Vodka is one of the best selling spirits on the market. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Foremost among these misconceptions is that vodka is flavorless. That’s just wrong. Though its neutrality is valued by mixologists, it can be briny, peppery, or vegetal; it can conjure citrus, caviar, or the earth itself.
As with other spirits, there are a lot of factors at play when it comes to making a quality bottle of the clear stuff. First, you have the mash bill. Potatoes, rye, and wheat are the cornerstones of most vodka expressions. There are also some distillers out there using corn, grapes, beets, and even quinoa. Next, there’s the distilling and filtering process. Most vodkas are distilled several times. As for the filtration, the short answer is: the more filtering that goes into the vodka, the more refined (and expensive) it’ll be. As with bourbon or rum or any other spirit, the combination of these factors — ingredients, processes, and craft techniques — inform how tasty the juice in the glass is.
With all of this in mind, we’re highlighting the ten vodkas below at their particular price points. Are these the best vodkas on earth? That’s tough to say. New expressions are emerging daily. For right now, these are our favorites bottles from $10-100. Check them out and see just how wrong your “all vodkas taste the same”-friends actually are.
$10 — Smirnoff
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Smirnoff Vodka, Illinois (Diageo)
Average Price: $9
The Vodka:
America’s signature vodka (by way of Russia) is shockingly drinkable for a bottle that comes in a plastic bottle. The juice is made with non-GMO corn. It’s then charcoal filtered and cut with mineral water to bring it down to proof.
Tasting Notes:
Clean is the word that’s most associated with Smirnoff. The nose has a slight corn edge. That note turns mildly sweet as a bit of alcohol pops in with a faint hint of spice. The end is very neutral, to the point of being almost too easy to drink.
Bottom Line:
This Ted Danson-approved vodka is the perfect cocktail base. Do yourself a favor and grab a bottle.
PRO TRICK: Grate a thumb of fresh ginger into your Smirnoff. Reseal and let sit on the shelf for 24-hours. Strain the ginger out of the vodka and pour that clean juice back into the bottle. Store the vodka in the freezer. Then, the next time you make a Moscow Mule, use this ginger-infused vodka as the base.
You can thank us later.
$20 — Tito’s Handmade Vodka
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Fifth Generation, Austin, TX
Average Price: $22
The Vodka:
Austin’s Tito’s Vodka is a pretty solid bottle of vodka at a very affordable price point. The vodka is distilled from yellow corn and goes through six distillations.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a slight must on the nose of this vodka that leads towards a hint of that yellow corn. The taste is very neutral at first. Then, as the sip warms, notes of vegetal peppers and mildly sweet corn arrives. The end is swift and very svelte.
Bottom Line:
This is an all-around drinker. You can shoot it, mix it, and throw it in a highball with some fizzy water. Dealer’s choice.
$30 — Chopin Potato Vodka
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Polmos, Siedlce, Poland
Average Price: $30
The Vodka:
This Polish vodka feels like a classic but it only goes back to the early 1990s. The distillery sources their potatoes from the fields around the distillery within a 25-mile radius. The potatoes are cooked in their skins before fermentation. The wash is then copper pot distilled and highly refined.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a natural minerality to the nose that leads towards an almost wet grass note. The palate is very soft with a hint of bitter behind a real earthen taste. A note of black pepper spice arrives late as the continued softness brings about a pleasant end.
Bottom Line:
This certainly works as a sipper with a drop or two of bitters (in a very ice-cold glass). Also, give this vodka as try as part of a Hilde — that’s a shot of Champagne chased with a shot of vodka in quick succession.
$40 — Absolut Elyx
ABV: 43%
Distillery: Absolut Distillery, Åhus, Sweden (Pernod Ricard)
Average Price: $42
The Vodka:
Absolut Elyx is Absolut’s answer to the high-end vodka market. The vodka is made from winter wheat grown on a single farm estate from the middle ages in Southern Sweden. The vodka is made in Absolut’s all antique-fitted out Åhus Distillery, right on the waterfront of the small village.
It’s a super-refined vodka that lives up to the hype.
Tasting Notes:
The sip opens with a wheat field after a rainstorm. There’s a fresh-baked bread with a buttery edge next to a fatty nuttiness. A mild spice comes in late with a nutmeg feel to it. The end is slightly long, full of that bready nature, and very satisfying.
Bottom Line:
You can easily sip this vodka with a rock or two. It’s also a very solid cocktail base with that slightly higher-ABV.
$50 — Nikka Coffey Vodka
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Nikka Whisky Distilling, Tokyo, Japan (Asahi Group)
Average Price: $52
The Vodka:
There’s a refinement and uniqueness to this vodka that helps it really stand out. The mash is a blend of corn and malted barley. The distillate is then filtered with white birch charcoal and then cut down to proof with soft local spring water.
