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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Absolut Wins For Best Vodka
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.
Grey Goose is considered a top-shelf spirit, but it's still very affordable compared to many other top-shelf liquors. The original non-flavored Grey Goose Vodka has a range of sizes. There are some small format bottles, but the ones above are by far the most popular and available.
“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.
A single-estate, copper-crafted top-shelf vodka, Absolut Elyx is made from winter wheat grown on a single estate in southern Sweden, and it is distilled in a manually operated vintage copper still that dates back to 1921.
Taste, price, and availability considered, Stolichnaya is one of the best everyday vodkas available. It's a gentle sipper and a wonderful cocktail base, all in one. The red label bottle is the flagship of the brand, the clear vodka that forms the foundation for the entire portfolio, and it is available almost anywhere.
Smirnoff is known for its many varied flavors, affordable price, and approachable smooth taste, which makes it the #1 best-selling vodka amongst college kids and adults alike.
Top Shelf: Bottles on the highest shelves behind a bar. Though there's no hard rule as to cost, these tend to be bottles that would retail for $50 or more in a store. 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.
Grey Goose Vodka
Considered one of the best-tasting vodkas on the market, Grey Goose is a smooth vodka that is perfect for mixing or drinking neat. With tasting notes that include citrusy undertones and hints of vanilla, it is definitely one of the best easy-drinking vodkas out there.
Vodka doesn't contain a significant amount of minerals or nutrients. Vodka has no sugar and fewer calories than some other liquors. If you already consume alcohol, vodka may be a slightly healthier option.
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.