Recalled Bombay Sapphire deemed 'not safe' in Canada

Bacardi’s responsible drinking campaign faces scrutiny after the Canadian government recalled bottles of Bombay Sapphire over fears it contained twice the levels of alcohol advertised.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario carried out a quality assurance investigation on the Bacardi-owned brand, which discovered the gin contained 77% alcohol instead of the 40% printed on the label.

The LCBO said: “This product is not safe for consumption.  Consuming a product with an alcohol content of 77% could cause serious illness.

“Customers and licensees should return the recalled product to any LCBO store for a full refund.”

Bacardi has its own responsible drinking website called Champions Drink Responsibly which features famous ambassadors such as Rafael Nadal, and Michael Schumacher.

The website says: “The Champion’s Way exists because we care about our consumers and want them to enjoy our brands responsibly.”

It is the second time this year that Canada has had to recall a spirit brand due to false levels of alcohol.

In March, bottles of Georgian Bay vodka were removed from stores after an alcohol content of 81% was discovered instead of the advertised 40%.

CNN reported that Bacardi recalled the gin after "an isolated consumer complaint and subsequent quality assurance checks."