Cîroc Snap Frost Vodka

Cîroc is distilled in the south of France from selected French grapes, a base that gives it a soft, fruity character quite unlike grain or potato vodka. Grapes carry their own sugars and aromatics, so even after distillation the spirit keeps a fruity lift and a faint floral edge. The Snap Frost name refers to the cool-temperature harvest and chilling of the grapes, which preserves their freshness and natural sweetness before fermentation. The wine base is then taken through five distillation stages to clean and refine it into a velvety spirit at 40%, here in the 1.75 litre format.

The nose is fresh and light with subtle citrus and grape notes. The palate is silky with a hint of lemon, white blossom and a subtle sweetness, closing clean and refreshing with a light minerality. Because the grape base brings genuine fruit, pour it into a French Martini: shake the vodka with raspberry liqueur and fresh pineapple juice until a frothy top forms, then strain into a chilled glass. The spirit's own grape fruitiness threads through the pineapple and raspberry, making for a rounder, more vinous drink than the same Martini built on a neutral grain vodka.