Vodka Price Guide 2022: The 20 Most Popular Brands of Vodka in the US - Wine and Spirit Prices Wine and Spirit Prices (2023)

Introduction to Vodka – Where, When and What?

Vodka is a distilled beverage, also known as a distillate, made up of ethanol and water. It may also contain other flavoring ingredients. The spirit has been around for some time, but its exact date of origin is a hotly debated topic among vodka historians. Although there are some historical records from the 14th century mentioning a vodka-like product, it is likely that they were medicinal drinks with a very low alcohol content. We see vodka in a more modern form in writings from the mid-15th and 16th centuries. In any case, vodka has been around at least as long as many other popular spirits such asBrandyor ScottishWhiskey.

Birthplace(s) of vodka

Vodka can be traced back to three different origins:Poland,Sweden, zRussia. Again, the story can get a little muddled, and of course pride gets in the way of accuracy, so the answer to who had it first depends on who you ask. Polish and Russian vodka willAwayback, and Sweden made a spirit drink essentially called vodkaBrandysince the 15th century. It's impossible to pinpoint a specific birthplace for vodka, but these three countries lay claim to their vodka style.

What's in vodka?

As we have seen, there seems to be a "big three" group of early vodka producers: Poland, Sweden and Russia. Each of these regions created a similar spirit, however each region had their own unique take on the key ingredients. Let's look at each one individually.

Polish vodka

Polish vodka needs to be madeone of the five grains: rye, wheat, barley, oats or triticale; or it must be made from potatoes. Only potatoes may be grown in Poland. Otherwise, the ingredients can come from anywhere, as long as the vodka itself is made in Poland. The other obvious main ingredient is water. The filtration removes most residues and minerals.

swedish vodka

Swedish vodka typically contains two main ingredients - winter wheat and water. Swedes clearly prefer to keep it simple, as the other ingredient sometimes used is potatoes.

Russian vodka

Many people hear "vodka" and automatically assume that it comes from Russia. While we have seen that there are other origins, Russia has embraced the common belief that it is the mother of all vodka production. This may have something to do with the stereotype that vodka is preferable to water in Russia. Russian vodka is similar to Swedish vodka in that it typically consists of two ingredients: wheat or potatoes and water.

What about all the potatoes?

When vodka was first made, aristocrats in Sweden and Russia dictated that only nobles could make the spirit. As such, not everyone could drink or afford what quickly became a popular beverage. However, in an ancient tale, poorer people found that they could use a cheap ingredient (potatoes) and make a "good enough" quality vodka. Eventually, vodka production became commercialized and there was no longer a need to make the drink at home. However, many manufacturers still use potatoes in their recipes and there are many popular potato vodka brands in the market around the world.

How vodka is made

We've outlined the basic ingredients typically found in vodka, but how do these ingredients become the clear liquid we know as vodka? Vodka goes through a process called distillation and uses plant materials that are high in starch or sugar. As we know, this usually means grain or potatoes. Some vodkas are more inventive, using beetroot, crystallized sugar, or even making by-products like pulp as the main ingredient.

distillation

The distillation process is very important for vodka as it removes all the "heads" and "tails" that cause color and flavor. Each time vodka is distilled, more off-flavor is removed and clarity is improved. As we know, the ideal finished vodka is virtually tasteless and as clear as water. It's important to note that every time vodka goes through distillation, it reaches a higher alcohol content. Since vodka is often repeatedly distilled, the finished product is often diluted with water to bring its ABV down to drinkable levels.

Filter

Filtering is a process used by vodka makers primarily to remove flavor from the finished product. Charcoal filtration is often used to remove anything that might create a bad taste. However, many vodka makers prefer not to filter in this way as it can remove some of the inherent flavor that makes their product unique.

How about flavored vodka?

It's certainly common to see arrays of flavors when walking through the vodka section of a liquor store. Flavoring vodka is not a new phenomenon, as its roots stretch back to the days of medicinal use. Many people have flavored their recipes with local fruits or honey to mask some of the less than ideal flavors. The flavored products available today, especially the more unusual flavors, are made by adding chemicals to vodka after distillation and filtration.

Vodka Rules

Like most spirits, the main regions of production have specific regulations that determine what can be called vodka. All vodkas are neutral spirits, resulting in an almost transparent end product. Here are some specific regulations required of vodka producing regions.

European Union

The EU experienced some confusion about a decade ago when some new regulations came into force in 2008. Some traditional vodka producers felt pressure from countries that produce vodkas without grain or potatoes, i.e. grapes. This has led these countries to condemn these products and call for stricter regulations. Now any vodka made in the EU without grain or potatoes must clearly state what it is made of on its packaging.

