FAVORITE VODKAS THAT DON’T BREAK THE BANK
It’s probably hard to fathom, but there was once a time when there wasn’t a market known as ‘premium vodka’ like there is today. For decades it was simply a tasteless, colorless, odorless spirit that guys like Don Draper drank like water.
But with the meteoric rise of ultra-premium brands like Grey Goose and Belvedere in the early 2000’s, the type of vodka you stocked and sipped came to say a lot about who you are.
Here at the MoscowMule.com, we think it’s time to pay some respect to the more affordable options on your liquor store shelves.
We love premium vodkas, but if you’re looking for something a bit more affordable for a party (where you can batch your Moscow Mules for mass consumption), try out these ten brands below that deliver great value, each with a price point of $20 or less per 750 ml bottle.
Russian Standard
Using winter grain from the Russian Steppe and pure water from Lake Lagoda, this is the gold-standard of entry-level russian vodkas. Filtered 4 times through charcoal before being rested for 24 hours, it has exceptional clarity and a smooth taste.
Absolut
Famous for their ad campaigns designed around signature bottles (which was based on an 18th century apothecary bottle found in an antique shop), Absolut is a tried and true classic.
Showcasing subtle flavors of grain and dried fruits, this balanced and light-headed offering goes with everything. Plus, they have a wide selection of flavored vodkas for making mixed drinks and fun shots.
Tito’s Handmade
Produced out of the first legal distillery in all of Texas, Tito’s vodka has become a sensation thanks to its low price point and award-winning taste. Crafted in old-style pot stille and filtered with Texas-sourced activated charcoal, this is one of our favorite straight-sippers at this price point.
Kirkland Brand
Produced in France (in fact, they use the same water source as the ultra-premium brand Grey Goose), Kirkland Brand is the perfect vodka is you’re having a party and need a quality mixing option. Though it is distilled five times and passed through two different filters, we can’t say we’re fans of drinking it neat, since there’s still a fair amount of burn on the finish.
New Amsterdam
A California upstart, this vodka is distilled five times and charcoal filtered three times for a shockingly smooth result. Though we can’t attest to their myriad of flavored options, this original offering has distinct floral notes and an appealing hint of vanilla afterwards.
Luksusowa
Distilled from potatoes, it’s surprising to find this brand on a discount vodka list, since producing vodka from them takes a great deal more work for far less yield. Still, this brand has been doing it from the same recipe since 1928, and the result is a clear, gluten-free vodka at a great price.
Deep Eddy
Relative newbies in the vodka market, this brand has made a big splash with the introduction of a dizzying array of flavored options right off the bat. Still, their classic vodka uses pure Texas spring water, and is distilled ten times in a unique column still of their own design.
Finlandia
Distilled from northern barley and pure glacial water, this vodka is widely recognized as one of the first to truly take taste to the next level. In fact, over 200 distillation processes go into making this product over the course of 50 hours.
Pinnacle
Made in France, most drinkers probably recognize this brand for their outlandish flavored offerings (Cinnabon and Birthday Cake, anyone?). Distilled five times, their straight-up option is still the most popular of their over forty(!) varieties.
Smirnoff
Founded in 1864, this is definitely the oldest distiller on our list, which means they pretty much pioneered many of the techniques we’ve seen above: the first to use column distillation, the first to use charcoal filtration. You name it, they’ve done it, and the result is one of the world’s most drinkable and popular vodkas.
