Anyone who has read more than one of my newsletters or articles is probably aware that I have somewhat of a fetish for the perfect spirit, vodka. Frankly I blame my Polish half, but that may just be a convenient excuse. Anyway, having vastly enjoyed the Smirnoff Experiences, the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup, and multiple Solid parties, I decided to try out a new bar I got wind of, over the other side ... in Pudong ... Having packed my bags and my passport, I boarded the ferry to Pudong, which I found to be exceeding convenient, because my destination, Binjiang One, is right next to the ferry stop. If it weren't for the boat ride dodging oil tankers, it would be like we'd never even left Puxi. This converted old house, owned by the Paulaner Group, is the location of the fabled 'vodka bar' and 'ice bar' which voices have been whispering about for some time now. I'm happy to confirm that the legend is true! While the top floor of the house is a fine looking restaurant with a killer view, downstairs has various bars, lounges, nooks and crannies, one of which is an ice bar filled with vodka. Don your parkas and head into the freezer for your choice of a selection of a massive 103 vodkas. All the regulars are there - the full selection of Absolut flavours, both Grey Geese, the icky van Gogh's and lots of other flavoured concoctions. Wanting to be a purist, I stuck to straight, unflavoured vodka, sipped, Russian style. Turi Vodka from Estonia was first up and all I can say is yuck. This stuff would have almost made me drink baijui instead.
