10 Most Popular Vodka Brands in the World

Are you a vodka fan? So are millions of other people all over the globe, and their showing support for their favorites by buying up the best brands by the case load.

Here’s a look at the top 10 best selling vodka brands and a bit about why they’re so coveted.

Cheers!

1. Smirnoff

Estimated Sales: 25.8 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $14

It’s not easy being the top-selling vodka in the entire world, but Smirnoff takes on the challenge with aplomb. The brand falls under the umbrella of the mega-booze company Diageo, which is based in Great Britain, but the vodka itself can be traced back to a Moscow distillery founded in the late 19th century by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov. Distribution has grown significantly over the last 100+ years and now Smirnoff can be found in 130 countries where it’s enjoyed in everything from dirty martinis to screwdrivers. Smirnov pioneered charcoal filtration and the vodka is still made using the same method (plus triple distillation and a 10x filtration process), producing a phenomenally clear product that has earned every bit of its popularity.

2. Absolut

Estimated Sales: 11 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $20

Absolut’s witty and eye-catching marketing campaigns have made it one of the most easily recognizable brands in the world and sales have sky-rocketed accordingly. The brand is owned by French conglomerate Pernod Ricard but it’s still produced in Åhus, Sweden, where it was first established in 1879 by Lars Olsson Smith. Absolut is made using winter wheat and bills itself as a natural tasting “true vodka” – rich, complex, and full-bodied, with the flavor of wheat and a touch of dried fruit beautifully showing through.

3. Khortytsa

Estimated Sales: $7.29 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $15

Khortytsa is a type of Ukrainian horilka, essentially a strong vodka-type drink that was traditionally made in home stills using everything from grains to potatoes to sugar beets or even chili peppers (called pertsivka). Khortytsa is manufactured under far more stringent guidelines and boasts organic certification approved by the EU. The Platinum version is remarkably balanced while Khortytsa Ice has a unique floral undertone that meshes surprisingly well with the predominant flavors of mint, lime, and menthol.

4. Khlibnyi Dar

Estimated Sales: $6.34 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $15

Khlibnyi Dar literally means “bread gift,” a reference to the cereal grains used to make this Ukrainian vodka. The classic version of Khlibnyi Dar contains a combination of wheat, barley, and rye, but there is also a wheat-only version; one that uses sprouted grain; luxury off-shoot made with rye crackers, cumin, and cinnamon; and two other wheat-based varieties.

5. Zubrowka

Estimated Sales: $6.15 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $25

Zubrowka, better known in English-speaking countries as Bison Grass Vodka, is a bit of an outlier on this list. While other entries have at least one “plain” flavor, Zubrowka is known for it’s dry, herbaceous profile that some describe as grassy (no surprise, given the addition of bison grass to the rye base) with hints of vanilla, almond, and coconut. Bartenders love Zubrowka because it’s a flavored vodka that still has depth, complexity, and character and will therefore stand out even when combined with strong-tasting mixers.

6. Pyat Ozer

Estimated Sales: 4.2 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $15

Pyat Ozer, or “Five Lakes,” is a premium vodka masquerade as a mid-level bottle of booze. The price is right, largely because the name has little cache outside of the brand’s native Russia (where it’s ranked third in popularity, by the way), but it’s the taste the truly matters. A rich mouthfeel and buttery finish beat back any harsh alcohol notes and there’s a faintly grassy edge that adds a touch of freshness.

7. Svedka

Estimated Sales: 4.2 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $23

Svedka is owned by the New York-based company Constellation Brands but it’s still made in Lidköping, Sweden by a farmer’s coop that uses wheat and local spring water. A consistent award-winner, Svedka is known as much for its flavored vodkas as for its classic offering, the latter of which is prized for it’s smooth, clean finish. The flavored versions are varied and include inventive offerings such as cucumber lime, clementine, vanilla, and pina colada.

8. Krupnik

Estimated Sales: 4 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $13

Though it’s sometimes confused with a honey-sweetened alcoholic drink (also named Krupnik) popular in Lithuania and Poland, this particular Krupnik is actually a vodka produced by Belvedere. Krupnik is only 7 years old and has therefore risen in sales volume extraordinarily fast, possibly due to name recognition as well as the fact that Belvedere has a large share of the booze market in Poland, where the majority of Krupnik is sold. The vodka’s mild flavor and crisp finish probably plays a part as well.

9. Skyy Vodka

Estimated Sales: 3.95 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $20

Skyy Vodka was created with one goal mind: make the perfect vodka for the perfect martini. The classic Skyy is still often used to create martinis or simple vodka cocktails like vodka tonics, two applications Skyy is well-suited for thanks to the brand’s proprietary quadruple distillation and triple filtration process. Skyy is almost fanatical about removing impurities so that just the innate properties of the American grains used in each batch shine through. The result is an almost creamy vodka that is lightly spiced, faintly peppery, and full of crisp citrus notes that make each sip feel clean and refreshing.

10. Grey Goose

Estimated Sales: 3.95 Million Cases/Year

Average Price: $30

Though Grey Goose is made in France, the company America businessman Sidney Frank who wanted a luxury vodka that he could use to corner the American market. The brand’s popularity was sudden and widespread, largely due to a number of guerrilla marketing campaigns that positioned Grey Goose as a “superpremium” option for discerning vodka lovers. Grey Goose is a wheat-based vodka produced in Picardy, France, before being blended with spring water in the highly lauded region of Cognac. It’s known for its smooth, neutral flavor, making it ideal for straight consumption (as in a martini) and mixed drinks alike. Grey Goose also makes a number of flavored vodkas including Grey Goose Le Citron (lemon), Grey Goose Orange, and Grey Goose La Poire

*Sales estimates are based off of 2015 figures. Average bottle price is for a standard 750 ml bottle.