USA

The US has kept its regulation of vodka fairly simple. For yourRegulation of Spirits, "Vodka" means neutral spirits that have been distilled or treated with charcoal or other materials after distillation so as not to have a distinctive character, smell, taste or color.

You have

Canada has joined the grain and potato crowd andsays that the vodkait must be an uncontaminated alcoholic beverage obtained by treating grain or potato brandy in conjunction with charcoal, resulting in a product with no distinctive character, aroma or taste.

Some interesting facts about vodka

what's in a name

The word vodka comes from a Slavic word, voda, meaning water.

Vodka is more than just a drink.

It can be used for many things around the house, such as window cleaner and, with a few extra ingredients, as an aftershave.

It really does taste best cold.

Unlike many other spirits, vodka is typically found in the freezer. This is due to the so-called heat that vodka brings to the glass. If you drink it cold it will take some of the edge making it a much tastier drink.

Vodka is gluten free

Gluten free. Easy enough right? However, some vodkas contain flavoring additives, so anyone suffering from a gluten allergy should exercise caution in these cases.

Vodka Price List

Factors affecting the price

The price you can find for vodka in a store varies a lot. From under $10 a bottle to over $100 a bottle, there are prices to suit every budget. There are a variety of factors that affect the price of vodkas, well beyond a simple name.

Ingredients

Have you ever been to an expensive steakhouse and thought, "Why is this place so much better than the one down the street?" The short answer is probably - the ingredients. If the vodka is based on an easily available ingredient or combined with other ingredients, the price per bottle will likely be lower. As you can see in the "Materials" column of the table below, if you notice an unusual ingredient, the price is usually a bit higher. Ciroc, for example, uses grapes to make its vodka. Grapes are obviously more expensive and laborious to grow than fields of wheat, corn, or rye. So the ingredient drives the price.

Production

Another important factor that can determine the price of a vodka is its production method. Distillation and filtration decisions are left to the master distiller who makes the vodka. While some vodkas are ten times distilled and cost less than a triple distilled one, the specific method of distillation may differ. Likewise, filtration plays an important role in the cost of vodka.

Another aspect of production that can increase costs is the size of the still. Small distilleries are likely to charge more for their product since they can't thrive on the lower profit margins that large distilleries can. When a vodka comes from a larger distillery and is mass-produced, it is much less likely to carry a high price tag.

The taste

Many people assume that because a vodka is flavored, the price is naturally higher. For example, a bottle of plain Smirnoff has to be cheaper than a bottle of raspberry Smirnoff, right? Incorrect. The flavoring process is inexpensive and doesn't really affect the price of the vodka.

brand vodka

Now that we know what vodka is and how it's made, we can start evaluating the many options available around the world. Our brand guide divides vodkas into three distinct tiers: budget, standard, and premium brands. There are a variety of factors that cause these levels, but generally you can see that cheap bottles are under $20, standard vodkas are between $20 and $30, and premium vodkas are over $20, $30. Let's look at some well-known brands at each level for reference.

cheap vodkas

• Absolut Vodka: Made in Sweden, Absolut is made from their famous winter wheat product. Absolut is quite popular, being the third most popular spirit behind Bacardi and Smirnoff (another brand in our budget category).
• Svedka: Another Swedish offering, Svedka is a brand best known for their range of flavored vodkas. Remarkably, Svedka uses the same winter wheat as Absolut Vodka.

Wodkas Standard

• Tito's: Tito's Vodka has quickly become one of the most popular vodkas made in the United States. Made from legendary American product corn, Tito's has grown from a micro-distillery to a massive production line that now holds more than 7% of the US vodka market share.
• Ciroc: Ciroc is a unique offering from France. As mentioned earlier, Ciroc uses grapes to make vodka. So how is this classified as vodka? It meets 96% distillation requirements and is unaged.

Leader-Premium

• Gray Goose: One of the most popular high-end offerings hails from France, believe it or not. Ironically, Gray Goose was bred in a famous region of France - Cognac. In 1998, Gray Goose won the acclaimed Best Tasting Vodka in the World award presented byBeverage Testing Institute.
• Belvedere: Self-proclaimed as the world's first super-premium vodka, Belvedere has been around since 1910 and is made in Poland. Belvedere uses Polish rye as a key ingredient and its recent claim to fame is chosen as the official vodka for the James Bond film.spectrum.