The 8 Best Russian Vodkas to Drink in 2022

As the name suggests, it has a whopping 151 proof (or 75.5 percent ABV), almost double the ABV of most standard Bacardi bottles. The spirit is strong vodkas made from molasses 2 with hints of sugar syrup, coconut, pineapple, and banana on the palate. Its swift, refreshing finish is as highly regarded as its impressive proof.

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Pinnacle makes both unflavoured and flavoured vodka variations, including a line of whipped dessert flavoured vodkas. You can channel The Dude (Jeff Bridges) on a random weekday afternoon and whip up a classic White Russian – though any lactose intolerant folks will want to skip this dairy-based cocktail. For more adventurous readers, a delightfully hot jalapeño kamikaze made with vodka and (you guessed it!) jalapeños is sure to spice up any round of drinks.

Hangar 1: Best tasting vodka

• It’s a solid vodka that, while best served chilled, is also enjoyable when mixed at room temperature.
• Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
• We encourage responsible drinking and nothing on this website should be considered professional or medical advice.
• Gravlax, charcuterie, foie gras, pickled herring, caviar, or any other smoked, pickled, cured, or salted foods pair beautifully with the “robust style” of this “beautiful, velvety liquid.”
• Balkan 176 Vodka, an exquisite spirit originating from Eastern Europe, captivates with its distinctive qualities.

Nemiroff is a celebrated Ukrainian vodka with a history that spans 150 years. According to its website, Nemiroff fuses classic recipes and techniques with more modern innovations, making for a vodka that tastes like a million bucks. According to Forbes, Nemiroff’s Burning Pear Vodka won a Global Spirits Masters Taste Master Award for its innovative and unique recipe. Nemiroff’s Burning Pear is a deliberate fusion of honey, pear, and pepper where sweet meets heat in a playful and fun way. Exceptionally pure, with lemon peel and peppery heat, this vodka is made for straight-up sipping, but pairs wonderfully with salt-cured fish, including caviar and gravlax. This Scottish spirit is the world’s first blended barley vodka — and it’s possibly unlike anything you’ve tried before.

American Liquor

While it’s not our favorite in a dirty martini (the soft, sweet flavors clash with the harsh salinity of the olive brine), it’s great for a martini with a twist. The precision that goes into blending helps alleviate the burn and sting that usually accompanies vodka, so don’t waste this one on a mixed drink that will hide its soft, nuanced flavor. Keep in mind, though, that while Nikka Coffey is an undeniably well-crafted vodka, it’s not a brand you’ll see at every liquor store or on every back bar in the U.S. Additionally, with a current average price tag of $41, it isn’t as cheap as other options — but we think it’s a great deal for an artisanal product. Whether your jam is something tropical and fruity like guava lime or something more daring like habanero, we can almost guarantee Pinnacle has a flavor for you.

Grey Goose Vodka

The Belvedere vodka has initially been intended for slow sipping, but with time, it has become one of the bartender’s favorites to mix. Bottle, this vodka is definitely available and affordable on a large scale. Compared to the other vodka brands, this vodka contains a higher percentage of corn which makes it sweeter and very pleasant to drink. After distilling, this vodka is additionally filtered through charcoal, where it gets a crystal clear appearance. The honey and milk flavors are added after the distillation, while the spiciness comes from the aging barrels. Mid-palate, it tastes like vanilla, sage, white pepper, and cream, finishing on a crisp note, sharply but very smoothly at the same time.

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• Still, most agree that you can taste the expertise of those generations in every sip of Belvedere spirits.
• Thanks to its gentle mouthfeel and easy endnote, it’s also an excellent tasting and sipping vodka.
• Everclear is a 190-proof / 95% ABV neutral grain spirit not categorized as a specific type of alcohol.
• The recipe for this Caribbean rum has remained basically unchanged since 1785.
• It’s ideal for cocktails and doesn’t make for a bad chilled shot either.
• But it may be brands with craft credibility, including Diageo’s Ketel One, which reap the rewards of that, he predicts.
• There are quite a few options available ranging from 45% ABV to a maximum of 90% ABV making it top-of-the-range competitive to Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany.

It is so smooth it is almost creamy, and the burn is noticeable but still bearable and subtle. This vodka falls in the best-known vodkas category as it is very affordable, priced at $10 per 750 ml. However, this is a neutral-tasting vodka, with an expressive bitterness, but that doesn’t make this vodka a low-quality spirit. It starts sweet with an understated vanilla note and continues with refreshing fruity and citrus notes, only to finish with a sweet floral finish and a noticeable but gentle burn. What is even more extraordinary about this vodka is the way the fruity flavors are added.

After eliminating the vodkas we liked least, we repeated the same testing steps using our finalists. Then we finished by tasting each one mixed as a vodka soda garnished with a lemon wedge. From there, we kept the vodkas that did a good job of maintaining their composition and flavor; those that basically turned into ice water with a hint of ethanol were dismissed.