Grey Goose hosts Vive La Vodka training events

More than 80 influential bar operators, bartenders and wholesaler retailers have attended this year's Grey Goose’s Vive La Vodka category and brand training events.

Guests were hosted at Arc Dining in Brisbane and Elwood Bathers in Melbourne to participate in the immersive advocacy session followed by a three-course lunch paired with Grey Goose cocktails.

This is the third year Grey Goose has offered the training, but this was the first year the events were held outside of NSW to widen the scope of trade invited to participate. The guestlists also included trade influencers from Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart and Perth, who were flown in specially to attend the event.

The educational events were led by Australian National Grey Goose Brand Ambassador, Georgina Mann.

Mann said: “Vodka is such an undervalued category. For the most part it’s perceived as an odourless and tasteless spirit, but it is so much more! ‘Vive la Vodka’ showcases the vodka category through storytelling and discovering forgotten classic cocktails.

"I’m proud and excited that Grey Goose is championing the way we talk about our brand and category in a holistic way along with competitors through this first-class experience.”

During the interactive training, guests sample a selection of vodkas to come away with an understanding of how the ingredients and process influence the taste range. They are taken on a historical journey from the time of spirit’s creation through to the development of Grey Goose in 1996. Along the way, they learn the origins of cult classic cocktails such as the Gypsy Queen and Bloody Mary before a final toast into the social part of the day with an Original Grey Goose Vodka Martini.

Vive La Vodka is a Grey Goose Global advocacy training platform, developed by Grey Goose’s Global Brand Ambassador, Joe McCanta. McCanta, who has been dedicated to Grey Goose and its trade advocacy program for more than years, has just been awarded International Brand Ambassador of the Year at the 2019 Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, an esteemed honour and recognition by the industry.