AC Hotels by Marriott® has joined forces with its global brand ambassador Nigel Barker and Bombay Sapphire Gin to debut a custom crafted small-batch tonic and first-ever specially designed Gin & Tonic glass.

The Gin & Tonic (or Gintonic as it is known in Spain) has become the unofficial drink of Spain, primarily attributed to the country’s cocktail culture, which celebrates the Gin & Tonic as an art form. Committed to continuously elevating and enhancing its cocktail program, Spanish-born AC Hotels, Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Gary Hayward, and a team of leading spirits, food & nutrition and design professionals, crafted an exclusive Gin & Tonic, and the first-ever specially designed Gin & Tonic glass, only available to guests of AC Hotels beginning summer 2017.

“We are excited to unveil AC Hotels’ exclusive ACGT, the product of an innovative collaboration with Bacardi and Nigel Barker, two partners that share our same vision of creating meaningful experiences complemented by modern, purposeful design,” said Benoit Racle, Global Brand Director, AC Hotels by Marriott. “The ACGT evokes the Spanish heritage of AC Hotels, emphasizes the artistry of Bombay Sapphire Gin and is heightened by Nigel’s keen eye for design.”

Left to right: Benoit Racle, Global Brand Director AC Hotels, Gary Hayward, Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador, Nigel Barker, lAC Hotels brand ambassador

Barker, an entrepreneur, celebrated fashion photographer, New York Times best-selling author, TV personality and furniture designer; Gary Hayward, Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador; Gary Gruver, with Marriott International’s Global Beverage team; and Rohan V. Tikekar, Professor of Food & Nutrition at the University of Maryland invested two years in research and development to create this unique recipe.

The exclusive AC Hotels cocktail combines exotic ingredients from all over the world with Bombay Sapphire East Gin, the world’s first Gin specifically designed to pair with tonic. This combination of uniquely crafted botanicals including Thai Lemongrass and Vietnamese Black Peppercorn are presented with garnishes of fresh orange and lemon peels to emphasize the flavor profile.

To accompany the ACGT, Barker, Hayward and Gruver developed the world’s first specially designed Gin & Tonic glass designed to heighten taste, aroma and trigeminal effects (palate experience), as well as trigger psychological and visual stimuli. The unique design aligns with AC Hotels’ philosophy that purposeful design improves our lives.

“Inspired by a glass I bought in Biot, France at the age of 22, this new AC Hotels glass design will be a refined traditional tumbler and highball style glassware with a heavier and thicker glass bottom that enhances the tasting experience,” said Barker. “This design puts emphasis on the beauty of the small details, a fundamental approach to AC Hotels.”

Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Gary Hayward, adds, “The Gin & Tonic has long been Bombay Sapphire’s classic cocktail and this new partnership with AC Hotels and Nigel Barker is allowing us to share the world’s best Gin & Tonic with people globally. Working with a talent like Nigel Barker we are proud to serve the ACGT in the world’s first ever Gin & Tonic glass. The collaboration further cements Bombay Sapphire’s place in the creative community and commitment to art and design.”

Research at the University of Maryland informed the glass’ unique design and construction �" from a substantial glass bottom that extends nucleation longevity (keeping contents colder, longer) to a relatively straight and narrow design that minimizes surface area and loss of carbon dioxide (keeping the tonic bubbly longer). Additionally, the glass will have a smooth interior surface and as few nucleation sites as possible.

An exclusive launch of AC Hotels’ new ACGT was revealed on November 30, 2016 at AC Hotel Miami Beach during Art Week Miami 2016. The party also previewed Barker’s artistic glass design sketches and 3D printed prototypes.

Based on the belief that purposeful design improves lives, AC Hotels carves away what is unnecessary to provide guests with thoughtfully designed moments of beauty; experiences that elevate their stay and help them focus on what is important to them. AC Hotels’ guests get only what they need, without paying for what they don’t. The result is sophisticated yet unpretentious style, innovative beverage and food programming with locally inspired experiences for both guests and locals.

AC Hotels currently offers a portfolio of more than 90 hotels globally. Growth plans include more than 60 hotels set to open within the next three years throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.