Vodka is the Rodney Dangerfield of the alcohol world. It doesn’t remotely get the respect it deserves. This is likely because many drinkers assume that vodka doesn’t taste like anything. That’s because technically vodka is clear, distilled spirit that’s mostly made up of ethanol and water. That’s it. But vodka is so much more than that.
While we talk about the history of other spirits like bourbon, Scotch, rye, and other whisk(e)ys often, sometimes vodkas genesis gets lost in the shuffle. Maybe that’s because of its disputed beginnings. According to some, Russian distilled the first vodka back in the 9th century. But others believe that Poland was where the spirit originated in the 8th century. Regardless of which country actually invented it, it’s clear both countries have continued its history for centuries and are still two of the largest vodka-producing countries in the world.
Distilled from potatoes, grains, and various fruits, many drinkers believe there are only two types of vodkas. Good vodkas have very little flavor at all and bad ones that are harsh, filled with uncomfortable heat, and are guaranteed to give you an epic hangover the next day. If you ask us, there’s another category: flavorful, well-made vodka.
If you’re a big fan of vodka, you might not realize that this clear spirit is more than just a mixer to be masked by dominant cocktail flavors. There are myriad well-made, nuanced, flavorful vodkas just as perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks as they are as a base for your favorite cocktail.
Below, you’ll find twelve of our favorite vodkas that are perfect to drink straight up. Some are from the United States, European countries, and even Japan and New Zealand. These sipping vodkas prove that not only can vodka be flavorful and delicious, but it’s truly a global spirit. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
This Austin, Texas-based vodka is made from corn. It’s naturally gluten-free and distilled using traditional pot stills. Not surprisingly since this spirit starts with corn, the process used to create Tito’s is similar to single malt Scotch whisky. It’s known for its sweet corn, caramel, vanilla, and spicy cracked black pepper flavor profile. The mix of sweetness and spice makes it a great sipper any time of year.
- Origin: USA
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $19-25
Chopin Potato Vodka
As we mentioned earlier, Poland knows its way around a great vodka and Chopin is one of the best. This award-winning potato-based vodka is naturally gluten-free and is known for its creamy, multi-dimensional flavor profile. Featuring notes of crisp green apple, vanilla, toffee, and a gentle nutty sweetness, it’s warming and easy to drink neat or on the rocks.
- Origin: Poland
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $25-35
Haku Vodka
Japan isn’t commonly known for its vodka, but it is well-known for its single malt whisky. That’s why it came as no surprise when renowned whisky producer Suntory launched Haku Vodka. The kanji (Japanese character) for Haku means “white”. It’s a reference to the fact that Haku is a rice-based vodka. Filtered through bamboo charcoal, it carries the flavors of sweet rice, vanilla, and slight spicy cracked black pepper at the finish.
- Origin: Japan
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $29-39
Humboldt Organic Vodka
Touted as California’s “best-selling organic vodka”, Humboldt Organic Vodka is memorable because its label is adorned with large crab. This sugarcane-based vodka is a gateway between rum and vodka with notes of sweet vanilla, ripe citrus, and caramel. Even though there’s a crab on the label, luckily it doesn’t taste at all like a crab. Instead, it’s a sweet, mellow, easy-to-drink vodka that’s well-suited for slow sipping on a cool evening.
- Origin: USA
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $20-30
Broken Shed Vodka
Referred to as “New Zealand’s Premium Vodka”, Broken Shed is truly a unique vodka. It’s a blend of mineral water from the mountains located on its northern island, 15,000-year-old mineral-filled aquifer water from the country’s south island, and a neutral spirit made from whey. Yes, you read that right: whey. It’s known for its mix of vanilla, caramel, and gentle warming spices.
- Origin: New Zealand
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $25-35
Grey Goose Vodka
There are few vodkas as well-known and highly regarded as Grey Goose. One of the most awarded vodkas in the world, Grey Goose is made from Gensac spring water and soft winter wheat. This French vodka is known for its notes of vanilla, nutty sweetness, and peppery rye. It’s sweet, spicy, and well-suited for slow sipping.
- Origin: France
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $29-39
Absolut Elyx Vodka
While we’ve heard about the vodka prowess of Poland and Russia, it should be noted that Sweden is a big vodka-producing country as well. There aren’t any Swedish vodka brands more well-known than Absolut. And while you can’t go wrong with its original vodka, if you really want to enjoy a sipping vodka you’ll grab a bottle of Absolute Elyx. Made from single estate red winter wheat and pure water, it’s known for its soft flavors of buttery caramel, nutty sweetness, vanilla, and spicy, peppery rye.
- Origin: Sweden
- Proof: 84.6
- Price Range: $30-40
Hangar 1 Vodka
To say California’s Hangar 1 is a unique vodka is an understatement. This small-batch vodka is a blend of vodkas made from pot-still distilled Viognier grapes as well as column still distilled American wheat. It’s known for its fruity, sweet flavor featuring pear, honeysuckle, sweet vanilla, and gentle, warming cracked black pepper. It makes for a fruity, sweet sipper neat or on the rocks.
- Origin: USA
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $25-35
Belvedere Vodka
Poland’s Belvedere has been crafting high-quality vodkas since 1910. Its classic vodka is made from Poland-grown rye and purified water. It’s made using strict Polish regulations which means nothing extra can be added to impact the flavor profile. This makes it a clean, easy-to-drink vodka featuring notes of sweet vanilla beans, citrus peels, and spicy cracked black pepper from the rye.
- Origin: Poland
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $25-39
Ketel One Vodka
Like Grey Goose, Ketel One has been a big name in the premium vodka world for a number of years. Made with a mix of traditional and contemporary distilling techniques, using only European-grown wheat as its base, Ketel One is known for its soft, easy-to-drink flavor profile of sweet honey, vanilla beans, butterscotch, and light citrus.
- Origin: The Netherlands
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $25-35
Reyka Vodka
Iceland is a picturesque landscape of fire and ice. This North Atlantic country is just as well known for its frozen landscape as it is for its volcanic nature and thermal springs. It’s also known as the home of Reyka Vodka. Made using pure glacial spring water, this wheat and barley-based vodka is distilled in Carter-Head stills before being filtered through volcanic rocks. The result is a pure, flavorful vodka with hints of sweet grains, citrus peels, vanilla, and spicy cracked black pepper.
- Origin: Iceland
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $25-35
St. George California Citrus Vodka
California’s St. George is well-known for its gin making, but you definitely shouldn’t sleep on its vodkas. Especially its California Citrus Vodka. While the other vodkas on this list don’t have any additional flavors, we felt we should add at least one flavored vodka. This popular vodka gets its flavor from the addition of Valencia oranges, Seville oranges, and bergamot.
- Origin: USA
- Proof: 80
- Price Range: $29-39
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