New French vodka brand challenges Belvedere

Anglo-French spirits company Sagittarius has launched a new wheat-based French vodka that claims to rival Grey Goose and Belvedere.

Golovkine Vodka is named after a historical Russian statesman

Golovkine Vodka, described as “the most Russian of French vodkas”, is named after 17th and 18th century statesman Count Gavriil Golovkin – the master of ceremonies for the Tsar, grand chancellor of the emperor and ambassador to Russia to Louis XIV.

Produced by Golovkine’s French descendants, the vodka is five-times distilled using wheat grown in the Beauce region. A six distillation in old copper alembic stills also takes place, giving the liquid a quality that allows it to “rival all other first-rate brands”.

“This vodka embodies Golovkine through its purity and excellence – the essence of Russian tradition – combined with the expertise and sophistication of the French,” said Sagittarius.

Golovkine Vodka also features labels with thermochromic inks that change from white to blue when the bottle reaches below 0°C.

It will be available from UK retailers Honest Grapes and Harrods at an RRP of £45.