Dumbarton-based Valt Vodka has won listings with Sainsbury's in Scotland for its single malt Scottish vodka, and also for its new Gilt gin launched earlier this year in response to customer demand.

The deal follows a major investment in the business, which saw the company set up its own dedicated distillery, enabling a production increase from 3000 to 10,000 cases a year.

Valt is now targeting growth in the US, where it signed a national distribution deal earlier this year, for its ultra-premium brand priced at £29.45 a bottle.

Ricky Christie, co-founder and managing director, said: "If we were able to get a foothold in the US, the sky would be the limit."

He added: "This new deal with Sainsbury's is a direct reflection on the quality of our vodka and gin products and allows our brand to have visibility on a national level.

"They want to be able to offer their customers the cutting edge, and things that are different."

Access to the major retailers had "greatly improved" for smaller drinks suppliers in recent years, Mr Christie added.

First bottled in 2007, Valt Vodka is available in some of the most stylish bars and restaurants in the UK including the five-star Claridges Hotel in London, and the listing adds to a growing customer base around the UK.

It has also reached outlets in Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Thailand, Germany and Spain.

The single malt vodka is produced from 100% malt barley and quintuple distilled prior to a secret charcoal and chill filtration process.

In January the company launched Gilt, a classic London dry gin flavoured with nine botanical plants, also for the ultra-premium market.

Mr Christie, a former Speyside distillery managing director, said: "When we sat down and looked at our business plan we were quite modest in our aspirations because the sector of ultra-premium vodkas – we weren't thinking about gins then – is a small one.

"From a production point of view we had to commission our own still, we couldn't produce what we intended in anything else, but we planned on distilling one day a week. So we have got another four days up our sleeve – we do have the ability to expand quite dramatically."

Mr Christie said US distributors typically would require volume of about 50,000 cases, five times Valt's present output.

Valt is relying on the marketing muscle of its distributors rather than a big budget of its own – Mr Christie says as much as 40% of the price of a top branded malt whisky could be spent on marketing.

He added: "We are really looking forward to seeing our range of drinks on the (Sainsbury's) shelves and celebrate our hard work and investment really paying off."