In 1987, a blue bottle appeared that would change gin forever. Bombay Sapphire, a rebranding of an existing gin, took a radically different approach: emphasize provenance, showcase ten hand-selected botanicals, use vapor infusion rather than maceration, and price it as a premium product. The distinctive blue bottle stood out on shelves dominated by clear glass and traditional labels.

Bombay Sapphire's success wasn't accidental—it was strategic brilliance. Rather than competing with vodka's 'no taste' positioning, it celebrated gin's botanical complexity as a virtue. The label listed ingredients (radical transparency for spirits), the marketing emphasized craftsmanship, and the price point signaled quality. For the first time in decades, a gin brand made botanical flavor something to seek out, not mask.

Traditional brands noticed. Tanqueray No. Ten (launched 1999, but conceived in this era) and other 'super-premium' variants followed Bombay's template: higher quality botanicals, careful distillation, premium packaging, higher prices. These weren't your grandfather's gins—they were luxury products for sophisticated palates willing to pay for quality.

Simultaneously, bartender culture was evolving. The late 1980s saw renewed interest in classic cocktails and proper technique. Dale DeGroff in New York, Dick Bradsell in London, and others began reviving pre-Prohibition recipes and demanding quality spirits. These cocktail pioneers needed better gin, and the premium category responded.