The article (published in 2005) says that Sidney Frank's company "can’t launch a new brand of vodka or gin for the next four years." According to Wikipedia, he sold the manufacturing rights to Bacardi in 2004. His noncompete has expired - I wonder what he's working on now?<p><i>Edit: Guess he's not up to anything. Wikipedia: "Before his death on January 10, 2006 at the age of 86 ..."</i>
Convincing people to pay exorbitant amounts of money for an odorless, tasteless liquid is surely one of the most brilliant marketing ideas of all time.<p>From <a href="http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/97-1.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/97-1.htm</a>:
The standard of identity for vodka was promulgated in 1949, in T.D. 5707, 1949-2 C.B. 252. The standard for vodka provided that it was neutral spirits distilled from any material at or above 190 proof, reduced to not more than 110 proof and not less than 80 proof and, after such reduction in proof, so treated as to be without distinctive character, aroma, or taste. Although no explicit definition of the term "distinctive" could be found in the hearing record, the testimony indicates that vodka is to be as tasteless and odorless as possible.
best quote: "If you meet any important people,” he said, “keep in touch with them . . . And marry a rich girl. It’s easier to marry a million than to make a million.”
I came across an interesting article "Can malt whisky be discriminated from blended whisky? The proof. A modification of Sir Ronald Fisher's hypothetical tea tasting experiment."
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1550199/" rel="nofollow">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1550199/</a> via a blog post over at <a href="http://keepyourspiritsup-faune.blogspot.com/2008/12/grey-goose-effect.html" rel="nofollow">http://keepyourspiritsup-faune.blogspot.com/2008/12/grey-goo...</a><p>Basically, its all about creating a <i>perception</i> of value.
I'd never even heard of Grey Goose (shows how in touch with 'hip' society I must be) but the "Stop Acting Rich" book by Stanley seemed to obsess over it. I had the audio book and it felt like he'd gone on for two hours about how dumb it was to buy Grey Goose if you couldn't afford it, and that 'real millionaires' don't buy it. I guess I'm not surprised to learn it is a very recent invention, seemingly created specifically to target the late internet-boom 'new rich' generation's desire to signal wealth.
If someone had asked me how long Grey Goose had been around I would of said forever - I guess that is a testament to their great marketing and pricing. Now I know the rest of the story.
The only premium Vodka I would ever consider buying is Crystal Head Vodka, because you get a badass Crystal Skull after you're done drinking the Vodka!
<i>The story, at the height of LSU’s Jager boomlet, quotes kids calling the herb- infused drink “liquid Valium,” and theorizing that Jager was an aphrodisiac. When Sidney Frank saw this, he flew into action, assembling a team of hot chicks, dubbed Jagerettes, and dispatching them to New Orleans bars to hand out photocopies of the story.</i><p>:\ Marketing genius? Cool. Getting rich selling date rape? Less cool.<p>Although I guess that goes for everyone in the alcohol industry...<p>Edit: Turns out date rape is one of the things you can't criticize on HN. Who knew.<p>Edit 2: Wow, really? I'm disgusted. You five guys are dicks. I know, I know, no greater sin than complaining about downvoting, but this is disgraceful.