Vodka is a perplexing spirit. It has led the way in volume spirit sales in America for the past 40 years. Nonetheless, it lacks the cultural cachet of whiskey or tequila. Browse the shelves of your local liquor store and you’ll find more flavored variations than all other alcohol categories combined. When it comes to judging quality, however, we base our opinions on a bottle’s lack of flavor.
That last component has shifted in recent years. With craft producers resorting to new base ingredients and big brands attempting to demonstrate terroir in their distillates, the terms “flavor” and “flavored” in vodka today have quite diverse meanings. Even the TTB understands that vodka may have personality.
Not all brands will be affected.
The Best Vodkas for Less Than $25
Vodka Wódka
Wódka is a light, crisp Polish vodka created from rye that has been distilled five times before being charcoal filtered twice. It has a yeasty, bready flavor with a white peppery aftertaste. Wódka is for you if your ideal vodka is light, clean, and flavorless.
The average cost is $18.
Score: 91
Vodka from Watershed Distillery
This Ohio craft vodka is made from a combination of corn and apples. The finished distillate has a fresh, minerally scent and a sweet, fruity flavor. Serve with a lemon twist to highlight the zesty finish for a tasty Martini that’s easy on the wallet.
The average cost is $20.
Score: 92
The Helix7 Vodka
Two ingredients blend smoothly in this remarkable vodka, much like a tightly bonded DNA helix. The French wheat-based spirit has overtones of fruit and florals, while the proofing water from Iceland has a low mineral level and provides a crisp finish.
The average cost is $20.
Score: 91
Read More: The 30 Most Popular Beers in USA: A Look at the Trends
Vodka Reyka
This vodka makes full use of Iceland’s glacial spring water and volcanic rocks (which are utilized for filtration) and is exceptionally pure on the taste. While it has a neutral personality, its quality shines through in an inextricable but delightful way.
The average cost is $20.
Score: 91
The Best Vodkas for Less Than $50
Vodka Broken Shed
This New Zealand vodka, made from whey protein, is neutral and well-balanced, with a clean, minerally aftertaste. This is yet another successful bottle.
Average price: $25
Rating: 91
Vodka Ketel One
This column- and pot-distilled wheat vodka has a smooth, balanced flavor. Each sip coats the palate with a delicate, silky texture until a pleasantly sweet finish leaves you smiling.
The average cost is $25.
Score: 91
Standard Edition LiV Vodka
This New York state craft vodka is triple distilled from 100 percent Long Island-grown corn and bottled without chill filtration (a detail more prevalent in whiskey manufacture). It has a pleasant, rounded fragrance and a mild individuality on the palate, finishing with a peppery bite.
The average price is $25 (for one liter).
Score: 92
Vodka Haku
The characteristic character of rice stands out instantly in this exquisite Japanese vodka, before subtle floral notes stimulate the taste senses. Enjoy in a dry Martini with sake.
The average cost is $28.
Score: 93
Du Nord Foundation for Social Spirits Vodka
This neutral-tasting vodka from Minneapolis’ Black-owned Du Nord Social Spirits is all about texture, with a thick mouthfeel and silky finish. Its clean profile makes it a versatile choice, and bottle sales benefit the Du Nord Foundation.
The average cost is $29
Score: 91
Organic Belvedere Vodka
This Polish rye vodka starts with a glacial mineral quality before revealing a peppery bite of cereal grain and liquor on the palate. Add an ice-cold Martini.
The average cost is $30.
Score: 92
Organic Hanson of Sonoma Vodka
Hanson of Sonoma, a grape-based vodka, goes through seven still cycles and five filtrations before bottling. Despite this, most of the grape’s flavour is preserved. It begins with intense floral and candy scents, followed by a sweet finish that balances off the silky palate.
The average cost is $30.
Score: 91
Connoisseur 51 Reserve Vodka by Purity Distillery
The number 51 in the name of this spirit refers to the number of distillations it goes through. While more distillations often result in spirits with less flavour, this unfiltered vodka has a surprising amount of pleasant, delicately fruity character. Highballs and Martinis with a grapefruit twist are added.
Average price: $30
Rating: 94
Main Stage Vodka by Thinking Tree Spirits
This craft vodka is crisp and clean, with a touch smoothness and viscosity to the mouth, and is made with non-GMO wheat from the Pacific Northwest. Wet-rock minerality leads to a delightful, long aftertaste.
The average cost is $30.
Score: 93
All Purpose Vodka by St. George Spirits
The basic base for this sipping vodka is Bartlett pears, with non-GMO neutral grain alcohol combined with the distillate prior to proofing. The grain spirit dominates the nose, while the palate offers a hint of eau de vie and a rich mouthfeel.
