Crystal chronicles
There’s nothing like a little crystal to induce a feeling of luxury. Or, in the case of Beluga Noble Russian Vodka’s Beluga Epicure, an entire bottle crafted in crystal, in collaboration with French maison Lalique.
The vodka contained in the Beluga Epicure is from a select wheat harvest, turned into malt spirit using a historical recipe at the Mariinsk Distillery. Using pure water drawn from artesian springs in Siberia and rested for 100 days, the resulting vodka was named Epicure to ‘highlight the preciousness of fleeting moments’. Simultaneously, while the vodka is being distilled, artisans several thousand kilometres away in Lalique’s workshops in Alsace, France were hard at work handcrafting the decanters that would eventually contain the spirit. Designed by Beluga brand director Katerina Mechetina and Lalique creative director Marc Larminaux, the decanter draws from Lalique’s three ‘F’ themes – female, flora and fauna, fusing its distinctive nude female figure in the embrace of ears of wheat. Once blown into shape, master polishers then create contrast with clear and satin-finished portions of the decanter, each engraved with a unique serial number.
Only a thousand of the limited edition Beluga Epicure decanters will be produced. The first of which was offered on auction at the Cosmoscow Art Fair, while the remaining 999 bottles will be available for sale in other markets over the rest of 2016, at €6,000 (RM27,900) each.
