Where Is Grey Goose From And What’s Its History
GREY GOOSE was founded by Sidney Frank in the summer of 1997. While the world-class vodka brand is produced in France, Frank created the GREY GOOSE luxury vodka brand to cater to American liquor consumers. He chose France because of the country’s rich culinary history and his committed desire to create a vodka distinct from others known throughout Eastern Europe.
Sidney Frank appointed his friend, veteran cognac Cellar Master François Thibault as GREY GOOSE’s Maître de Chais, and Monsieur Thibault developed the vodka’s original recipe. The Sidney Frank-François Thibault partnership eventually paid off, positioning the brand as one of the best in the world’s vodka industry.
GREY GOOSE was named the world’s best-tasting vodka by the Beverage Testing Institute in 1998. In 2001, GREY GOOSE launched its first flavour L’Orange, and debuted the Le Citron variant in 2002. In 2004, Frank sold the GREY GOOSE brand to Bacardi Limited for a reported sum of US$2.2 billion.
GREY GOOSE is made from 100% French ingredients (high-quality, soft Picardy winter wheat and calcium-rich spring water obtained from the Gensac-La-Pallue region), including the different flavoured versions of the vodka which use exclusively natural fruits. It is the premier vodka to be produced in the Maître de Chai tradition, which allows aromas to be produced in the distillation process specific to GREY GOOSE vodka. GREY GOOSE vodka is exceptionally smooth, gluten-free, and bottled at 40% ABV.
GREY GOOSE believes that, when it comes to vodka, multiple distillations have nothing to do with its quality. The vodka typically undergoes a single distillation process using traditional column stills and is meticulously filtered through limestone. They believe this method ensures that the components can retain their natural essences.
As of September 2020, only 17 employees are working at the GREY GOOSE distillery in France. Monsieur Thibault personally samples each batch of the luxury vodka brand before the product is distributed.
