Bermuda-based Bacardi Ltd’s Bombay Sapphire gin has been named the world’s number one premium gin by value for a third consecutive year by IWSR (International Wine and Spirit Research).Bombay Sapphire has seen year-on-year growth of its share by value within the premium gin category with a notable increase of 1.5 share points to 38 percent for year ended 2010.While the overall gin market has remained flat in recent years, the popularity of Bombay Sapphire has continued to grow, nearly tripling in size since it was acquired by family-owned Bacardi, the largest privately-held spirits company in the world.According to IWSR, the continued growth in value has improved over the past three years, having seen an annual compound growth rate of 5.2 percent, which firmly cements the popularity of the Bombay Sapphire brand in an ever competitive marketplace.“We are delighted to see Bombay Sapphire perform so consistently year-on-year,” said John Burke, global gin category director for Bacardi.“It is truly a feat to receive this accolade three years running. As we continue to drive volume and value growth, it motivates us to create highly-engaging brand campaigns to drive consumer awareness of Bombay Sapphire.“With this year’s launch of the Infused with Imagination™ brand idea, we’re confident that we will carry on building Bombay Sapphire into one of the most successful spirit brands in the world.”Bombay Sapphire this year unveiled its multimillion dollar global marketing campaign, ‘Infused with Imagination’, which was born out of the rich heritage and story of the product itself.Since its creation, Bombay Sapphire has taken an imaginative approach to gin-making one of the secrets to its success. It is based on a 1761 recipe created by pioneering English distiller Thomas Dakin. Dakin’s recipe and sophisticated distilling methods signalled a new era of quality for gin.“Bombay Sapphire continues to intrigue consumers with its imaginative take on gin-making, setting itself apart from other brands,” said Mr Burke.“As Bombay Sapphire enters into the second year of Infused with Imagination, we look forward to launching innovative brand experiences to engage consumers in 2012. However, it is still the spirit’s distinctive taste and incomparable quality resulting from an authentic distillation process that successfully keeps consumers coming back.”