France is commonly associated with wine and vast vineyards. For this reason, it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that France also produces some of the world’s finest vodkas.
In case this is the first time you have heard of French vodka, you might be wondering what French vodka is and whether it is worth buying. I looked into it, and here is what I found!
What Is French Vodka?
French vodkas are vodka brands that are produced in France. While there are French vodka brands that use grapes to produce their vodka, the majority of French vodkas are made from wheat. Given France’s reputation as a producer of quality spirits, French vodka appeals to consumers as higher in quality.
If you are curious about French vodka and how French vodka compares to Russian and American vodkas, keep reading!
What Is French Vodka?
French Vodka is simply vodka made in France. First to break into the vodka industry is the French brand Grey Goose, after which more French vodka brands emerged.
What Is French Grain Vodka?
French grain vodka is vodka made from grain harvested in France. Places like Picardy are popular for growing high-quality wheat normally used to bake the finest bread and pastries.
Generally, all French vodka brands that are made from grain are considered French grain vodka.
A good example of French grain vodkas is Grey Goose, Ignis French Grain Vodka, SPAR French Grain Vodka, Pyla Vodka, and Jean-Marc X.O.
Are All French Vodkas Made From Grapes?
While France is famous for wines and vineyards, not all French vodkas are made from grapes since the vast majority of French vodkas are made from grain.
However, there are popular brands that do produce vodka using grapes that are typically used to make Champagne, and two of them are Ciroc Vodka and Guillotine Vodka.
Ciroc Vodka is made from a blend of Mauzac blanc and Ugni blanc while Guillotine Vodka is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
What Is French Vodka Made From?
French vodka can be made from a wide variety of base ingredients, just like vodkas that come from America, Russia, and other parts of the world.
Nonetheless, French vodkas are typically made from grain, specifically winter wheat, and grapes.
What Makes French Vodka Different?
French vodkas distinguish themselves from other brands partly because French vodkas are made in the wine capital of the world, and partly because some brands are made of grapes.
Additionally, grape-based French vodkas are not considered real vodka by purists. Some vodka enthusiasts still believe that real vodka is made only from grain or potatoes.
Is French Vodka Gluten-Free?
Whether a particular French vodka is gluten-free depends on the distiller. However, all unflavored vodkas are generally gluten-free, regardless of whether the vodka is made from grain.
It is widely accepted that the distilling process vodkas undergo eliminates all the gluten-proteins in the ethanol that are derived from grains.
Moreover, vodkas are considered gluten-free if no gluten-containing additives are added to the vodka and the vodka is not contaminated with gluten during the manufacturing process.
Nonetheless, it still depends on the distiller whether the vodkas they produce are guaranteed to be gluten-free, especially if they have flavored lines.
What Does French Vodka Taste Like?
French vodka tastes differently depending on the brand and the particular base ingredient used to produce them.
Typically, wheat-based French vodkas are delicate on the tongue and are rich with fresh citrus notes. In contrast, grape-based French Vodkas tend to taste sweet and fruity.
How Much Alcohol Is In French Vodka?
Typically, unflavored French vodkas are bottled at 40% alcohol by volume or 80 proof. Meanwhile, flavored French vodkas are normally bottled between 30-37% ABV.
Is Grey Goose A French Vodka?
Grey Goose is a French vodka and Grey Goose was the first premium vodka to be produced in France.
Moreover, Grey Goose uses only French ingredients and materials since the ink used on Grey Goose’s labeling is locally sourced in France.
Which Vodkas Are French?
Here is a list of French vodkas you can refer to
- Grey Goose Vodka
- FAIR. Quinoa Vodka
- Ciroc Vodka
- Eristoff Vodka
- Cobalte Vodka
- Decision Vodka
- Audemus Umami Vodka
- Grands Domaines Vodka
- Snow Queen Vodka
- Bistro Vodka
- L’Orbe Caviar Vodka
- Sauvelle Vodka
- NAUD Premium French Vodka
- Tried And True Straight Wheat Vodka
- Boris Jelzin Vodka
- Distillerie De Paris India Vodka
- Tarnowski Vodka
- Fleur de Lis Vodka
- Ekiss Vodka
- Lucky Player Vodka
- Sobolinaya Superior Organic Vodka
- Ice One Baron Vodka
- Black Moth Truffle Vodka
- Black Leaf Premium Organic Vodka
- La Vie Eternal Vodka
- Thompson’s French Grape Bordelais Vodka
- La Rouget de Lisle Herbal Vodkas
- Viche Pitia No. 25 Classic Vodka
- Dragon Bleu Vodka
- Vodka Mariette
What Is The Best French Vodka?
In terms of popularity, Ciroc and Grey Goose remain two of the best French vodkas in the market today.
As for taste and overall quality, here is a list of the top French vodkas that typically make it to the list of most liquor enthusiasts and experts:
- Grey Goose Vodka
- Ciroc Vodka
- Pyla Vodka
- EKISS Vodka
- Vodka Mariette
- Jean Marc XO Vodka
- Viche Pitia No. 25 Classic Vodka
- Dragon Bleu Vodka
- La Rouget de Lisle Herbal Vodkas
Which Is Better, French Vodka Or American Vodka?
Whether French vodka is superior to American vodka depends on the brands being compared and the person comparing them.
Generally, French vodka has a more luxurious appeal simply because of France’s reputation as a source of quality spirits.
Additionally, many people associate French vodkas with grape-based vodkas, which typically leads to the bias that French vodkas have a sweeter and more refined taste.
Moreover, French vodkas are normally made from wheat and a small percentage of French vodkas are made from grapes.
In contrast, American vodkas are made from a wider assortment of base ingredients, the most popular of which is corn.
In terms of popularity, American vodkas tend to sell more compared to French vodkas because of several factors, including price and availability.
Which Is Better French Vodka Or Russian Vodka?
Since vodka is believed to be a product of Russia, many people consider Russian vodka to be superior to other types of vodkas.
However, not everyone shares this belief because of people’s different preferences. Nonetheless, Russian vodka is generally held in higher regard than other vodkas.
In terms of ingredients, most French and Russian vodkas are made from wheat and bottled at 40% ABV or 80 proof.
Additionally, most Russian brands are considered stronger in terms of flavor and burn compared to French vodkas.
Take a look at our related articles to learn about the smoothest vodka brands, what Smirnoff vodka is, and what Skinny Girl vodka is.
Conclusion
French vodkas are growing in popularity due to the diversity France brings to the vodka market, particularly with grape-based French vodkas.
Contrary to popular belief, though, not all French vodkas are made from grapes. In fact, the majority of French vodkas are made from wheat.