Meeting the Master Distiller of a renowned European spirits house is an experience that’s almost always illuminating. Yet it’s not every day one gets the opportunity to speak with a spirit maker whose work is the literal reason for an entire brand’s existence.
So it is with François Thibault — Cellar Master for Grey Goose.
A winemaker by profession, who received the official title of Maître de Chai in 1992, it’s an irrefutable fact that without Thibault, the brand as we know it today simply would not exist.
The veteran of France’s venerable Bordeaux and Burgundy wine industries was responsible for developing the original vodka recipe requested by Grey Goose’s founder, Sidney Frank, in 1997: regarded as the forerunner of the now-established luxury vodka category.
Last weekend, in the final moments of the 2025 Australian Open, we caught up with Thibault for a brief courtside exchange. Over generous pours of the new Altius expression, the house’s founding distiller shared his thoughts on the art & science of distillation; the best way to serve Grey Goose; a few favoured cocktail recipes and more.
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Boss Hunting: For readers less familiar with the world of premium spirits, tell us a bit about yourself. What does the ‘Master Distiller’ of a vodka house like Grey Goose do?
François Thibault: To put it most simply, I am the creator of the original Grey Goose vodka recipe. Informally, Americans like to refer to me as “Papa Goose”.
I am from Cognac, where previous to meeting Sidney [Frank], I held the title of Maître de Chai, or ‘Cellar Master’. In France, you are only able to obtain this qualification by heritage; and Cellar Masters are responsible not only for distillation, but also blending.
I met Sidney in the early ’90s and, by 1996, was tasked with helping him to create a luxury vodka for customers in the United States.
Our innovation was to premium-ise the category — by making vodka in France, using my knowledge in the making of Cognac. Even today, the singular process by which we make vodka (“from grain to glass”) is overseen by me.
BH: These days, the high-end vodka market is an incredibly crowded space. How has Grey Goose kept its edge over the last decade?
FT: In Grey Goose Original, we use only two ingredients.
Soft winter wheat from Picardy — known globally as the highest grade of GMO-free wheat, usually reserved for bread baking. It is transported, over a distance of 600km, to the south of France to be blended with water from Gensac-La-Pallue. Our source is a spring 150 metres belowground, which we’re able to tap using a dedicated well.
The new wheat spirit is blended with this water in order to reduce the level of alcohol to 40%. On that note: we distill directly in the wheat fields, only once, because we want to keep as much flavour as possible. A lot of other vodka brands repeat the distillation process 4-5 times.
BH: Last year saw the launch of Grey Goose Altius — the House’s “glacially smooth” ultra-premium vodka. What are the big differences between this expression and the original Grey Goose recipe?
FT: So, the reason it’s necessary to talk about Grey Goose Original first is because with Altius, similarly, we are using two ingredients and the same production process to make our vodka.
Only this time, the water is brought down from the high-altitude environment of the French Alps to Cognac, where we blend it with our soft winter wheat spirit — the ingredient that gives all Grey Goose vodkas their signature gourmandise flavour. Bready, with a hint of sweetness, but not at all abrasive.
Then, on top of this, we use a very slow filtration at -24℃, to recreate the extreme conditions of the water’s alpine environment. It’s the first time vodka has ever been filtered at such a temperature.
This process helps to concentrate Altius’s flavour. Your first sip should have a really glacial sensation: a little bit like electrical discharge. Then, a really smooth texture in the mid-palette, similar to silk. On the finish, there’s a slight saltiness (even umami) that comes from the water’s mineral content.
BH: In light of all the work that has gone into making Altius, would it be preferable to consume it neat? Do you encourage it to be served in cocktails?
FT: Like the rest of Grey Goose’s core range, I conceived Altius to be drunk ‘naked’. Perhaps on ice, or maybe even in a Martini. The signature serves we are promoting, as part of our tour in Australia, reflect this preference.
The first is to simply pour this over a very big ice cube, as you would a high-proof Cognac or whisky.
Then, we have the ‘Snowshot’, developed by Joe [McCanta] — who leads the experiential side of our business. Inspired by party hotspots such as Saint Tropez and Courchevelle, this consists of a shot glass packed with a little bit of snow.
You pour the Altius in and what you get is the sensation of glacial ice dissolving. Now the shot is extremely cold, and at an ABV of around 20%, much nicer to drink quickly.
BH: What about Grey Goose Original? Is there a cocktail recipe that lends itself well to this expression?
My only universal preference is to avoid cocktails that are too sour or sweet.
During the Australian Open, the custom cocktail we developed for our bars there — called the ‘Lemon Ace — was one I really enjoyed.
This is a very approachable thing to make: perfect when you need something refreshing for the hot Aussie summer!
Otherwise, an Espresso Martini. On the condition, of course: that it is made with the best-quality coffee in the world. Very easy to obtain when you are travelling in Melbourne or Sydney [laughs].
How To Make Your Own Grey Goose ‘Lemon Ace’ At Home
Ingredients
- 35 ml Grey Goose Vodka
- 15 ml Passionfruit Syrup
- 135 ml Sparkling Lemonade
Method
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour vodka and passionfruit syrup* into glass.
- Top with lemonade, stir to combine.
- Garnish with sprig of fresh mint and serve.
*Note that the fresh passionfruit syrup may be made and stored ahead of time. For an easy 10-minute recipe, click here.
If you’ve enjoyed this interview with François Thibault of Grey Goose, then why not sample some of our other eating & drinking stories? To get you started, here are a few favourites:
