CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 10: Grey Goose Cellar Master Francois Thibault (L) and Jessica Chastain at the ‘355’ cocktail party, with DIRECTV and The Hollywood Reporter on the Grey Goose Terrace on May 10, 2018 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)

According to DISCUS, sales of super premium vodka account for over $1.1 billion in annual revenue. But 25 years ago, nobody was paying $30 for a bottle of clear, odorless spirit. The liquid was coveted for its value, not its quality. So, when Grey Goose launched in 1997, it was nothing short of revolutionary. Cellar master Francois Thibault was plucked from the world of cognac, by booze impresario Sidney Frank, and tasked with creating a vodka that was well-textured and expressive of its ingredients. The rest is history.

Today, bottles of super premium vodka crowd backbars and bottle shops. And Grey Goose continues to exert its dominance in the space. It not just one of the first examples to exist; it remains one of the best.

The most recent validation of this come’s by way of Taster’s Club—an online subscription service, curating boxers for spirits enthusiasts. Earlier this year, the company ranked its vodkas out of hundreds of selections available on the site. Grey Goose came out on top.

What’s astounding about the brand is how little has modified since its initial debut. Thibault continues to use the same formula of winter wheat, procured from Picardy, France, and spring water drawn from Gensac-La-Pallue. This meticulous concoction undergoes a five-column distillation process resulting in a smooth and rounded spirit, hinting at understated notes of fruit from the orchard and anise. It’s pure with an unwavering capability to stand strongly as the core of a vodka martini.

Talking of vodka martinis, Grey Goose has freshly launched a series of ready-to-drink options in a bottle. How does the brand ensure quality and uniformity in this format? And why is this specific spirit ideally matched for this exclusive preparation? We invited Thibault to enlighten us.

Any material can be used to distill vodka. How did you choose French wheat for Grey Goose?

Francois Thibault: “When Sidney [Frank] approached me to create a vodka, he requested me to conduct intense research in the category. What I discovered is that wheat was the primary ingredient to manufacture vodka in Eastern European nations, not potatoes. My next thought was we would not import these ingredients from outside France as we have this remarkable bread basket in our own homeland. I identified farmers in Picardy who had been practicing it for generations. However, they didn’t grow it for vodka. They cultivated it for bread and pastries.”

Could the identical constituent that results in superior quality baked goods like croissants and baguettes also confer a superior vodka?

FT: “Precisely.”

What prompted the decision to venture into the RTD sector?

FT: “We carried out a market survey in the United States and observed that consumers typically opt for a complex drink when out and about, but prefer something of high-quality yet simple when at home. Therefore, our idea was to design an effortless method to enjoy a martini, whilst also empowering the consumers to personalize it to their liking – be it by shaking, stirring, or adding their preferred garnish. The bottle contents are at 35% ABV, so dilution is slightly required. My recommendation is to stir it over ice. Alternatively, you can chill it in the freezer, and then pour directly into the glass.”

How did you land on the exact proportions for the drink?

FT: “We performed rigorous consumer market research, keeping in mind the fact that the preference for martinis is as varied as the people. While some may prefer it dry, the French usually don’t. Approximately 20% of the bottle constitutes vermouth.”

Considering that vermouth is a product which can degrade over time, how do you ensure its shelf stability?

FT: “Yes, vermouth can change over time. Its color might vary which is a natural process and doesn’t necessarily affect its quality. However, once it’s in the bottle with vodka, the Grey Goose maintains its preservation.”

And what makes Grey Goose in particular, so well suited to the martini format?

FT: “It’s like when you’re cooking in the kitchen. You need a symbiosis between the ingredients. And that’s one of the great abilities of Grey Goose is to make the vermouth and the garnish shine. There’s an alchemy of flavors. When you have good ingredients together, 1+1 can equal three.”

Mumbai, INDIA: Grey Goose Maitre De Chai (Cellar Master) Francois Thibault raises his glass at the launch of Grey Goose Vodka in Mumbai,19 January 2006. Thibault demonstrated the art of tasting Grey Goose vodka and mixing cocktails.The vodka is made from 100 percent fine French wheat from the Beauce of France,with a five-step distillation process,and has a largest market in the United States. (Photo credit should read SEBASTIAN D’SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)