Smirnoff is a great bottom shelf vodka, but doesn't make the cut when it comes to casual drinking. If you're in a club and you don't want to shell out for Stoli, Smirnoff is your man. Smirnoff Red Label still maintains my low-as-I'll-go rank.
About Smirnoff
Smirnoff No. 21 Premium Vodka is the number one best-selling premium vodka in the world with countless years of heritage and unmatched quality sold in over 130 countries. Our products are exceptionally pure-tasting and smooth with a wide range of flavors to taste.
When it comes to vodka quality, there is no doubt that Absolut is the best, because it has no added sugar and a premium taste. Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany is the strongest vodka on the planet and the world's most popular alcohol, with a 50% alcohol by volume, 100 proof label.
In London, Smirnoff, which is owned by United Distillers and Vintners, a unit of Diageo, is considered top shelf, while in the United States it leans more toward bottom drawer.
Unlike many vodkas on the market (we're looking at you Smirnoff), Absolut contains no added sugar. This, combined with its premium taste and determination to use only the highest quality ingredients, positions the brand as our best overall vodka in the world.
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.
These were: Penderyn Distillery, Five Vodka, 43% ABV, 750 ml; 58 Distillery, 58 Distillery Vodka; William Grant & Sons, Reyka Vodka, 40% ABV, 750 ml; and Kamo, Original, Premium Vodka, 40% ABV, 750 ml.
Expensive vodka gives less of a hangover. The more times distilled, the better the taste. The high-quality products are distilled more times. Expensive or 'Premium' vodka doesn't burn your throat.
There is no clear difference between expensive and cheap vodka. The difference lies in good and bad quality spirits. Even if expensive vodkas are made the wrong way, they could produce the same unpleasant taste. Hence, the next time you are out buying vodka, you would know the difference!
It's literally because of mass production. Vodka is easy to make to start with. Smirnoff is known to be one of the “cheaper” brands with a premium sounding name that boosts sales. Corners are cut in business wherever possible so overhead is further reduced.
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.
Mid Shelf: Bottles on the lower half of the shelf behind a bartender. With liquor, this would usually be bottles that fall in the $25–50 range.
A fan favourite, this vodka is carefully crafted in the heart of France and distilled five times for purity.
Stoli is probably the most famous and favorable vodka brand in Russia. Consumers and bar staff prefer Stoli products since they use traditional methods with modern distillation technologies.
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.
Premium vodkas are different from the outset. They use a higher quality mix of ingredients as well as bespoke botanical infusions. More emphasis is put on producing a pleasing taste, removing the sharpness that can be found in cheaper brands.
Discover why Top Shelf Distillers' craft vodka is the perfect cocktail base. Using our craft technology and 100% local ingredients, we've created an award-winning vodka. That's right - Top Shelf Vodka is a national vodka, owned and produced entirely in Canada.
It's heart-healthy.
Vodka can increase blood-flow and circulation in your body which can prevent clots, strokes, and other heart diseases. Vodka can also help lower your cholesterol. And, for those watching their weight, it's also generally considered a lower-calorie alcohol.