Halewood Wines & Spirits has acquired a 48% stake in craft spirit brand Vestal Vodka for an undisclosed sum.
The firms stated that the deal would enable them to take advantage of what they see as the coming revival of vodka. The tie-up is also intended to build on Halewood’s focus on artisanal spirits that served it well in 2019, with group revenues increasing by 26% and pre-tax profits up 15% to £26.3m – driven by such brands.
Vestal, set up in 2011 by William Borrell, has a family farm in the Kaszubia region of Poland and only sources traditional potato varieties for its vodkas.
The deal is being celebrated with a new bottle for Vestal and the release of its 2015 vintage – which has the longest known ‘rest’ period for any vodka. This is said to allow for the smoothing out of the harsher elements of distillation.
Vestal is available in ten countries around the world.