The average cost is $30.
Score: 94
Sacred Spring Vodka by Castle & Key
This vodka has a sweet and spicy grain taste and is made with the same mash bill as the distillery’s bourbon (73% corn, 10% rye, and 17% malted barley). The subtle nuances of sweets and flowers set this bottling apart as a fine blending spirit.
The average cost is $31.
Score: 92
Vodka Supergay Spirits
Supergay, another vodka that gives back, provides a portion of its revenues from each bottle sold to charities that support the LGBTQ+ community. Its profile is lithe and sleek, presenting a blank canvas for cocktail creation, and it is made in New York from 100 percent organic maize.
The average cost is $31.
Score: 91
Read Also: Craft Beer vs. Commercial Beer: What’s the Difference?
Vodka from Spirit Works Distillery
The base for this slightly sweet vodka is organic red winter wheat cultivated in the Sacramento Valley. The palate has an intensity and depth that ensures its mild profile does not get lost in cocktails, but it also does not command all of the attention. Begin with lemon drops and cosmos.
The average cost is $36.
Score: 94
Potato Vodka by Beattie’s Distillers
While we frequently seek north of the border for excellent rye-based distillates, this Canadian potato vodka is outstanding. Although the scent is somewhat neutral, the palate is luxuriously soft and rounded, with flavors of almonds and crushed pepper appearing on the end. Freezer Martinis are an appropriate use for this alcohol.
The average cost is $39
Score: 93
Vusa Vodka by Spearhead Spirits
This is the only vodka we’ve come across that is produced from fresh sugar cane grown within 50 kilometers of the distillery in South Africa. It has an earthy, sweet, almost botanical flavor character, with a deep depth to the tongue and a mildly peppery aftertaste. This is an amazing and one-of-a-kind vodka.
The average cost is $44.
Score: 94
Vodka Nikka Coffey
Like the brand’s gin, this vodka from Japan’s legendary Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. pays homage to two unique coffey stills brought from Scotland in the 1960s. It has a gritty, salty flavor that is cut by unexpected bursts of tangy citrus flavours.
The average cost is $44.
Score: 92
Vodka Reisetbauer Axberg
Hans Reisetbauer of Austria is most renowned for fruit-based distillates — in this case, world-class fruit and vegetable eaux de vie — but he also makes an excellent wheat vodka. On the scent, it’s floral, fragrant, and fairly fruity; on the taste, it’s rich, velvety, and leaves a lingering impression.
The average cost is $48.
Score: 94
The Best Vodkas for Less Than $100
Vodka Arbikie Nàdar
The Arbikie distillery in Scotland has achieved international acclaim for producing climate-friendly spirits such as this green-pea-based vodka. Given the richness of earthy, green, savory scents and flavors carried through from the basic ingredients, it’s tempting to call it a pea eau de vie. This is one for spirits connoisseurs, and it’s best drunk on the rocks rather than combined with soda in a highball.
The average cost is $50.
Score: 94
Vodka Barr Hill
This vodka, distilled from raw Vermont honey, has a peculiar nose: floral but not sweet, with an unexpected saline undertone. The palate offers excellent substance and texture while remaining energetic. All this vodka requires is a splash of soda, a handful of ice cubes, and a fresh lemon or lime slice.
The average cost is $55.
Score: 93
XO Jean Marc Vodka
This delightful French wheat vodka enchants with its poise and grace. Fresh fruit and white flowers dance their way through to the finale, performing a delicate ballet on the nose. This refined spirit is completely appropriate for its flamboyant package.
The average cost is $60.
Score: 94
The Best Vodkas Costing More Than $100
Chopin Family Reserve Vodka
Is it worth it to spend more than $100 on a bottle of vodka? Perhaps, but value and affordability are relative, and if you want to splurge on a bottle, this is it. The whiskey is made from young potatoes grown on the Chopin distillery estate and is aged for two years in 50-year-old Polish oak barrels before being hand-bottled. While it lacks color and oak influence, the profile is remarkably balanced, with notes of fruit developing on the nose and an explosive palate that builds up an extremely long finish.
The average cost is $130.
Score: 94
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s vodka made from?
Vodka doesn’t have strict base ingredient requirements. Whether it’s rice, corn, wheat, or potatoes, if it has sugar or starch, it can become vodka.
Top vodka in the U.S.?
Tito’s Handmade Vodka takes that honor.
And globally?
Smirnoff wins the crown.
What determines vodka’s smoothness?
Brands often believe that using natural spring or glacier water ensures a clean, smooth finish.
