Born from the pristine Alps, Altius is the latest masterpiece from Grey Goose, the quintessential French vodka producer which has been crafting exceptional sensorial libations since 1997. With a joy of life as a guiding light, Grey Goose believes in boldly savouring life’s pleasures and finding delight in the simple luxuries that nature offers, as only the French know how.

From Cognac in France to the pristine apex of the Alps, now Grey Goose Altius is toasting a new way of life, distilling the magic of the mountains into an exceptional vodka that captures the essence of alpine minerality and glacial smoothness, redefining the landscape of ultra-premium vodka and giving all-new meaning to the unfaltering power of nature.

This distinctive new expression from Grey Goose, Altius has been meticulously crafted with a processes inspired by the extraordinary, natural effect of high-altitude crystallisation which happens at glacial temperatures. This yields a remarkably smooth vodka using nothing but Alpine spring water and soft winter wheat from Picardie, in northern France.

“It is exactly the same wheat we have, the same ingredient, as the original from Picardie, keeping the same DNA. But we want to send a strong message, an introduction to the new sourcing of water,” explains François Thibault, Grey Goose vodka’s creator and master distiller. “In France, we have a lot of different climates, different soils, and we are very lucky to have a lot of different waters too, even in the mountains. The water for Altius comes from high up in the Alps.”

Thibault is no stranger to daring journeys. Born into a family of winemakers in Pérignac, nestled in the heart of France’s Cognac region, he earned a winemaking degree from the University of Bordeaux, before honing his skills at the prestigious H. Mounier Cognac house, where he earned the peerless title of Maître de Chai (Cellar Master). He remains the world’s only Maître de Chai of a French vodka.

In 1996, Thibault was approached by American drinks importer Sidney Frank to craft a superpremium vodka. Previously the preserve of Eastern European countries, producing vodka in France was unheard of. But Thibault accepted the challenge, choosing wheat from Picardie and water from Gensac-la-Pallue to create Grey Goose – the very first spirit, other than Cognac, to be produced in the region. After eight months of liquid production and bottle design, Thibault and Frank took the product to market in June 1997. A brand-new vodka with purity at its core – just two extraordinary ingredients, zero artificial additives – that forever changed the face of vodka production, and turned sceptics into enthusiasts.

Now, approaching three decades on, and following on from his previous Grey Goose Essences line and the Grey Goose Classic Martini Cocktail, it’s Thibault’s latest chef d’oeuvre Altius’ turn in the spotlight – a luxury offering which speaks to a growing number of consumers who are ‘trading up’ their drinks to consider quality over quantity.

“Luxury is thriving, and we’re seeing a real push towards people appreciating ‘new’ innovations and being more adventurous with their drinking habits,” explains Joe McCanta, Global Director of Brand Experience at Grey Goose. “Certainly consumers today are drinking less but better quality. More spirit-forward, but without combining different ingredients, especially not low-quality ingredients.”

This quest for exceptionality and purity is Altius’ competitive advantage. Creating an extraordinary vodka isn’t just a process, it’s a passion, where every drop tells a story of exceptional craftsmanship and an unyielding commitment to perfection. Thibault’s role is to both please and surprise the Grey Goose consumer, and taking them on a journey to the glacial peaks of the Alps does just that. Capturing the natural wonders of the mountains in every bottle, each sip of Altius is a rare experience reserved for the truly discerning.

“The mountains are very close to the clouds, creating the perfect micro-climate,” explains Thibault, ”of the protected land from which Grey Goose sources its water, which is subject to strict measures to ensure it remains sustainable for future generations. The alpine water begins its journey in clouds that touch some of the highest peaks in the French alps, trekking through crystalline rocks to a pristine, pure alkaline aquifer. It then uses a glacial filtration at -24 degrees Celsius (the first vodka to ever filter at such a low temperature), “which pushes it to the very line of crystallisation, when a vodka almost turns its form from a liquid to a solid,” explains McCanta. “It’s very exciting. It’s life changing.” The result is a glacially smooth taste and velvety mouth feel. On the palate, Altius is complex with delicate alpine minerality, soft green apple notes and a unique, earthy undertone.

Every batch is reviewed by Thibault himself and then, as another mark of Grey Goose Altius’ singularity, hand-bottled and produced in a limited run, with each bottle individually numbered so you know you’re sipping a truly unique masterpiece.

The bottle itself soaks up even more of the French Alps’ elemental beauty, with a design that captures the essence of windswept mountains, icy blue skies, and soaring geese at high altitudes. The outside as exquisite as the vodka within. Offered at only the world’s most prestigious bars, nightclubs, and restaurants, Altius’ exclusivity only amplifies its appeal.

As for how to enjoy Grey Goose’s latest vodka incarnation, Thibault believes those discovering Altius for the first time should “first understand the product and discover it on its own, naturally, without anything on top. From there, they can try the product before it gets into the hands of Joe, where he makes it into a cocktail!”

McCanta suggests drinking Altius “clean, over a nice clear piece of ice. We’ve also reinvented how people drink a simple shot, serving Altius over hand-carved snow. When you pour it over the snow, it absolutely chills it down, but it creates a 20 per cent alcohol-by-volume taste, which is the same as a martini would be. And we’ve created a cocktail called On The Rock, where Altius is served over a perfectly hand-carved piece of ice, which represents the glacial smoothness of the product itself, sitting cold but not overly diluted. It’s Altius at its most pristine.”

Designed to be savoured sip by sip, while extolling the virtues of the captivating French Alps, Grey Goose Altius takes vodka to new heights. Luxury in liquid form.