Grey Goose (vodka)

Grey Goose is a brand of vodka produced in France. It was created in the 1990s by American businessman Sidney Frank, who sold it to the multinational company Bacardi in 2004. The Maître de Chai for Grey Goose is François Thibault, who developed the original recipe for the vodka in Cognac, France.

Grey Goose was created by Sidney Frank Importing Co (SFIC). Sidney Frank, founder/CEO of the company, developed the idea in the summer of 1997. SFIC partnered with cognac producer François Thibault (a French Maître de Chai, or, Cellar Master) in France to transition his skills from cognac to vodka production.

The company selected France due to the country's culinary history, as well as to differentiate itself from other vodkas produced in Eastern Europe. The company also developed its distinctive smoked glass bottle, featuring French geese in flight and delivered its product in wooden crates to evoke a presentation that was similar to wine.

In 1998, the Beverage Testing Institute reviewed Grey Goose Vodka, and the brand received a score of 96. In 2001, Grey Goose released its first flavor, L'Orange, followed by Le Citron in 2002.

The company was eventually sold by Sidney Frank to Bacardi for a reported US$2.2 billion in 2004. Grey Goose was the best-selling premium brand vodka in the United States, selling more than 1.5 million cases that year.

In 2018, Grey Goose partnered with Jamie Foxx for a nine-part online series called Off Script. It is the official vodka of the US Open tennis tournament, and is the key ingredient in the "honey deuce," the signature drink of the tournament.

The wheat used in the creation of Grey Goose vodka is grown in Picardy, France. It is distilled in the Northeast of Paris, then sent to Cognac, France. Once received, the distillate is blended with a mix of spring and bottled water. Grey Goose uses soft winter wheat, sown in October and harvested in August, which provides it with four additional months of growth in comparison to summer wheat.

Grey Goose distills its vodka from wheat, yet the vodka remains gluten-free. The distillation process removes the gluten from the final product.