While Absolut brings in higher sales on a global scale, Grey Goose consistently makes VinePair's list of the best vodkas and is viewed as a symbol of luxury. While both are distinguished vodkas brands with massive market shares, they offer drinkers a clear choice in both style and production method.
GREY GOOSE vodka is distilled in the gastronomy capital of the world, France, using the traditions of the Maître de Chai with only two ingredients – single-origin Picardie winter wheat and natural spring water.
Grey Goose vs Belvedere: The Verdict
While both are top-shelf vodkas, gluten-free, lower-calorie vodkas, Grey Goose follows a stricter processing method. It uses locally-sourced French wheat and water that came 500 feet below its main facility, while Belvedere follows the strict rules of Polish vodka.
1. Smirnoff. Created by a Russian serf named Pytor Smirnov, the world's best-selling vodka has been sold since 1864. In 1886, Smirnov penned an exclusive contract to supply vodka to the Tsar of Russia.
It is one of the best-known luxury vodkas on the market, and a 750mL bottle will likely cost you between $30 and $40. Granted, while there are far more expensive spirits on the shelf, a bottle of Grey Goose does seem a bit pricier than other household vodka brands.
Created by the late drinks entrepreneur Sidney Frank in 1996, Grey Goose is now synonymous with luxury. In a market dominated by Russian brands and Sweden's Absolut Vodka, its rise to prominence and a $2 billion sale to Bacardi in less than 10 years is a luxury branding masterclass.
Its fancy alliterated name and iconic frosted glass bottle are just two of the things that make it so recognizable. But the real reason Grey Goose is so popular is because of its opulent reputation — one of luxury, celebrity endorsements, and countless pop culture references.
GREY GOOSE Vodka can be enjoyed straight, with a mixer, or as part of a wide array of creative cocktails.
From big, bold, and spicy to smooth and sweet, or anything in between, there's a vodka out there for every palate. Because of its robust flavor profile, the Hangar 1 Vodka is our choice for the overall best option available.
The quality of this vodka is apparent in its texture rather than its aromas or flavors. Grey Goose serves exceptionally clean, smooth-finishing sips. The profile is neutral but doesn't smell or taste like alcohol. This is as close as it comes to drinking straight, boozy water.
Potato vodka is known as the "healthiest" of vodkas because of its gluten- and sugar-free nature. The tuber might also remain the base that results in the best vodka served over ice and/or straight up.
Grey Goose is more expensive than other brands of vodka for a multitude of reasons, some of them tangible, many of them not. According to Grey Goose, the wheat is grown in France and comes from prime sources. It stands to reason that the distiller pays more for its grain than cheaper products do.
It's entirely wheat-based.
There are commercial vodkas made from potatoes, grapes, rye, and mixed grains that include barley. Grey Goose uses soft winter wheat sourced from Picardy, a grain-growing region in northern France that's often referred to as the nation's breadbasket.
Science shows that all vodka is essentially the same. The ingredients that go into a bottle of Grey Goose -- just like the materials and labor hours you put into a job -- really don't matter in the end.
Does higher quality vodka give you less hangover? Yes, higher-quality vodkas will give minimal symptoms of hangovers. The amount of distillation process purifies the spirit only to a certain extent. But the ingredients and materials determine its quality, like Grey Goose and Belvedere, and their place of origin.
Belvedere: Smoothest vodka
This top-shelf vodka is renowned for being one of the smoothest on the market, and it's a joy to sip it neat. Belvedere, originating from Poland, is produced at the Polmos Zyrardow distillery (known as the birthplace of all vodka) using Dankowskie Gold Rye.
“Good vodka should have some kind of interesting and pleasurable flavor,” says Tahlin. “It should not be water with a hint of alcohol. It should really have a nice flavor to it. It's easy to create a vodka that doesn't taste like anything.
Bottom-shelf vodka can be on the more intense side and often comes with a strong alcohol burn going down. Due to the lower price and quality, you're paying for the fact that it can get you tipsy and not any specific flavor qualities that come naturally to higher quality vodkas.