10 Top-Shelf Vodka Brands to Try

Grey Goose is an excellent vodka brand for newcomers to high-end vodka. This beloved French vodka has a soft, fresh flavor and a remarkably smooth finish. If you want to branch out, you can also try Essences, the brand’s line of botanical vodkas.

As a Polish brand, Belvedere follows Poland’s strict regulations on vodka purity, so you can expect authentic vodka made from locally sourced rye. This Polish vodka has a velvety mouthfeel with tasting notes of vanilla, cream, and almond.

With such a simple style, Belvedere vodka is a great go-to for classic martinis.

Chopin is another excellent Polish vodka brand. If you want to impress people with your taste in vodka, order Chopin—this family-owned brand avoids flashy gimmicks and sticks to traditional vodka ingredients and distilling techniques.

Fans of fruity cocktails will particularly enjoy the Chopin wheat vodka, which has the perfect level of natural sweetness for a summery beverage.

Folks who want to try premium vodka but need to stick to a lower budget should try Ketel One. Ketel One offers excellent vodka sourced from a Dutch distillery, and it comes at a lower price point than other top-shelf brands.

With a distinctively citrusy taste, Ketel One is perfect when served on the rocks or in a simple cocktail.

Absolut has a nice mainstream vodka, but the brand also makes a luxury product called Absolut Elyx. Absolut Elyx takes the smoothness of Absolut vodka and elevates it with a vintage distilling process, producing a vodka with a warm, nutty flavor.

If you’re interested in design, Absolut Elyx also comes in an attractive glass bottle that catches the eye of collectors.

Do you like honey-themed cocktails? If so, you’ll love Barr Hill vodka. The artisanal brand distills vodka with fresh, raw honey, creating a sweet, floral liquor. The natural honey flavor works perfectly when blended with either citrus or aromatic cocktails.

For extra honey goodness, you can check out Barr Hill gin, as well.

Stolichnaya Elit Vodka may be a relatively newer vodka brand—it was founded in 2003—but it has earned high praise for its ultra-premium product. Elit Vodka comes from single-source grains and uses advanced distilling technology.

The Stoli vodka gets its light yet complex flavor from a special step in production where the fermented liquid is frozen and then filtered.

The Hangar 1 brand has a fun, artsy vibe with a carefree vodka that suits its California origins. Hangar 1 makes vodka with wine grapes, creating slightly more floral vodka than other mainstream brands.

You can use this vodka in a funky craft cocktail or enliven a classic vodka martini.

Don’t let the skull-shaped bottle intimidate you—Crystal Head is a fantastic top-shelf vodka. The brand’s name comes from the distilling process: the vodka is filtered through several layers of crystal.

For a smooth and creamy beverage, try Crystal Head Original, a corn-based vodka.

If you want to try a top-shelf vodka but don’t like those heavy, velvety vodkas, look no further than Ciroc. Ciroc Vodka comes from French grapes, resulting in an incredibly light, floral vodka with citrus-tasting notes.

This vodka is fabulous for fruit-infused martinis and basic mixed drinks.