we travel to a new region we bring you a beautifully crafted cocktail and this week is no different. The Bombay Berry Spice has landed in the Bombay Sapphire Dusk Bar.

The tropics of Indo-China are the source of the delicately flavoured bark of the cassia tree. Its light cinnamon flavour adds a warm hint of spice and a touch of sweetness to the botanical mix. It is reminiscent of cinnamon (to which it is related) but its overall effect is much mellower.

Cassia Bark is also used to flavour many types of food including an authentic Biryani in India. It is also known as Chinese cinnamon and is one of the oldest of all spices in the world. It was first recorded in China in 2500BC.

To bring this botanical to life Oskar Kinberg (Head Bartender) from London’s Cuckoo Club has created the Bombay Sapphire Cinnamon Swirl.

As you may know the Bombay Sapphire Dusk Bar has been travelling around the world through its botanicals in a bid to discover how some of London’s leading bartenders have been inspired by dusk in the different countries from which the botanicals in Bombay Sapphire are sourced. The next stop is Morocco where we look at the intriguingly flavoured coriander seed.

These dried coriander seeds are ground down to release their complex blend of citrus and spice.
The coriander seeds grown in Morocco are slightly larger and hold more oils than other varieties found elsewhere in the world.

Bombay Sapphire has brought coriander to life through Skylon Bar Manager Luis Simoes’ Bombay Sapphire Dusk Flower Cocktail, which is available at the bar now (up until Thursday 3rd September).

The ground Orris Root adds the scent and smell of violets to Bombay Sapphire. It creates an exotic fragrance and helps bind together the other botanical flavours and captures the essence of the warm earth of Italy where our Orris Root is sourced from.

It takes 2 years to dry out Orris Root. A bespoke machine grinds the root into a powder so fine that during the spirit distillation, the root’s dry aromas of grass and hay are replaced by the violet fragrance.

Discover the true taste and depth the Orris Root brings to Bombay Sapphire through our latest cocktail the Lazy Somer Sapphire.

Almonds are thought to be among the first fruit trees (along with grapes, olives and dates) to have been farmed; they were a familiar sight on many Anglo-Saxon “healing plant” lists. The Spanish bitter Almonds used in Bombay Sapphire are ground to release their precious oils. A clean, rich taste is brought to the mix and more than a hint of nuttiness adds strength to the overall spirit. The oils released give the silky smooth mouth feel and texture associated with Bombay Sapphire.

To celebrate the Almond the Dusk Bar brings you the Almond Rocks created by T Bar’s Jake Blanch. The Almond Rocks is a fantastic summer twist on the iconic Bombay Sapphire Bramble. The inclusion of Orgeat (almond) syrup enhances the bitter sweet almond – just one of the ten exotic botanicals in Bombay Sapphire.

To create your own Almond Rocks simply Place 50ml Bombay Sapphire, 20ml fresh lemon juice, 4 blackberries and 10ml Orgeat (almond) syrup into a cocktail shaker. Add plenty of ice and shake. Strain into a tumbler glass filled with ice. Garnish with 2 short straws, a blackberry and some zested lemon. Beautiful!

Amongst Bombay Sapphire’s 10 exotic botanicals, the Angelica Root has a special purpose. It has a sweet pine kernel flavour, which binds the flavours of the other 10 botanicals together; emphasising and complementing the delicate flavours provided by the other exotic botanicals.

Angelica Root is the ground root from the Angelica plant. In order to use the finest quality, Bombay Sapphire sources this root from the moist shade of secluded woodlands in the heart of Saxony, which we’ll explore in our next post.

In the meantime, Bombay Sapphire would like to invite you down to the bar to enjoy the unmistakeably refreshing Bombay Sapphire Angel; designed to complement the Angelica Root’s unique flavour and bring you an inspired, beautifully crafted cocktail experience. The Bombay Sapphire Angel will be featured for only a few more days before progressing to our next featured cocktail, so join us soon.