The best vodka brands to try right now

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our site, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Vodka is underrated. Despite its ranking as the most popular alcohol in the world, many alcohol connoisseurs still seek out whiskey or gin. vodka. But James Bond's drink of choice deserves more attention.

Vodka has a classy side that's full of premium brands that are ripe for sipping neat, sipping on the rocks or mixing into elevated cocktails. If you're a casual drinker, high-end vodka can help you make the best martinis, Moscow pencils and screwdrivers on the block. If you are a drinker, premium vodka it is an untapped treasure trove of new flavors and brands.

What are the best vodka brands?

Diving into the world of vodka is as scary as winter in Russia. To help, we've tested dozens of the best (widely available) vodka brands and read other expert reviews of them all to compile this list of the best vodka brands worth trying right now.

1. Reika

Love me Reika because he can do everything. Iceland Vodka – made with wheat, barley and of course pure glacier water – has a great chip flavor with a balance of citrus, pepper and a little sweetness to round things out. This makes Reyka a real experience to drink carefully, but the price is also low enough that we don't feel wasteful using it for everything from martinis to mules.

2. Haridan Vodka

One of the best vodkas on the top shelf deserves its higher price Harridan. The women's vodka brand is made from corn in Ovid, New York in small batches and bottled extra strong at 44% ABV. But despite this higher proof, Harridan is still an absolute pleasure to drink on the rocks, with rich creaminess and plenty of sweet fruitiness on the palate.

3. Chopin Family Retreat

Ultra high quality is more elusive with vodka than, say, whiskey, because there's just less of it. But we think all vodka connoisseurs (or would-be connoisseurs) should try some of the real, Really good things at least once. If you haven't yet, try this Chopin Family Retreat. After its fermentation, the Polish potato vodka rests in 50-year-old oak barrels for two years. The result is an incredibly smooth vodka that still has plenty of flavor — mostly in the form of a unique earthy sweetness.

4. Stoli Premium

Although Uniform has a complicated connection to its Russian roots (the brand changed its name from Stolichnaya in 20222 in solidarity with Ukraine), it is still one of the best examples of classic Russian vodka — and a staple in our vodka lineup. Stoli is another vodka that elevates any cocktail – whether it's an espresso martini, a Cosmo, or a lemonade – but it can also be drunk neat if you're in the mood.

5. Neft

If you want to try a premium vodka not found in your average bar, check out the Austrian brand Neft. Delivered in whimsical mini keg bottles (which are also insulated), it's sure to stand out on any bar cart. And the liquid inside is exciting too. It's on the earthy, oily side with some rich, tangy citrus to lift it up and really shines when chilled in the freezer.

6. Tito's Handmade Vodka

of Tito it's a best-seller for good reason. The Texas-based corn vodka is smooth with a distinctive sweetness, a bit of pepper on the back end, and a wonderful creaminess. This creamy sweetness makes Tito's one of the most distinctive vodkas out there, which many like (ourselves included), but some find too much in cocktails. If you don't already know which side you're on, we recommend you find out.

7. Beluga Gold Line Russian Vodka

If you want to drink like Russian royalty, get a bottle of this Beluga Gold Line Vodka. The brand is not the flagship version of a large conglomerate. They only make one thing: extremely high quality vodka. Beluga Gold Line is Beluga's finest bottle, using artesian water, malt and five levels of filtration at the frozen Mariinsk distillery in Siberia. The taste is incredibly soft and silky smooth with notes of cereal, wheat, alpine herbs and a touch of sweetness. The bottle itself is also unique (and perfect for gifting) with a sealed wax cap that opens with an included hammer and brush tool. Enjoy this stuff chilled and neat with some caviar for the true Russian royalty experience.

8. Gray goose

Gray Goose's Its signature smoothness has made it one of the most popular premium vodka brands in the world, and it's easy to see why. The smooth flavor and smoothness make it ideal for crisp, delicious martinis, but if you want a drink that will take a backseat to more multi-ingredient cocktails, Gray Goose will oblige.

