Raj Nagra, the global brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire gin, is a rock star in the firmament of the wine and spirits industry. The urbane diplomat of the juniper berry spirit was in Bermuda last week to launch Bombay’s new product, a lemongrass and black pepper-infused version of the top rated original, this one called Bombay Sapphire East gin.

While here he proved he is a contender for the title of hardest working man in the business — along with his Guinness world record earned as part of a team that mixed 1,541 cocktails in one hour.

He was on the Island for a four-day visit, during which he conducted a Bombay Sapphire bartender training session at Bacardi; approximately 17 bartenders and Bacardi staff were on hand. Bombay Sapphire gin is owned by Bacardi, whose headquarters are in Bermuda, while Gosling’s Ltd is a distributor of the brand.

April Gosling Naude of Gosling’s said: “We conducted two other Bombay Sapphire bartender training sessions at Gosling’s Ltd in our Wine Cellar — approximately 45 bartenders and Gosling’s staff attended the two events.”

In addition, Mr Nagra held a Bombay Sapphire bartender training session at RED with its staff, and another at Coral Beach and Tennis Club with staff there.

Ms Gosling Naude added: “We also visited several popular bars and restaurants in between training sessions so that Raj could get a feel for our market.”

Mr Nagra, who was featured in the New York Times when he moved from Miami to New York, puts Bermuda in a class above the tourist markets of the Caribbean, saying the Island ranks with the great cities of the world.

Mr Nagra is in a position to know — his biography states that he started bartending and managing some of Australia’s best bars and clubs from a “young age”, and his career has included consulting with the Sheikh of Dubai in opening the Emirates Towers Hotel in 2000.

In 2006, he was awarded Bartender Magazine’s Australian Brand Ambassador of the Year. Now he is travelling the world to introduce Bombay Sapphire’s new East gin, which, Bombay says: “adds two exotic botanicals for a uniquely Asian blend, infusing the rich citrus freshness of Thai lemongrass and the balanced warmth of Vietnamese black peppercorns.”

He explained: “The DNA of all the Bombay gins is in the botanicals,” describing the multitude of flavours in the recipe including cassia root, lemon, pepper, coriander, angelica and almonds. He revealed that it is possible to enhance any one of the notes by including, for example, some peppercorns, or as is commonly done — a squeeze of lemon — in the cocktail.

The Bartender Magazine title-holder explained how he makes the most famous of the gin cocktails — a gin and tonic. “A good-sized glass. Good quality ice. Big pieces. A good piece of fruit — citrus you are going to squeeze into it. Tonic water,” and explained: “Joseph Priestley (the clergyman and chemist who discovered oxygen) invented carbonisation in 1771.” He advised searching for a good quality tonic that is not too sugary, then concluding “and gin.”

“Fill a glass with ice cubes. If you are building a drink, you want it to be cold.” He explained the ice should be in large chunks, as shards of ice have a larger surface area and will melt more quickly, watering down the drink.

Then, add the Bombay Sapphire and top with tonic water. Squeeze the juice from a wedge of fresh lime.

“Rapidly stir for about ten seconds, and pour into fresh glasses, with a twist of lime,” he said.

Mr Nagra said that it was important to stir the cocktail, and not shake it, as it results in too much of the ice melting and that waters down the drink.

“James Bond has ruined it!” he said.

Following are some of Mr Nagra’s recipes — which should be stirred, and not shaken.

1 ½ oz Bombay Sapphire East

3 oz Tonic (Mr Nagra recommends Fever Tree)

Lime Wedge

Method: Build into an ice filled glass

Glass: Old fashioned

Garnish: Lime wedge, lemongrass stem

Eastern Gin Gin Mule

2 oz Bombay Sapphire East

½ oz Fresh Lime Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

6 Mint Leaves

3 oz ginger beer (Mr Nagra recommends Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer)

Method: Shake and fine strain (all except the ginger beer) ingredients into an ice filled glass. Add ginger beer and stir gently.

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Mint sprig

Bombay Sapphire Collins

2 oz Bombay Sapphire

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

2/3 oz Simple Syrup

2 oz Soda Water

Method: Build and stir into an ice filled glass

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Lemon wedge

Negroni

1 oz Bombay Sapphire

1 oz Martini Rosso

1 oz Aperol

Orange Slice

Method: Build into an ice filled glass

Glass: Old fashioned

Garnish: Orange slice

Gentleman’s Delight

1 ½ oz Bombay Sapphire East

2/3 oz Martini Bianco

2/3 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

2 oz Fever Tree Tonic Water

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Method: Shake all except tonic water into an ice filled glass, add tonic

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Cucumber slice, mint sprig and Angostura bitters

Bombay Sapphire Martini

2 oz Bombay Sapphire

½ oz Martini Dry

Olive and/or Lemon Peel

Method: Stir with ice and fine strain

Glass: chilled Martini

Garnish: Olive or lemon peel

Southside

2 oz Bombay Sapphire East

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

2/3 oz Simple Syrup

2 oz Soda Water

8 Mint Leaves

Dash Angostura Bitters

Method: Bruise mint into base of glass, add sugar and lemon and stir through. Fill glass with ice and add soda. Stir gently.

Clover Club

2 oz Bombay Sapphire

2/3 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

4 Fresh Raspberries

Dash Egg White

Method: Shake well with good ice (or dry shake without), and fine strain

Glass: Cocktail glass

East & Elderflower Royal Rosemary Fizz

2 oz Bombay Sapphire East

½ oz St. Germain Elderflower Cordial

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

Dash Egg White

2 oz Martini Prosecco

Method: Dry shake all, add ice and shake again.

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Rosemary stem and mint sprig