The Tippling Point | How to start at the top, and hold that vantage

With Grey Goose, Sidney Frank busted the myth that the more times you distill, the purer the vodka gets. (Image: Twitter.com/GreyGoose)

How do you break into a market already saturated with products that range from the most economical to the top luxurious? Where do you peg your product with the knowledge that you don't have an advantage like pedigree or experience in the field? You start humbly from the bottom, right?

When Sidney Frank, an American entrepreneur, decided to launch his first vodka in the 1990s, there was enough space at the bottom where he could also squeeze his product in. With enough hard work, his vodka could climb a few rungs, where it would stop.

But sorry, Frank was ruthlessly ambitious. He had already proved his mettle by bringing Jägermeister to the US all the way from Germany. An instant success it was. Next, the Sidney Frank Importing Co (SFIC) introduced the Jägermeister Tap Machine, which energized bars across the country. Moreover, the company upped the ante by introducing the first promotional models - Jagerettes - in the spirits market.

But those were all past feats.

Sidney Frank was now at the edge of the biggest leap in his career. There was already a white German wine by the name Grey Goose. He took the name for his upcoming vodka. He was also wise enough to set up his distillery in France, as Frank knew that Americans equate everything French with luxury. And who cares about struggling with the bottom stuff, Frank wanted his new vodka to be right at the top. He wanted it big. Why not take the fight to the level of the most popular and luxurious vodka in the world, Absolut!

One must admire that chutzpah as Frank decided to sell Grey Goose for $30 a bottle, while Absolut was selling at $15.

Sidney Frank tasted around 100 vodkas from local distillers before he picked one out to build upon his dream. So in 1997 Grey Goose fluttered into life into the hands of Sidney Frank and the brand's Maître de Chai (Cellar Master) Francois Thibault.

With Grey Goose, Frank busted the myth that the more times you distill, the purer the vodka gets. His vodka undergoes a single distillation process and is still considered as one of the purest premium vodkas in the world. The quality, in fact, boils down to two premium ingredients - single-origin Picardie winter wheat and natural spring water.

"Nothing else. Ever," claims the brand boldly.

The wheat grown in Picardy is distilled and sent to Cognac, where it gets filtered. It is time for the spring water filtered through limestone from the Champagne region to do magic in the spirit. In flavoured vodka, the company insists on sourcing its fruits from France itself (Cherry Noir, La Poire, Le Melon are some of the fruit-flavoured vodkas).

Grey Goose was an instant hit in the US. The company, instead of the common practice of shipping bottles in cardboard boxes, used wooden crates for the purpose. It knew the march towards the hearts of consumers begin by first impressing the bartenders. Just in a year, Grey Goose was named the best-tasting vodka by the Beverage Tasting Institute.

From zero to 1.5 million cases by 2004, Grey Goose shook the world so hard that Bacardi company took notice. Reportedly for two billion dollars, Grey Goose was handed over to Bacardi which already was looking out for an opportunity to enter the strategically important vodka field.

In popular culture too, Grey Goose was steadily building traction. Mentioned in the 'Sex and the City' Television series, it began to feature in popular songs also. The tie-up with Jamie Foxx, the top popular actor resulted in a 9-part digital series called 'Off Script,' featuring celebrities like Benicio Del Toro, Melissa McCarthy. and Denzel Washington.

Today Grey Goose is available in 152 countries.

One last tidbit about the purity they maintain at Grey Goose.

Since its birth, they make it a point that what you get is one hundred percent Grey Goose. The inside of every bottle and even the cork are washed with Grey Goose only before filling it up with liquid purity.