9. Summer house

Summer house is a top Polish work horse. It's smooth enough to drink straight or on the rocks, but approachable enough to keep stocked for regular evening cocktails. The creation process is simple – Polish Dankowskie Rye, quadruple distilled – yielding an equally minimal, elegant vodka. There's not much to say about Belvedere's taste, which is exactly why it's so good in cocktails. Mix up classics like martinis, gimlets and Moscow pencils, or go bolder with craft cocktails like the Belvedere Bramble or the French Martini.

10. Hangar 1 Straight Vodka

This Fog Point Vodka from Hangar 1 it's probably the most high-end you can get in the mainstream vodka market. Surprisingly, the ultra-premium vodka doesn't come from Russia or France: It comes from California, using the local ecology for one of the most unique creation processes. The water used at Fog Point is exactly what the name suggests. The fogs (obviously they exist) turn California's famous coastal fog into water. This water is then mixed with wine distilled from the nearby Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier region of California. The result is a conversation-starting bottle of top liquor with notes of pear, citrus and honeysuckle.

11. Haku Vodka

Suntory (Japan's spirits giant) killed it with its whiskeys and Roku gin, and did the same with Haku Vodka. In keeping with its Japanese heritage, Haku is made from white rice, which lends a crisp sweetness and mouthfeel that many liken to sake. It's great on the rocks, but we like it better in a martini or other strong alcoholic cocktail.

12. Crystal Head Vodka

This Crystal head Vodka has eyes and brains (so to speak). The premium vodka was launched relatively recently in 2007 by actor/entrepreneur Dan Aykroyd and quickly became a success story – mostly thanks to the incredibly cool skull bottle. This understated, eye-catching bottle makes Crystal Head a bar decor piece as well as a quality drink. As for the vodka itself, the key ingredient is peaches and creamed corn grown in Newfoundland. After distillation, the liquid undergoes an extensive seven rounds of filtration, including filtration through Herkimer diamond crystals. It is a pure high quality drink worthy of its packaging.

13. Nikka Coffey Vodka

Nikka Coffey is another Japanese brand known for exotic whiskey made in special continuous column Coffey stills. This vodka adopts the Coffey still for vodka, producing a very smooth, high quality product. The main ingredients are corn and barley refined with white birch charcoal in batches of different ABVs. These batches are then blended, yielding a vodka with heady notes, rich sweetness and a milky finish. Nikka Vodka can be enjoyed neat, but we think it's best in creamy cocktails like White Russians.

What you need to know before buying vodka

Vodka variations are not as clear cut as most drinks. However, there is some information worth familiarizing yourself with before choosing a new bottle to try.

Base ingredient: Some vodka is still made from potatoes, corn, or fruit, but the vast majority are made from grains like wheat, rye, or sorghum. Wheat is by far the most common, but each gives a slightly different flavor. like corn vodka of Titofor example, it is usually sweeter than traditional wheat or rye vodka Uniform.

Water: Because vodka is so simple, the purity and source of the water used in vodka production is very important. This water is used during the dilution stage of vodka production, reducing the strength of the ABV in the bottle.

Perfume: Flavored vodkas have exploded in the last decade, but most of them are cheap and artificially flavored. Premium flavored vodkas, on the other hand, use premium flavoring processes and ingredients to alter the flavor.

Area: Russia and Poland are considered the old heavyweights in vodka production, but Sweden and France actually are leading international exporter of vodka by far. And other regions have boldly entered the fray, such as Japan, Canada, Italy, and the U.S. Origin is important information, as climate plays a role in vodka production – whether it's the fog of coastal California or the cold of Siberia.

How we picked the best vodka brands

We tasted dozens of our favorite vodkas to create this list and cross-referenced experiences with reviews from other experts and non-experts alike. We also served several of these vodkas to our non-specialist friends to see which they preferred. When choosing vodkas to sample, we stuck with widely available labels that you can order online from almost anywhere.