Updated October 2026
Bacardi Limited owns Grey Goose. The family-owned spirits company, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, agreed to buy the brand from its founder, Sidney Frank, in 2004 and has owned it ever since. Grey Goose’s own website refers to Bacardi Limited as its parent company. Despite the change in ownership, the vodka is still made in France from French wheat, exactly as it was when Frank launched it in 1997.
Below you will find the ownership facts at a glance, the story of how Grey Goose was created and sold, a profile of Bacardi, and answers to the questions people most often ask about who controls the brand.
Grey Goose Ownership at a Glance
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Current owner | Bacardi Limited |
| Owner’s headquarters | Hamilton, Bermuda |
| Owner since | 2004 (deal announced in June 2004) |
| Seller | Sidney Frank Importing Co. |
| Founder | Sidney Frank, who launched the brand in 1997 |
| Original cellar master | François Thibault |
| Where it is made | Distilled in Picardy, northern France; blended and bottled at Gensac-la-Pallue in the Cognac region |
| Strength of the original vodka | 40% ABV (80 proof) |
How Sidney Frank Created Grey Goose
Sidney Frank was already one of the most successful spirits importers in the United States before Grey Goose existed. His company, Sidney Frank Importing Co., had built Jägermeister into a major American brand. In the 1990s, Frank saw an opening at the top of the vodka market: American drinkers were paying more for imported vodka, and he believed a vodka positioned and priced above the existing premium brands could succeed on image and quality.
Frank chose France rather than Russia, Poland or Scandinavia, reasoning that French origin carried an association with luxury food and drink. He enlisted François Thibault, a cellar master from the Cognac region, to develop the spirit. Thibault built the recipe around two ingredients: soft winter wheat from Picardy, north of Paris, and spring water from a well at Gensac-la-Pallue in the Cognac region, where the vodka is blended and bottled. The first bottles were filled in the summer of 1997, and the brand was aimed squarely at the US market.
The 2004 Sale to Bacardi
Grey Goose grew quickly. Industry sources cited at the time of the sale reported that its US sales rose from about 275,000 cases in 2000 to roughly 1.4 million cases in 2003. That growth made the brand an attractive target for a large spirits company without a strong vodka of its own.
In June 2004, Bacardi Ltd. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Grey Goose from Sidney Frank Importing Co. Bacardi’s then-president and chief executive, Javier Ferrán, said the brand filled a significant gap in the company’s portfolio. Bacardi U.S.A., based in Miami, took over management of the brand in the United States.
Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the deal. Sidney Frank died in 2006. His importing company later became part of the Jägermeister group’s US business and no longer has any connection to Grey Goose.
Who Is Bacardi Limited?
Bacardi Limited is the largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world. Facundo Bacardí Massó founded the business in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, originally to make rum. After the Cuban government confiscated its assets following the revolution, the company rebuilt outside Cuba and has kept its global headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda, since 1965. Descendants of the founding family still control it, and the company does not trade on any stock exchange.
Today Bacardi owns a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels, sold in roughly 170 countries. Alongside Grey Goose, its best-known brands include:
- Bacardí rum, the company’s founding brand (see our guide to Bacardi)
- Bombay Sapphire gin
- Dewar’s blended Scotch whisky
- Martini & Rossi vermouth and sparkling wines
- Patrón tequila
- Angel’s Envy bourbon, acquired in 2015
Grey Goose remains Bacardi’s flagship vodka and one of the most valuable brands in its portfolio.
What Bacardi Ownership Did Not Change
Corporate ownership changed in 2004, but the production model stayed in France. Grey Goose is still distilled from French wheat in Picardy and blended with spring water at Gensac-la-Pallue before bottling. François Thibault continued as the brand’s maître de chai after the sale. The original Grey Goose vodka remains 40% ABV, or 80 proof, which meets the US minimum bottling strength for vodka under 27 CFR § 5.142.
At 40% ABV, a 1.5-ounce pour of the original equals one US standard drink of 14 grams of alcohol. Flavored and lower-strength Grey Goose products can differ, so check the strength printed on any bottle other than the original. For more on the bottle itself, see our guide to Grey Goose vodka, and if you are avoiding gluten, read is Grey Goose gluten-free, since the vodka is distilled from wheat.
Brands People Confuse With Grey Goose’s Owner
Premium vodka ownership is spread across the largest drinks companies, which leads to frequent mix-ups:
- Belvedere, a Polish rye vodka, belongs to Moët Hennessy, the LVMH group’s wines and spirits division, not to Bacardi.
- Absolut, from Sweden, belongs to Pernod Ricard. Our Grey Goose vs Absolut comparison covers the differences in the glass.
Grey Goose has only had two owners: Sidney Frank’s company from 1997 to 2004 and Bacardi from 2004 to the present.
Putting It to Use
Ownership does not change how Grey Goose tastes or how to use it. For ideas, browse our Grey Goose drink recipes and our guide to what mixes well with Grey Goose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grey Goose owned by Bacardi?
Yes. Bacardi Limited has owned Grey Goose since 2004, and the brand’s website names Bacardi Limited as its parent company.
Is Grey Goose a French company?
Grey Goose is a French-made vodka owned by a Bermuda-headquartered company. The spirit is distilled and bottled in France, but the brand belongs to Bacardi.
Were the terms of the Bacardi deal made public?
Bacardi and Sidney Frank Importing Co. did not disclose the financial terms of the 2004 acquisition.
Does the Frank family still own part of Grey Goose?
No. Sidney Frank Importing Co. sold the brand to Bacardi in 2004, and the founder died in 2006.
Is Grey Goose owned by LVMH?
No. LVMH owns Belvedere vodka through Moët Hennessy. Grey Goose belongs to Bacardi.
More in our Vodka Guide.
Sources
- Grey Goose official website: founding in 1997 by Sidney Frank with François Thibault; Picardy wheat and Gensac-la-Pallue spring water; 40% ABV; reference to “our parent company, Bacardi Limited.”
- Bacardi Ltd. announcement of the agreement to acquire Grey Goose from Sidney Frank Importing Co., June 2004, as reported in the trade press (Chief Marketer) with sales figures and the Javier Ferrán statement.
- The Royal Gazette (Bloomberg), May 2016: Bacardi’s 2004 purchase of Grey Goose from Sidney Frank Importing Co.
- Bacardi Limited corporate information: founded 1862 in Santiago de Cuba; headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda; family ownership; portfolio of more than 200 brands.
- The Spirits Business, brand history: Sidney Frank’s death in 2006.
- 27 CFR § 5.142, Neutral spirits and vodka (eCFR, current); NIAAA standard drink definition.