Ultra-premium Grey Goose VX extends category in travel retail

By Caroline Sargent |

In something of a shake-up of the travel retail vodka category, Bacardi Global Travel Retail is this month launching a new ultra-premium expression called Grey Goose VX, an exclusive blend of Grey Goose vodka and fine Cognac.

 

Hailed by the brand as ‘a celebration of French craftsmanship and innovation’, Grey Goose VX – standing for ‘vodka exceptionelle’ – is a deliberate attempt to position Grey Goose as category leader and push the boundaries of that category within travel retail.

 

Using his experience as a Cognac Maitre de Chai, creator Francois Thibault has produced an ultra-premium sipping vodka flavoured with Cognac created from grapes drawn exclusively from the Grande Champagne cru, regarded by connoisseurs as the very finest of the six cru within the region. The resulting 40% ABV spirit delivers aromatic notes of orchard fruits, plum, apricot and wild honey.

 

Mike Birch, Managing Director, Bacardi Global Travel Retail comments: “This really is a significant step change for the vodka/white spirits category, creating a truly innovative and exceptional ultra-premium offering to enhance and expand the vodka experience for luxury spirits connoisseurs across white and dark categories.

 

“The vodka category in global travel retail hugely under-indexes (c.10%) versus domestic markets average (18% white spirits) and there is room for shopper trade up versus other spirits categories. Innovation has tended to rely on flavours and, whilst we have several great flavours with Grey Goose, we wanted to create something truly disruptive in this category. We are incredibly excited with the result and initial reaction from retail customers is superb.”

 

He adds: “Francois Thibault’s expertise as Maitre de Chai, working and living in the Cognac region, combined with his pursuit for new and exciting experiences, opens a radical avenue of opportunity and a new drinking occasion for vodka type products. This is a serious demonstration of how Bacardi and Grey Goose, as category leader, can shape the future as part of our continuing commitment to drive premiumization, differentiation and growth across the spirits categories.”

 

Commenting on the luxury appeal of the new launch, Tom Spaven Marketing Manager, Premium White Spirits, Bacardi Global Travel Retail says: “Grey Goose VX is a significant launch that brings a new and credible level of luxury to the vodka category, injecting a vital burst of innovation and originality. The powerful and convincing link of Grey Goose VX to the Cognac category creates unique opportunities to engage the traveller with the world’s best spirits experiences. The sophisticated, affluent passenger profiles that we are targeting are seeking new, convincing options for their at-home drinking occasions and Grey Goose VX makes travel retail an essential destination for this vital audience.”

 

Presented in an exquisite decanter made from ‘extra flint’ glass with a heavy-set stopper, Grey Goose VX will only be available at selected premium airport locations around the world, launching first at Paris CDG with LS Travel Retail in early July. The 1 litre decanter including luxury gift box will retail at £89.

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