You sidle up to the bar and ask for a vodka. The bartender points to shelves and shelves of colorful, shapely and artfully labeled or decorated bottles. Your eyes glaze over, the bottles become fuzzy, and you haven't even had a drink yet.

When the late Sydney Frank concocted the idea of Grey Goose vodka in the summer of 1996, little did he know that eight years later Grey Goose would be sold for $2 billion to the Bacardi Corp. and rock the beverage industry. The name Grey Goose was born before the product, when Frank insisted Americans wanted high-priced vodka bottled in France. His years in the liquor business had taught him that Americans will pay almost anything for a quality product with a good story behind it. Frank already had the relationships with bars and distributors because his brand, Jagermeister, was enjoying fame in bars nationwide. Launching a new vodka, even with a $30 price tag, seemed a logical step.

According to the O'ahu AC Nielsen survey (52 weeks, ending April 8, 2006), vodka commands the largest share of the spirit industry, accounting for more than 30 percent of sales. It's no surprise that the "Goose" is a household name. Imported vodka is the fastest growing category in Hawai'i, at 55.9 percent, with Grey Goose and Stolichnaya leading the way. And the rest of the country is drinking Grey Goose as well; this French import shows the fastest growth nationwide.

My husband, Mark, and I took a bottle of Grey Goose Le Citron with us on a recent trip to Mo'orea. We concocted several tropical libations using the flavored vodka and varying proportions of mango nectar, banana and pineapple juice. I have no doubt that it would be a challenge to find anyone older than 21 who hasn't tried a vodka cocktail, be it a martini, cosmopolitan or "Mo'orea Popsicle" as we named our creation.

Historically, vodka has been made from whatever agricultural crop was in abundance and cheap. However, modern vodka is almost invariably made from corn, rye or wheat grains, and of course, the lingering potato. Rye is common in eastern European vodka while wheat is more common in the west.

The process of making vodka is fairly simple. Grains or potatoes, water and yeast are placed in a cask or pot to create a mash. The mash is then distilled (or double-distilled, etc.) to create a neutral spirit. Distilling involves heating the mash until it vaporizes, then cooling it so that it condenses, a process designed to produce a purified and concentrated liquor. The resulting spirit is then filtered through quartz, charcoal or cloth. Many distillers use all three.

The government describes vodka as a spirit that has no character and is colorless without distinctive odor or taste. Vodka producers and drinkers worldwide would argue with that. Why, after all, would you pay more than $30 for a bottle of Grey Goose vodka if it has no discernible taste? True vodka connoisseurs can detect subtle differences and degrees of smoothness. Grey Goose was recently rated the No. 1 vodka by the Beverage Tasting Institute.

Degrees of smoothness matter to most tasters, but what are the differences between top-selling vodkas? Stolichnaya, which claims to be the only authentic Russian vodka, uses a 500-year-old double-distillation method and a quadruple-distillation process. Its vodka is filtered through quartz, charcoal and quartz again and then a fine woven cloth. Grey Goose is made from fine French wheat and filtered through champagne limestone under the watchful eye of a maitre de chai or master distiller.

Hangar One, a pot-stilled vodka made from wheat and viognier wine, owes its existence to the success of Grey Goose. Owners Jorg Rupf and Lance Winters knew they could make good vodka but didn't think they could get the money back on what it would cost to produce. Having made fruit brandies for 20 years, these two craft distillers knew one thing: To make a great spirit, you have to start with the best, ripest fruit. They found that making vodka from viognier diminishes the alcoholic overtones. The vodka's name comes from the distillery's location —an old airplane hangar at the Naval Air Station Alameda, in California.

Vodka has come a long way in its 900-year history. Its origin is highly debated. Poland and Russia both claim to have discovered it. If you ask Russia, the history of vodka dates back to the 12th century, when Russia claims it led the world in distilling techniques. It's no surprise that vodka became a huge part of the Russian culture. Poland claims vodka was their discovery in the 8th century, when leftover wine was converted to alcohol for medicinal purposes, a beverage called "gorzalka," or "burnt wine." Like Poland, Sweden's discovery and use of vodka was also for medicinal purposes. The Russian, Polish and Swedish governments all have tried to ban vodka at different times, but the spirit survived. Surviving a vodka hangover from sipping too many cocktails may make you wish it hadn't. So indulge in moderation, whichever vodka you choose.

Lisa Gmur is a fine-wine specialist for Waipahu-based Grand Crew Wine Merchants, and teaches bimonthly wine seminars at HASR Hawaii; 535-9463. Raise a Glass, written by a rotating panel of beverage experts, appears here every other week.