Sovereign Brands has launched VILLON – an alluring spirit hand-crafted in southwestern France. Created by time-tested, small-batch traditions VILLON is made from an exquisite blend of spirits distilled from French wheat and natural flavours.
VILLON’S incredible palette of aromas has been created to echo the changing seasons – toasted oak evokes winter, vanilla and spice represent autumn; notes of orange blossom bring spring to mind, and summer is represented with delicate peach aromas. Luxuriously complex yet balanced, at 40% ALC/VOL VILLON can be served neat, over ice, or as the foundation of the perfect cocktail.
The spirit is named after François Villon, a medieval poet who lived on the margins of Parisienne society in the 1400’s. Villon wrote about love and sex, money trouble, dirty cops, lewd monks, “the thieving rich,” and the consolations of good food and wine. François Villon was one of the most original and important voices of the Middle Ages, who took his inspiration from the streets, taverns, and bordellos of Paris. He was also a thief and a brawler whose encounters with the law culminated in a drunken quarrel in which he killed a man with his dagger, and was sentenced to banishment. Villon then joined a wandering gang of thieves and was missing, presumed dead by 1463. Francois’s enigmatic story is the inspiration for the new spirit’s name as well as its image and ethos.
When it comes to the look and feel of this exquisite spirit, the devil is in the detail. The custom-made paperless black glass bottle is adorned with an eye-catching tarnished metal serpent-and-dagger motif. The serpent represents mystery, stealth, and cleverness – all qualities of the brand’s namesake. The dagger represents the Middle Ages, Bravery, Revenge, Sacrifice – and quite literally the dagger François Villon carried beneath his cloak. A silkscreened label, embossed details on the rear and bottom of the bottle and a heavyweight embossed silver stopper further elevate the brand’s striking package.
VILLON is owned by Sovereign Brands’ Brett and Brian Berish, creators of Luc Belaire sparkling wines, Bumbu Rums and McQueen and the Violet Fog gin. It is currently rolling out to bars, nightclubs and retailers in the UK. The Alchemist will be among the first bar and restaurant venues to launch, in London.
Villon is available for purchase on Amazon.co.uk and Master of Malt.
You can keep up with more news on Villon’s social media @VillonFrance.