THE TRIUMPH OF MARKETING

There was an article in today’s WSJ about the success of Grey Goose vodka - made in France, in the Cognac region, from fine grapes and the excellent local water. It competes in the superpremium vodka category with other fine products such as Belvedere, Van Gogh, and Chopin, where a single bottle will set you back over $30.

It’s just vodka, folks. Put all the flavor subtlety into it you want, but it’s still basically tasteless and odorless.

I’ll acknowledge that I try not to be a vodka cheapskate. I’ll pay for Stoly in lieu of Smirnoff or (gag) Wolfschmidt. But this is ridiculous.

Superpremium rum? OK. Superpremium tequila? Sure. Small-batch bourbon? Fine. Single-malt Scotch? Super. And, of course, XO Cognac... all of these are costly to produce, mainly because they’re made in small volumes (relatively) and are aged.

Vodka, however, goes right from the tank into the bottle.

Well, I guess you do get a cool-looking bottle. But isn’t this nothing more than a galloping case of conspicuous consumption? Spending money for the sake of spending money?

Hell, even the French don’t drink Grey Goose. It’s mostly not even sold in France. They drink wine - or sometimes Cognac and its brother Armagnac. Vodka? Foo.

Screw that. Pass me the Stoly and let’s drink to the triumph of marketing... over common sense.