Legend has it that the name “Bistrôt” came about in Paris at the beginning of the 1800s during the period of Russian occupation. It originates from the Russian word bystro that means “swiftly, as quickly as possible”. It was the peremptory plea of the Moscow army officers to Parisian innkeepers. Why such a rush? It was prohibited for them to drink alcohol and they didn’t want to be caught red-handed by their superiors in mid toast. A quick down-in-one at the bar and away. As imaginative and palatable as it may be, etymological studies, however, seem to contradict this possible derivation. End of preamble. What do the drinking habits of mustached Hussars and Cossacks have in common with the magazine you are reading?
