Regardless of what spirits you enjoy drinking, there are big names that dominate advertising and the space at your local liquor store or wherever you buy booze. But for all the big names, there are myriad countless smaller, lesser-known brands flying under the radar. This is true for whiskey, rum, tequila, gin, and definitely vodka. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the underappreciated and unknown world of that latter spirit.
Part of the appeal of vodka is the belief (inaccurately) that it has no taste. We say appeal because people enjoy using largely flavorless vodkas to use as a base for a cocktail in which other flavors and ingredients will shine. And while this is true that vodka (more than any other spirit) sits back and lets the other ingredients do the heavy lifting, to say that there are no nuanced, well-made, flavorful vodkas is just plain wrong.
To find these proverbial booze-soaked diamonds in the rough, we turned to the experts for help. We asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best under-the-radar vodkas you should be drinking right now.
Polugar Single Malt Rye Vodka
Daniel Beedle, assistant director of food and beverage at The Forum Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia
ABV: 38.5%
Average Price: $150
The Vodka:
Polugar Single Malt Rye Vodka. A true historically tasting vodka. This would be way closer to what you would have had as a vodka before the large modern machinery and distillation techniques were created. This is alembic distillation – the same as you might find with cognac – which allows for the base material to be fully expressed. Very little rectification is needed and as a result, the vodka is very smooth and unctuous. There are no traces of fusel alcohols present as its produced for quality, not quantity – very little of the head and the tail of the distillation process is used.
Tasting Notes:
When you rub some on your hands the scent of fresh bread wafts upward. Rye naturally has a lot of volatile oils that carry over in the distillation process. Think Stoli (also Rye) it’s thick and textured. This goes many steps beyond and is more like a bread wine. It’s great for martinis and is also the perfect partner for oily olives.
Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at the Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $30
The Vodka:
If you are looking for a vodka that is under the radar, you must try Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka. This latest spirit from the Shed Distillery was born in search of creating ‘nature’s purest tasting vodka’ and delightfully combines the majestic Kigelia Africana plant (the ‘Sausage Tree’) with the wild Irish nettle. The result is unlike any other vodka I’ve tasted. The slow distillation process with the Sausage Tree fruit, Irish grain, and wild Irish nettle are unique and have created a smooth aroma with hints of fruit that you don’t often find.
Tasting Notes:
On the palate, this vodka is refined, and smooth, and leaves you savoring some soft fruity, and herbal notes. Sausage Tree Vodka with soda and an orange wedge is perfectly refreshing down to the last sip.
Amass Botanic Vodka
Jared Kelly, head bartender at Merchants Cigar Bar in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $35
The Vodka:
I enjoy all of the products by Amass spirits, which is far more under the radar than it should be. The team behind their spirits put a lot of care and effort into the process, and their Botanic Vodka might be one of the best I’ve tasted as someone who prefers other spirits. High-level distillers make it with input from high-level bartenders to ensure the product tastes good and can be mixed well.
Tasting Notes:
This wheat-based vodka has a big citrus nose and a grassy, herbal, lemon zest, and floral palate perfect for sipping neat or in a cocktail.
ALB Vodka
Terence Tubridy, managing partner at The Rockaway Hotel + Spa in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $26 for a liter
The Vodka:
An under-the-radar Vodka that I particularly enjoy is Albany Vodka or otherwise known as ALB vodka, due to its clean and smooth finish. Produced in NY State and owned locally in Rockaway, the product is priced accordingly and can be found in the bar wells of many NYC institutions such as Cipriani and Balthazar.
Tasting Notes:
It’s crisp, very clean, and sweet with cereal grains, corn, vanilla beans, and mint. It’s great on its own and shines in a cocktail.
Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka
Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director at Good Lion Hospitality in Santa Barbara, California
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $35
The Vodka:
An under-the-radar-vodka that we really enjoy is Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, distilled in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. It’s a unique vodka that can be consumed neat, chilled, or in a lightly modified cocktail a la a classic dry martini. We had a regular that would ask for it as a base to an old fashioned. It’s definitely not traditional, but super tasting at a great price.
Tasting Notes:
It’s definitely not a neutral vodka, this 100% potato vodka is soft, creamy, and has a bit of fruit and vanilla on the palate.
