Owned by the English, now bottled in Australia and imported from the U.S.A, Smirnoff ranks as the most popular mid-priced vodka on the market.
While Smirnoff had its beginnings in Russia, Vladimir Smirnoff fled the country during the Revolution and re-established the brand in Europe more than a century ago.
The Smirnoff brand, meanwhile, is owned by London-based Diageo, a multinational beverage company. Smirnoff in the U.S. is distilled in Plainfield, Illinois. Vodka brands that are less identified with Russia also are not made there.
Smirnoff has its roots in Russia. Its distillery was founded by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov in Moscow in 1864. But after the Russian Revolution the brand was sold and moved to the USA, as vodka production in the then Soviet Union was nationalised.
Which Other Vodkas Are Produced in Russia? In addition to Russian Standard and Beluga Noble, Russian brands include Husky Vodka, Jewel of Russia, Moskovskaya, Polugar, Ustianochka, and Zyr Russian Vodka.
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.
Is Absolut Vodka Russian? Absolut Vodka is a Swedish vodka, produced in the village of Åhus in southern Sweden, from Swedish winter wheat.
Smirnoff Vodka
It's one of the most reliable and inexpensive vodkas out there with several flavors to explore. The brand claims to be the world's most popular vodka and most awarded name in the category. Smirnoff is a grain-based vodka; the unflavored is available in 80-, 90-, and 100-proof bottles.
1. Khor Platinum Vodka. Khor Vodka is produced by the Khortutsa Distillery and currently exports its product to more than 87 countries across the world. The brand was established in 1998 by Evgeny Chernyak and began selling alcoholic beverages in the same year.
Since the early 2000s, Stoli Group, which manufactures Stolichnaya Vodka along with a variety of flavored spirits, has been based in Latvia. After its founding in the Soviet Union in 1938, the company's former CEO, Yuri Shefler, moved the firm out of Russia in 2000 as Putin was coming into power.
But the most popular vodkas in the U.S. – including Smirnoff, Ciroc, Tito's, Absolut, Svedka, Grey Goose, SKYY and New Amsterdam – are not made in Russia. They are made in Sweden, France, the U.K. and the U.S.
Grey Goose is a brand of vodka produced in France. It was created in the 1990s by Sidney Frank, who sold it to Bacardi in 2004.
The Smirnoff brand was founded in 1864 by Piotr Arseneevich (P.A.) Smirnov and before long, he became one of the most famous vodka makers in Russia.
Smirnoff was mistakenly targeted for boycotts during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; however, despite its Russian origin, the brand is owned by British company Diageo and for the US market is manufactured in Illinois.
Yuri Shefler owns SPI Group, which produces and sells alcohol under 380 brands in 170 countries. Its best known brand is Stolichnaya vodka, which Shefler bought from state-owned VVO Soyuzplodoimport for $285,000 in 1997.
Although both vodkas are triple distilled and have the same 40% alcohol by volume (ABV), drinkers prefer Absolut during a blind tasting. Smirnoff vodka reigned supreme as the world's best-selling brand in 2014. According to the brand, it is the world's most popular vodka and the most awarded brand in its category.
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.
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.
Beluga. Beluga is a luxury Russian vodka and is world-renowned as a premium Russian spirit with enchanting characteristics.
The good news is that liquor such as gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila, and rum, are considered shelf-stable. That means that as long as you store the bottle properly and it remains unopened, you can consider it safe to drink indefinitely.
Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains, and potatoes since introduced in Europe in the 1700's.
One source is our production philosophy, meaning that every aspect of our production journey takes place in and around the small village of Åhus, Sweden. All ingredients for Absolut Vodka are sourced from southern Sweden.
Russia and Poland were the first countries to produce vodka. The first recipe was made in Russia toward the end of the 9th century.