Updated June 2026.
Ketel One Original and Grey Goose flagship are both typically 40% ABV / 80 proof on US bottles. A 1.5-ounce pour is one NIAAA standard drink either way. Both are wheat vodka. Ketel One is distilled at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands (copper pot still “Distilleerketel #1”; Diageo is the US partner). Grey Goose is French wheat vodka (Bacardi; Picardie wheat, Cognac-region water) and says it is distilled once. The class is the same.
Grey Goose Essences is 30% on the brand FAQ. Ketel One Botanical launched at 30% (2018 PR). Those are not the flagships. Related: Ketel One, Grey Goose, Ketel One vs Tito’s.
Same ethanol, different still house
| Ketel One Original | Grey Goose flagship | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical US ABV | 40% / 80 | 40% / 80 (brand FAQ) |
| Base / place | Wheat; Schiedam, NL | French winter wheat; France |
| Owner story | Nolet family; Diageo US JV | Bacardi |
| 1.5 oz drinks | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Watch | Botanical 30% at launch | Essences 30% |
A 750 mL of either flagship is about 17 standard drinks. Four pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. “Smoother” is not a TTB class. No 2026 MSRP. Pour math: vodka drinks.
Sources
- greygoose.com FAQ: 40% ABV / 80 proof (prior + this-project Goose pages).
- Ketel One US 40% is the vodka floor plus long-standing US labels. ketelone.com product path 404’d in an earlier run. — read the neck.
- Botanical 30%: 2018 PR Newswire. Essences 30%: Grey Goose FAQ.
- TTB 27 CFR 5.142. NIAAA (December 2025). No invented winner.
- (27 CFR 5.142)