While gin and tequila have been battling it out to win the title of the UK’s Most Popular Spirit, vodka has been quietly getting on with things in the background.
Linked to Scandinavia and Russia, the clear, almost-tasteless spirit is the foundation for some of the world’s most popular cocktails - think Cosmopolitans, Bloody Marys and of course, a vodka Martini - but works just as easily when paired with a mixer and sloshed over ice.
Everyone has a favourite vodka fact that they like to whip out while waiting for a round, or on days like National Vodka Day (October 4, as it happens).
Here are some of ours:
- Vodka is made from potatoes. Spuds are the famous baseline ingredient, but vodka can be made from wheat, grain and fruit too. At an average of 40 per cent ABV, you probably can’t claim it as one of your five-a-day though.
- Vodka has practically no calories. Unlike calorific beer and wine, vodka is one of the skinniest spirits on the shelf. According to Bodyline Clinic, a single 25ml shot carries around 110 calories. Add diet tonic water, soda water or a diet coke to keep your serve light.
- Vodka doesn’t freeze. While vodka does, in fact, freeze, the temperature will need to fall to -23oC for it to do so - way beyond the capabilities of the average kitchen fridge. It is best served chilled so the freezer’s top drawer is a good home to keep it in.
- Vodka doesn’t give you a hangover. This could be a line from budget brands marketing material, but the science checks out. According to the British Medical Journal, vodka is the least likely drink to give you a pounding head the morning after. The key is to sip the purest voddie you can get your paws on.
This leads neatly us to the best luxury vodka brands to buy now! Whaddya know, the whole crux of the article.
We jest, but with party season on the approach, it’s time to plan for the good times ahead and make sure you’re suitably stocked for all manner of shindigs and soirees. We’ve rounded up vodka’s biggest players as well as a couple of newbies that are worth splashing out on.
Shop the edit now
Best gins to make a killer martini
Best mixers for tequila taste tested
Best luxury tequila for smooth sipping or mixing in your favourite cocktails
Best vermouths to drink as an aperitif or to add to your favourite cocktails
Best Prosecco brands to buy in the UK from supermarkets and online stores
Best Champagne vintages: The finest years for a glass of bubbly
Grey Goose
It hardly needs introduction but if, by some cruel twist of fate, you’ve never heard of Grey Goose, here’s the low-down.
France’s ultra-premium vodka is made from just two ingredients: natural spring water and single-origin wheat grown in limestone soil in the French region of Picardie, so it really is the cream of the crop. The simple ingredient list is juxtaposed by a five-step making process which includes distillation to get the crystal clear, unblemished vodka that’s loved by fans the world over.
Flavoured versions and special editions launch all the time, but you can’t go far wrong with a 70cl bottle of the classic.
Buy now £43.00, Amazon
Belvedere Vodka
Belvedere Pure Vodka is perpetually one of the top-rated vodkas around and uses one specific type of Polish rye to complete its magical process. A clean, crisp vodka that’s filtered enough times to avoid any kind of hangover (writer’s experience only: not - yet - scientifically proven), Belvedere Pure Vodka is just as pure as its name suggests.
Smooth, sharp and gorgeous with tonic water, this 40 per cent ABV vodka deserves to be enjoyed on special occasions when you’re looking for something a little fancier.
Buy now £35.94, Master of Malt
Ciroc Vodka
Ciroc Vodka is one of the smoothest vodkas around and sits comfortably in the ‘premium’ category with a whole list of celebrity fans to match. Made from ‘snap frost’ grapes that are cold fermented before being distilled in a combination of steel and copper stills, it’s a little more refined than your average vodka and comes with a crisp, refreshing taste to match. Its grape foundation makes Ciroc a little fruitier than many others, which means it lends itself to subtle, fruity cocktails.
Buy now £32.50, The Whisky Exchange
Dima’s vodka
Vodka is one of the best low-calorie spirits around and pairs well with a host of slimming mixers. Or if it’s like Dima’s, you could just as easily sip it on its own.
The Ukrainian-made spirit is distilled from barley, wheat and rye and offers a rounded, velvety smoothness. It’s 40 per cent and best enjoyed with a pickle, proper Ukrainian style. Buying a bottle is an excellent way to support the Ukrainian business, especially as the war against Russia rages on.
Buy now £32.53, Master of Malt
Crystal Head vodka
From Ghostbusters writer and actor Dan Aykroyd, this distinctive bottle of vodka came to market in 2008. Intended to represent life, it’s one of the most premium vodkas around, with different bottle colours - including a rainbow-splattered one for Pride (£54.95) - making them collector’s items. The latest launch is presented in an incandescent bone-coloured skull, making it perfect for grown-up Halloween bashes.
The spirit is among the purest you’ll find, going through a quadruple distillation process and seven times filtration and made with Newfoundland water.
Buy now £57.50, Fortnums
Absolut Elyx Single Estate Copper Crafted Luxury Vodka
Here’s another luxury vodka to have and to hold. Hailing from Sweden, Absolut Elyx is distilled in a vintage copper still and bottled in fetching rose gold packaging that’s bound to turn heads on any drinks trolley. The award-winning spirit tastes sublime with creamy notes of macadamia, white chocolate and freshly baked bread.
Buy now £34.89, Amazon
Black Cow Vodka
Proudly made in Dorset, Black Cow’s original formula is something Willy Wonka might have dreamed up had he ventured into tasty treats for an 18+ audience.
This stuff is a wonder. It looks like water yet is labelled as vodka, but tastes like full-bodied milk. It’s enough to make you want to try it with cornflakes.
Buy now £29.95, The Whisky Exchange
Absolut Vodka
Absolut is a bar-staple vodka because it really does tick all the boxes.
It’s not especially expensive on a per-litre basis. It’s a neutral vodka (with subtle hints of sweetness and black pepper), which means it works in a full range of long drinks.
It’s made using Swedish winter wheat, which is grown on one single estate in Southern Sweden and is sustainably sourced. Absolut may come in a full range of flavours but it’s hard to beat the OG.
Buy now £28.01, Master of Malt
X Muse Scottish Barley Vodka 700ml
In the same longitudinal neck of the woods as our Scandi friends, Scotland is well-placed to produce knockout vodka. In X Muse, it has.
Made from heritage barley, the vodka is crafted using Scotland’s well-established spirit-making techniques adding pure water to create a deeply delicious tipple with a luscious mouthfeel. There’s a dessert-like flavour here too with cooked apples taking centre stage.
Buy now £68.99, Selfridges
