François Thibault is a French ''Maître de Chai'' (Cellar Master) from

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

. He is best known for developing the recipe for Grey Goose vodka as well as several other brands of liquor.

Career

Thibault grew up in Cognac, France where his father was a wine-grower. He trained to become a ''Maître de Chai'' at a fairly young age, in the regions of

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

and Burgundy. He officially received the title in 1992. After his studies he worked for cognac distilleries in Cognac, including H. Mounier. One of his clients was

Sidney Frank Sidney E. Frank (October 2, 1919 – January 10, 2006) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He became a billionaire through his promotion of Grey Goose vodka and Jägermeister. Early life, family, education Frank was born to a Jewish ...

, who imported liquor from Europe into the United States, for which Thibault created the cognac Jacques Cardin along with other cognacs and brandies. Thibault was approached by Frank in 1997 about his idea for a new kind of vodka: Grey Goose vodka. Thibault created the original recipe for Grey Goose, using ingredients found in a region recommended to him by French pastry chefs. He has remained the cellar master for Grey Goose since its founding, and supervises all aspects of the vodka's production. He was also the developer of Grey Goose's additional flavors, including cherry, lemon, and orange. In 2013 he was featured in a Grey Goose ad that focuses on the initial controversy of making vodka as a ''Maître de Chai'', and the eventual acceptance of the practice in France.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thibault, Francois French winemakers People from Cognac, France Living people Year of birth missing (living people)