Eristoff Eristavi (ერისთავი). The title means ‘head of the nation’ but translates more accurately as ‘head of a military force’. By the 19th century, five noble families each representing a different part of Georgia were using the name Eristhavi. Prince Ivane Eristoff who first created Eristoff vodka in 1806 was from the northwest province of Racha. A landmark in the history of the Eristoff family and Eristoff vodka came in the late 19th century when Ivane’s great grandson, Prince Alexander Constantine Eristoff moved from Georgia to Saint Petersburg. Prince Alexander went on to enjoy a distinguished military career eventually reaching the
Simon Sidamon-Eristoff Simon Sidamon-Eristoff Prince Simon Sidamon-Eristavi () (February 6, 1891 – September 14, 1964) was a Georgian aristocrat and soldier, who began his career in the Imperial Russian army and became one of the leading officers in the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Following the sovietization of Georgia in 1921, he immigrated to the United States, where he was known as Simon Sidamon-Eristoff after his Russified surname and worked as an engineer. His son Constantine and grandson Andrew had political careers in the United States. Simon Sidamon-Eristavi was born in Tiflis, a scion of the Georgian noble family of Sidamoni, whose principal