The French market, we’re always a couple of years behind, shall we say,” opens Miko Abouaf, co-founder of Audemus Spirits. “But we had a vision. We’re based in the Cognac region and have strong traditions in making spirits. The question was, how do we take this forward? Using and drawing from that, but not being stuck in the past, as is often the case here.”

It’s this very question that has been central to much activity in the French market over the past year. Quietly, but steadily and surely, something of a spirits revolution is starting to take place. High-end, innovative French cocktail bars – a concept that really did not exist before the Experimental Cocktail Club opened its doors in 2007 – are now flourishing.

While several Parisian bars, such as Candelaria and Little Red Door, have made their way onto lists of the world’s best bars in recent years, cocktail culture has spread to other cities too. Establishments such as Le Parfum in Montpellier are now making a name for themselves. That’s not to mention the opening of what is reputedly Paris’ first new distillery in a century, La Distillerie de Paris.

A thriving scene

“In the past year in Paris, probably 20 or 30 different very high standard cocktail bars opened,” says Mathieu Sabbagh, external communication director for Pernod Ricard. “Now in every major city in France you have one or two serious cocktail bars. We at first questioned how they would all survive, but all have a different theme, or different lead product – a gin bar, rum bar, tiki bar – and consumers seem more and more curious to discover new things. The model is working well.”

Why is all this important? Can we credit bartenders with leading new trends in spirits consumption, overthrowing decades – in some case centuries – of consumption habits? To a certain extent, yes.

Traditionally France has been a dark spirits stronghold. The latest figures from Euromonitor bear out that this looks set to remain the case, with whisky by far the biggest category in volume terms in France, lingering at around a third of total spirits by volume (see table), with further growth forecast. Though a much smaller category, rum too is set to continue the steady, fast-paced growth it has established over the past five years.

But cocktails are helping to bring some other products into the mix too, notably, gin. “Gin is having a good time off the back of cocktail culture,” says Sabbagh. “But it’s also doing well in the south-west of France because of the Spanish influence.”

While leading global gin brands are doing well, with the gin and tonic serve a predictable champion, smaller French producers are starting to emerge. Alongside established brands such as Citadelle and G’Vine, recent launches include the Distillerie des Terres Rouges Le Gin 1 & 9, and the premium, and alluringly packed, Generous Gin by Ôdevie Creative Spirits, aimed at cocktail newbies as well as premium spirit fans. Syrup maker Monin also tips the G&T serve as the current cocktail star on the market.

Audemus Spirits’ own offerings were intentionally designed to tap into cocktail culture, says Miko Abouaf. Umami, designed as a gin or vodka replacement, was developed to excite bartenders looking for savoury flavours, while the Pink Pepper Gin offers a complex taste profile, and is suited to serves such as the Negroni. 

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