Monopolowa Vodka
Nicholas Perdue, beverage director at Art Ovation Hotel and Tzeva in Sarasota, Florida
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $15
The Vodka:
In my view, vodka should exhibit two things. One, it should have character. You don’t want to be tasting a dentist’s office when you’re knocking back copious amounts with a pile of sumptuous caviar or sausage dumplings at dinner with your Babu. Two, it should be adaptable. Can we mix a great ginger cosmo with it? Is it too strong for an Arnie Palmer? If you drink it in a martini or on ice, will you make ‘that face’ and scare everyone at the bar? Vodka has to be its own spirit but also has to play well with others. That’s something we don’t demand from every bottle on the shelf, but with Vodka it’s a must for me. That’s why I like the Polish brand, Monopolowa.
Tasting Notes:
It’s distilled from potatoes so it’s soft and rosy – and seriously I mean roses, take a whiff and enjoy that dainty, floral nose. It’s 40% ABV on average so you aren’t retching after a few, and its price point has been consistently spectacular for both cost sheets and retail purchasers. Now made in Austria, it’s still one of my favorites – it’s a sippable, delicate, completely underrated brand that is great for every occasion.
Haku Vodka
Alex Cuper, bartender at El Che Steakhouse & Bar in Chicago
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $30
The Vodka:
My favorite, under-the-radar vodka is Haku Vodka. It is a vodka made with white rice that comes out so clean and pure but has the most amazing texture to the vodka itself. Rice has been used in commercial beer production to help purify and ‘clean’ the beer to make it crushable (think Budweiser). The texture is the thing that sets this apart from most vodkas for me.
Tasting Notes:
While it is incredibly clean and vibrant it still maintains a plush texture that adds body and weight to cocktails without adding flavor or the gross alcohol quality that certain vodkas have. Admittedly, I am a sucker for a Moscow mule, a cocktail that is meant to be spicy and bright. I don’t want the flavor to influence this drink, but I do think they can be very lean sometimes, and having Haku Vodka in it just adds that little bit of something. Think salt on a plate of food that isn’t quite there, but you can’t put your finger on why you don’t like it. I also think this characteristic makes it a perfect vodka for a Vesper, arguably the best Martini, says James Bond.
Bolden Vodka
Nicholas Karel, director of bars, lounges, and beverage at The Windsor Court in New Orleans
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25
The Vodka:
My favorite under-the-radar vodka is Bolden Vodka, named after one of the earliest figures in Jazz Music, Buddy Bolden, and is distilled by Porchjam Spirits in New Orleans. It is unique and notable in that it is column distilled from a mix of malted barley and a winter wheat blend. Whereas most vodkas these days are created with the intention of being essentially flavorless by distilling several times from neutral grains, Bolden bucks that trend by going through one distillation using robust grains, resulting in a vodka that is full of flavor and character.
Tasting Notes:
I get notes of chocolate, malt, and a finish of banana, with a light sweetness and a rich, creamy mouthfeel that continues to linger long after the sip. One cocktail I’ve used it in was a twist on a Parkside Fizz, mixing it with an Orgeat made with local honey, fresh lemon juice, and topped with soda. My favorite way to enjoy it however is neat, savoring each sip, which is something I am rarely able to say about a vodka.
Hanson of Sonoma Organic Original Vodka
Roderick Palamountain, bartender at Chart Room Bar in Key West, Florida
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $30
The Vodka:
Hanson of Sonoma Organic Original Vodka is the best under the radar vodka I’ve seen in a while. The grape fusion adds a unique note of flavor and the fact that it’s grape infused is different than all other vodkas. It’s made in small batches, using only organic ingredients. This is a special, must-try vodka.
Tasting Notes:
This sublimely mellow, easy-drinking vodka is surprisingly fruity with stone fruits, ripe berries, vanilla, and gentle spices on the palate.
Wódka Vodka
Jim Wrigley, beverage manager at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $15 for a liter
The Vodka:
I’m going to throw it out there that Polish rye is the one everyone misses out on, with their Scandinavian, French, or Dutch wheat fascination. To define why this style is the ‘best’ I have one example that we work with – Wódka. It’s bang for your buck, the best all-around vodka on the market. Fact. Wodka is substantially cheaper than many premium vodkas (and the bottle is clear and normal-sized), but the flavorful liquid is also made traditionally with Dankowskie rye from one of the oldest rye growing regions in Poland.
Tasting Notes:
Wódka packs a flavorful punch, whilst remaining easy to drink with a great mouthfeel. The more traditional rye notes of white and black pepper with toasted rye bread pervade the nose through the palate to the finish and make it an excellent vodka for most cocktails.
