There are many types of vodka out there that are smooth, crisp, and readily drinkable on their own, but Balkan Vodka is not one of those. The bottle has 13 different label warnings on it, which means that no one must consume it neat, but with fruit juices and tonic water. Everclear is a distilled grain alcohol spirit with no color, odor, or taste, which is insanely strong and unsafe. It is rare to find anything higher than 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) at bars—except if they are on-demand because the higher the ABV, the greater the risk of being knocked out. Sunset Very Strong Rum 84.5%We close our list with a white rum from the West Indies. The name Sunset Very Strong Rum describes this drink quite well, as it has an alcohol percentage of 84.5.
Skyy: Best vodka for a Martini
The US-based vodka brand, owned by Campari, is the number one domestic premium vodka in the US and the fifth biggest premium vodka worldwide. The two expressions join the brand’s range of Skyy Infusions flavoured strongest vodka vodkas which launched in 2008 and includes Moscato Grape, Citrus, Dragon Fruit, Ginger Cherry, and Passion Fruit among others. Anyone who has ever been to college has probably at least seen a bottle of this potent potable sitting on someone’s counter or on top of their refrigerator. If used to make a mojito, I strongly suggest only imbibing one as drinking two might require you to explain why you removed all of your clothing and streaked through the streets. Cocoroco 96%This Bolivian booze is just a little less strong than the number one, but still hellish.
- The company even features posts about how to clean with the alcohol as well as how to make DIY sugar scrubs and perfumes.
- I fell in love with craft cocktails when I started bartending, at 21, and I have since devoted most of my free time to studying beer, wine, and spirits.
- As a relatively straightforward spirit, vodka can be distilled from virtually anything.
- Beluga is known for being a super-premium vodka that’s produced from 100% wheat grain.
- Best served neat, Grey Goose is one of the original ultra-premium vodkas on the market and offers a delightfully crisp taste with a smooth finish.
- This Polish Vodka is a murderous 96% ABV and a top class rectified 192 Proof Vodka.
- It’s one of the best-known vodkas in the world, thanks to its accessible price and widespread availability.
Diageo, which signed a US$900m deal with the Nolet Group 2008, owns 50% of the brand with the other half belonging to the Nolet Group. Produced in the Netherlands, the vodka saw its organic net sales rise by 6% in 2013, driven by growth in the US market. While vodka is a powerful drink, it’s the least likely to give you a hangover. This is because vodka is distilled so many times, it has little to no congeners.
- There’s no good way to know whether you’ll love a vodka before you try it, since you can’t realistically judge a bottle’s quality based solely on its price, base material, or labeling.
- Produced with locally-grown wheat in the town of Åhus in Sweden, it’s smooth enough to drink neat or can be used in cocktails to bring out the sweeter notes.
- Compared with our most neutral picks, Tito’s Handmade Vodka will not disappear easily when mixed.
- Devil Springs is ideal in mixed drinks and even concocting your own flavored vodkas.
- 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.
Enjoy our full-featured list experience in the
Now, this alcoholic beverage is predominantly used to make other drinks, like flavored vodkas and punchy cocktails. With 95% alcohol by volume, Everclear, a grain alcohol made in the U.S., is shockingly potent, but it's not the strongest liquor in the world. Across the globe, distillers amp up the alcohol content of rums, vodkas, absinthes, whiskeys, and more to create eye-wateringly high-proof products. Beluga is known for being a super-premium vodka that’s produced from 100% wheat grain.
Hapsburg Absinthe X.C.
And to get a general idea of which vodkas other experts like most, we read through reviews from Liquor.com, Punch, Food Network, and Imbibe magazine. This vodka is thinner and less creamy than Kirkland Signature American Vodka. But if that pick is unavailable, or you don’t have access to Costco, Smirnoff is enjoyable on its own or mixed. It has a fresher citrus character than our other picks, yet these notes are understated until coaxed out by other ingredients in sweeter cocktails or sours.
5% ABV, 160 Proof
Or you could check out an open liquor store nearby to see if they have your favorite strong liquor. We took into account the quality of the grain, potato, or other base product used by each vodka brand as well as its sustainability and whether or not the alcohol was produced locally. Then, we factored in the price of each bottle, its purpose and versatility, and its range of flavors and aromas. Pinnacle Vodka offers a range of light-tasting notes that make it the perfect vodka base for many cocktails.
With a syrupy taste and tropical notes, it might be the easiest alcohol in this list to drink neat, but it still has a strong burn. Drinking them is not about getting blasted, though; some liquors, especially whiskeys, can be more flavorful at a higher proof because they're not cut with water. Of course, most of these aren't meant for sipping neat — they need to be mixed or diluted. For example, to make limoncello, you'll want a high-proof grain alcohol. DIVA doesn’t use gold in its vodka production, but it does involve precious stones for a truly luxurious taste. This brand, a favorite amongst celebrities, is distilled multiple times to ensure a smooth flavor profile and comes with more precious stones stored inside the bottle.
Ciroc vodka differs from many popular choices on the market due to the fact that it’s made from grapes rather than grains or potatoes. Filtered with charcoal, it’s a high-quality vodka with an interesting character. The original, unflavoured bottle is a popular choice around the world and one that works well as a standalone sipping vodka or mixed into cocktails. Known for ticking all the boxes when it comes to budget, crispness, taste, and a smooth finish, it’s hard to pass up Tito’s on any kind of drinking opportunity.
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Rather worryingly, it was a favorite tipple of Siberian pilots, according to legend. Because of its overwhelming strength, the vodka should not be drunk neat, however, but used instead as a “float” in cocktails. Vodka is currently the strongest alcohol in the world thanks to the brand Spirytus Rektyfikowanym which has 192 proof or 96% alcohol by volume. To compare, most vodkas have an ABV of 40%, while non-spirits like wine have an average of 11.6%. Due to the strength of Spirytus, it’s banned in some countries and American states. Though the alcoholic content of Spirytus seems like it would deliver a punchy wallop, the tasting profile is surprisingly neutral and smooth.
