Guillotine Originale Ultra-Premium Vodka
Guillotine Originale Ultra-Premium Vodka is an 80-proof (40% ABV), 750mL French vodka distilled five times from 100% Champagne-region grapes — Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, hand-picked and de-seeded in the Aÿ-Champagne region. Created by founder Paul Berkmann with Jean-Luc Braud (formerly of Rémy Cointreau), it is made with no preservatives, coloring, artificial sweeteners, glycerol or citric acid, and is gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Aging: Unaged — rested clear vodka, no barrel contact
- Origin: France — Champagne-region grapes (Aÿ-Champagne); distilled in a 100-year-old French distillery
- Production: 100% French grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay), distilled 5 times; no additives
- Recognition: Gold, 2019 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition; Double Gold, 2019 Women's Wine & Spirits Awards
Champagne Grapes, Guillotine Precision
Most vodkas start with grain or potato — Guillotine starts with Champagne. The Originale takes the same three grapes that make the region's great sparkling wines, distills them five times in a century-old French distillery, and bottles the result with nothing added and nothing taken away. The payoff is a vodka with genuine character: the brand's own tasting notes cite lemon, almond, toffee and currants, and the medal case (Gold at the 2019 Cathay Pacific HKIWSC, Double Gold at the 2019 Women's Wine & Spirits Awards) backs up the Guillotine claim of "a cut above le reste." For vodka drinkers who want provenance in the glass, this is the French answer.
Tasting Notes
Clean and aromatic with lemon zest, white flowers and a hint of almond. The palate is silky and round — toffee and dried currants over a soft grape-spirit core — finishing long, fresh and gently warming without burn.
How to Enjoy
Serve well-chilled and neat to appreciate the grape character, or in a minimalist vodka martini with a lemon twist. It also elevates a French 75 or any cocktail where the vodka is meant to be tasted, not hidden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Guillotine Originale made from?
100% French grapes — Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay from the Champagne region — distilled five times. It contains no preservatives, coloring, sweeteners, glycerol or citric acid.
Is Guillotine Vodka gluten-free?
Yes — it is grape-based (not grain-based), and the brand lists it as gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
Who founded Guillotine Vodka?
French founder Paul Berkmann, working with Jean-Luc Braud, formerly of Rémy Cointreau; the brand launched in 2016.
Where can I buy Guillotine Originale Vodka online?
You can order this 750mL bottle online from Guillotine listings at Del Mesa Liquor — it ships from San Diego, CA.
For the barrel-aged sibling, see the Guillotine Heritage expression in our vodka collection.
Champagne grapes, five distillations, zero additives — taste what French vodka can be; order Guillotine Originale at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.