Bistro Vodka Handcrafted In France 70 cl 40%

Paris, 1814. Russian soldiers are sitting in the occupied city and are not allowed to drink in the taverns. They get a glass anyway, quickly and discreetly, while saying bystro — Russian for quick. That, if you believe the story, is where France got the name for its most beloved kind of eating house. This vodka believes it.

Expert description

Bistro Vodka is a French Vodka made from French wheat by Spiritique, bottled small batch at 40%.

The French have no long vodka tradition, but they do have centuries of experience in distilling finely. That is the tradition the house draws on here. The grain is high quality French wheat, the distillation is fine grained rather than brutal, and batches are kept small enough that tasting can happen along the way.

In the glass it is bright and pale, and the remarkable thing is that the alcohol does not burn. The attack is soft, the middle round and floral, and the close is long without turning bitter. This is a vodka built on finesse rather than force, and it lacks the sharp edge many people associate with the category.

Bistro has taken gold at the Bartender Spirits Awards, where the judges are bartenders rather than critics. That tells you where it belongs: behind the bar, as the base of a drink where it is not meant to shout over anything but to carry the whole thing. Spiritique also makes gin, whisky and liqueur, all in smaller batches in France.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft and elegant. A fine wheat character with a floral tone and pale citrus peel over the top.

Palate

Round and light, with no burn on the attack. The wheat gives a mild sweetness, and a creamy, almost nutty texture sits underneath.

Finish

Long and dry without bitterness. The freshness holds longest and no sharp warmth arrives at the end.

Specifications

Name: Bistro Vodka
Producer: Spiritique
Region/Country: France
Type: French Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Small batch, distilled from French wheat
EAN no.: 3760290620025
Serving suggestion: Cool and neat in a small glass, or in a Vodka Martini with lemon peel.

Flavour profile

Soft · Floral · Creamy · Dry

Did you know?

The story about the Russian soldiers is a good one, but French linguists do not buy it. The word bistro first appears in print in the 1880s, some 70 years after the occupation of Paris, which points instead towards dialect words such as bistouille and bistingo. It is still printed on the bottle, because who wants to ruin a good story.

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Frequently asked questions about Bistro Vodka

What is Bistro Vodka made from?

High quality French wheat. The grain explains the whole of that soft, lightly floral character which makes it more elegant than forceful. There is no potato, no corn and no added flavouring.

Why does it not burn at 40%?

Because the distillate is very clean and the dilution careful. The sharp sensation in a vodka rarely comes from the alcohol percentage alone, but from residual fusel oils and from hurried dilution. Both have been handled here, and the result is a soft attack at full strength.

What does small batch mean here?

That batches are kept small enough for tasting and adjustment along the way. It is not a protected term, so on its own it says nothing — but at a small house like this one it covers genuine handwork rather than continuous production.

How is it best drunk?

Cool rather than ice cold, in a small glass with a tapered rim. Ice cold shuts the floral tone down, and you lose exactly what you bought the bottle for. Around ten degrees is the right place.

Which cocktails suit it?

The clear, refined ones. A Vodka Martini with lemon peel, a French 75 with vodka in place of gin, or a plain Vodka Soda. It is soft enough not to clash with champagne, which makes it useful in drinks built on sparkling wine.

Has it won awards?

Yes, gold at the Bartender Spirits Awards among others. That is a competition where the judging panel is made up of bartenders assessing spirits on how they perform behind the bar. For a vodka in this style it is the most relevant kind of recognition.

Who are Spiritique?

A small French house which, beyond Bistro Vodka, makes gin, whisky and liqueur. Everything is produced in France in smaller batches, and the range is built around French raw materials. To see houses from elsewhere, look through our Vodka brands.