Updated July 2026.
Bombay Sapphire sold in the United States is typically 47% ABV / 94 proof (Virginia ABC product tile 47.0% / 94.0). A 1.5-ounce pour is about 1.18 US standard drinks, not 1.00. UK and many other markets print 40%. Bacardi owns Bombay Spirits Company; the gin is vapor-infused in a Carter Head still at Laverstoke Mill, Hampshire. Ten botanicals is the brand story. We will not reprint a 2021 price grid.
US gin as a class must be bottled at ≥40% ABV and taste of juniper (TTB). Sapphire’s extra proof is a US/export choice, not a different botanical law. Bombay Original Dry (the less-blue bottle) is a different SKU and often a different strength — read that neck. See gin guide.
Proof is the first fact
| Bottle | Typical strength | 1.5 oz as std drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Sapphire US / many export | 47% / 94 proof | 1.18 |
| Sapphire UK / much of EU / Canada / Australia | 40% / 80 proof | 1.00 |
| US gin floor | 40% | 1.00 |
| 750 mL Sapphire US | 47% | ~20 standard drinks in the bottle |
Math: (1.5 × 0.47) ÷ 0.6 = 1.175. A gin-and-tonic built on US Sapphire is a stronger drink than the same jigger of 40% Beefeater. Calories scale with ethanol — the USDA 80-proof 97-kcal row is for 40%, not 47%. Four 1.5-ounce US Sapphire pours are about 4.7 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target.
Sources
- Virginia ABC product page: Bombay Sapphire 47.0% ABV / 94.0 proof.
- TTB gin identity: juniper; ≥40% ABV.
- Brand: Bacardi / Bombay Spirits; Laverstoke; vapor infusion. UK 40% is a different market label.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). No 2026 MSRP.