Bombay Sapphire names new SA ambassador

As Bombay Sapphire moves closer to its goal of becoming the first major gin brand to be made with 100% sustainably sourced botanicals, master mixologist Leighton Rathbone has been selected as the first South African Bombay Sapphire sustainability ambassador.

Rathbone, beverage manager for the award-winning boutique hotel Gorgeous George in Cape Town, was selected following a long process in which the country’s leading cocktail masters participated in the inaugural Creators Hub, a platform to help bartenders magnify their creative self-expression.

Bacardi portfolio brand ambassador Cameron Hawkins, who led the panel, said the judges were impressed by Rathbone’s meticulous and imaginative pitch, in which he proposed that the byproducts from cocktail-making, including citrus husks, mint stems and discarded leaves, could be repurposed.

“Inspiring mixologists to stir their creativity while trying to drive sustainability within the hospitality industry is at the heart of the Creator’s Hub, and this was a notion Leighton embraced through his presentation.

“He displayed a very clear plan of what he wanted to do, and how to implement it. His passion for sustainability was tangible – and, the fact that he has already driven sustainability culture within his bar prior to Creator’s Hub speaks volumes for his commitment in ushering in positive change.”

Bombay Sapphire will help provide R30 000 seed funding for Rathbone’s concept, which entails a useful waste creation service to recycle by-products from hospitality venues around Cape Town. Products from the waste will be made into a host of products including syrups and cordials.

Rathbone’s concept complements Bombay Saphire’s approach to sustainability, which has seen the premium gin from family-owned Bacardi Limited announce last year that all 10 of its botanical ingredients are on track to be certified sustainable according to the For Life standard.