Tasting Notes:
This is the perfect balance of neutral and flavorful. The nose brings about a hint of the sweeter malts with a flutter of orchard fruit. The palate delivers on those notes while leaning into an almost stonefruit sweetness, with a grain underbelly. The end is warming with a velvety texture that’ll leave a smile on your face.
Bottom Line:
This is so smooth and drinkable that’ll be hard not to just sip it neat or with a single rock.
$60 — Crystal Head Vodka Aurora
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Globefill Inc., Newfoundland, Canada
Average Price: $60
The Vodka:
Dan Akroyd’s Canadian vodka is a solid entry in the vodka pantheon. This expression utilizes English wheat in the mash. The distillate is then filtered seven times through Herkimer diamonds (quartz, really). The bottle is certainly a gimmick here but it is kind of cool, especially with the Aurora Borealis coloring to the skull.
At the very least, this one is a conversation starter.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of the wheat up top with a note of vanilla beans. The taste carries on in that direction and adds in a flourish of mint next to a mild spice. The end is short, warm, and slightly sweet with another touch of that vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is just good enough to justify the price. The addition of mint and vanilla adds a nice change up to the usual neutrality of vodka, especially when you add some ice.
$70 — Stolichnaya Elit
ABV: 40%
Distillery: SPI Group, Riga, Latvia
Average Price: $69
The Vodka:
There’s a lot that goes into making Stoli a great vodka, even more so for Elit. The juice is made from a majority of special winter wheat grown in a very isolated part of Russia that’s cut with a small percentage of rye (also grown in a very rural area). Then there’s the spring water, quartz sand filtration, charcoal filtration, and another round of quartz sand filtration that the distillate goes through to make it pop.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted by freshly cut green bell pepper, a bit of vanilla, a touch of fresh mint, a dusting of white pepper, and a nice hit of bright citrus. The palate leans into those notes and adds a light toffee sweetness with a super clean body.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those “I get it now” vodkas. It’s also a bottle you might be able to find at a much better price point (around $50) if you’re in the right region. It works as an easy sipper with a rock or two or as a fantastic martini base.
$80 — Carbonadi
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Carbonadi Distillery, Piedmont, Italy
Average Price: $80
The Vodka:
Ricky Miller’s Carbonadi is a high-end vodka for the 2020s. The Italian juice is made from winter wheat and handled by northern Italian artisans through each step of the process, leading to a black diamond filtration process and a micro-oxygenation (a process used to soften wines).
Tasting Notes:
Carbonadi hits the “high-end” vodka notes square on the head. There’s a bit of vanilla next to the wheat. Then comes a note of toasted coconut with a note of fresh mint and a touch of spice. It’s enticing.
Bottom Line:
The complexity of this sip makes it an easy sipper and pairing vodka, especially with Goan curries or any spice-laden dishes.
$90 — Grey Goose VX
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Grey Goose Disitllery, La Vallee de l’Oise, France (Bacardi)
Average Price: $90
The Vodka:
France’s Grey Goose is specifically engineered for the U.S. market. This very high-end expression from the Maison leans into the refinement of cognac via vodka crafting. The juice is winter wheat-based and cut with local spring water to create the easiest of vodka drinking experiences. The vodka is then cut with a bit (five percent) of cognac. That technically makes this a “spirit” instead of a “vodka.” But that’s really splitting hairs.
Tasting Notes:
This sip is equal measures floral and fruity. Ripe stone fruits mingle with wildflowers and honey sweetness. A rush of bright citrus arrives late to counterpoint the more floral and fruity sweet edges and helps bring about a real smoothness to the overall sip.
Bottom Line:
This is crafted as a sipping vodka. Maybe add a rock if you need to, but try it neat first.
$100 — Beluga Gold Line
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Mariinsk Distillery, Mariinsk, Russia
Average Price: $100
The Vodka:
This vodka was born from far off in the forested Siberian depths of Russia. The brand’s Gold Line takes its very solid base and adds more layers of filtration and amps the distillation process by adding milk thistle, oat, and rice extracts. After the multiple quartz filtration, the vodka then rests for three months before bottling, adding an extra nuance to this drink.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a wildflower herbal nature on the nose and taste that draws you in. The graininess of the vodka is subtle, while a creamy nature takes over. The grassiness, florals, and sweet edges all balance each other perfectly as the sip fills your senses with each note.
Bottom Line:
This is a great pairing vodka, especially with seafood. It might sound cliché, but it’s great with caviar. If that’s too rich for your blood, try cold smoked salmon, oysters, and crab.
