Best Vodka Under $50

A Double-Gold winning Vodka from Austin, Texas… YeeHaw! Bert Butler "Tito" Beveridge II is the sixth-generation Texan who founded Tito’s Handmade Vodka. While his career took a few turns, between oil fields and mortgage lending, he finally found his true passion: make people smile with hand-made Spirits. He began infusing Vodka just for friends and became known as “the Vodka guy”. Deciding to risk it all and build a distillery in rural Austin, he founded Fifth Generation Inc. and his Mockingbird Distillery in 1997 — originally a 998 square foot shack and a homemade pot still. Beginnings weren’t easy – funding his business by opening 19 personal credit cards, fighting Texas laws, taking on nearly $90,000 of debt, and playing a one-man show; he sold his first case in 1997. Today, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is known for its high-quality product, charitable contributions, and their main mission: to make people happy while making the world a better place. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is adored by both Spirit connoisseurs and those who like to enjoy a simple cocktail. Made from 100% corn, this gluten-free Vodka is distilled six times in old-fashioned copper pot stills that were inspired by the distillation methods of fine Single Malt Scotches and French Cognacs. Made in batches, each batch is taste-tested. Impeccably smooth, this stunner brings smoky notes of roasted grain and black pepper with an impeccably clean finish. And it’s got the awards to confirm it all: Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition and Chairman's Trophy for World's Best Vodka Tonic to name a few.

“You talk’in to me?”  Yes … I’m telling you to try VDKA 6100, Robert De Niro’s wonderfully unique whey vodka from New Zealand.      VDKA 6100 is the brainchild of Australian Casino owner James Packer and the famous actor Robert De Niro.  Mr. De Niro is an investor is many high-end restaurants and is an avid drinker of martinis, so creating a new Vodka … it just seems right.     VDKA 6100 released their first bottling just last year in 2014 and demand was high.  They announced the launch of the company at the TRIBECA Film Festival and this beautifully-bottled beverage has become the official Vodka of the event.      Since Vodka is distilled down until nearly pure, it can be made from almost any fermentable sugar base. Most of the time this is wheat, corn, grapes, and famously potatoes. But every once in a while someone comes along with a unique set of ingredients. Even though highly refined, the discerning palate can detect important differences in base material and process that separate the winners from the also-rans.      VDKA 6100 is made from amazingly clear New Zealand spring water and whey—a by-product of milk production—derived from organic, grass-fed, New Zealand dairy cows. Only a handful of distillers use whey to make Vodka, but none on the scale of VDKA 6100. And you know what? It makes a difference (and makes it gluten-free). You can sense the difference in taste, mouth-feel, and finish. The clean lemony nose and exceptionally dry finish on this Vodka make it perfect for the classic vodka Martini with sweet vermouth and a hint of lemon peel.    

Finest-Cut Vodka.   Made by one of Europe’s biggest blend rockstars Thomas Kuuttanen this Vodka embodies the name that it goes by. Coming from Sweden the distillery location is a 13th century Ellinge castle. Thomas's team engineered a special copper-golden pot still just for making Vodka. They source the raw ingredients - winter wheat & barley - directly from the estate surroundings. Then they distill the the liquid 34 times. Yeah, 34 times!    90 per cent of the distillate evaporates during the process and only the purest and most refined cut is selected for the heart. With High purity achieved there is no need for filtration. All natural flavors and characteristics are thus left intact.   Purity Vodka Signature 34 Edition is not just another Vodka in the sea of different Vodkas. It’s made with great care for detail to get the purest, 100% organic Vodka that won’t spring any doubts in your mind… Perfect for neat sippin’ and in all types of cocktails. Cocktail know-how: Simple Lemon-tini We don't endorse the concept of the Vodka Martini, but this spin offers up a fresh, vibrant lemon "Martini" courtesy of a short infusion of the peel in Vodka. It's a great example of how Vodka acts as a superb flavor delivery system. - 2 1/2 ounces / 70 ml of Vodka - 1/2 dry vermouth, such as Dolin Dry lemon peel for infusion and for garnish 1. Put Vodka in a non-reactive container with lemon peel and allow to infuse for an hour. Remove the lemon when flavors have melded. 2. Pour Vodka and Vermouth into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled about 30 seconds. 3. Strain into coupe and garnish with another lemon peel.    

A clean and environmentally responsible Vodka from Iceland is the definition of glacial soft. Founded in 2005 by William Grant & Sons, Reyka Distillery is located in a costal Icelandic village called Borgarnes on a narrow peninsula about thirty miles north of the capital of Reykjavik. The town is so small that their master distiller — Pórõur Sigurõsson — also serves as the police chief… and the fire chief. The facility is 100% powered by environmentally-friendly geothermal power and utilizes natural glacial run-off water. Thus they call their Spirit the “world’s first green Vodka.” Notably, they use a copper Carter-head still, which makes us suspect that a Gin is in the works for the future.  Reyka Vodka is distilled from a mash of wheat and barley. And as they famously claim, the water is pure glacial water that runs through a 4,000 year-old lava field and the final Spirit is filtered through volcanic rock, adding to its purity. They make the Vodka in small batches of two hundred and fifty-five cases — which is just a drop in the bucket for a large production facility. Smartass Corner: Reyka is derived from Iceland’s capital city — Reykjavik — which in turn comes from the old Norse words “reykr” meaning “smoke / smoky / steam” and “vik” meaning bay. Since the distillery is power by geothermal steam, this seems a fitting name.

Lush Nipponese interpretation of Vodka.   The House of Suntory probably needs no introduction, since it’s one of the oldest and largest Spirit makers in Japan. It was founded in 1899 by Shinjiro Torii, a demigod of all things booze. When Japan entered the modern world of industry and innovation, Shinjiro decided to find Sake a few friends from the West. But his mission wasn’t simply blending imported liquors – he wanted to come up with Spirits that would be unmistakably Japanese. After Suntory introduced the first Single Malt Whisky made in Nippon, anything was possible.   While Suntory is the Alpha to Nikka’s Omega of Japanese Whiskies, the amber Spirit isn’t their only offering. Enter the Haku Vodka, a sumptuous Spirit distilled in Kagoshima, Kyushu, made from 100% Japanese white rice. Its name means “white” and it stands for the delicious ingredient grain. White rice has a special place in the culture of Japan. It has always been considered a luxury and reserved for worship (and, of course, the imperial family). The Haku Vodka is filtered through bamboo charcoal in Osaka, which brings out soft, round and sweet flavors. Haku is the apex of artisanal Spirit-making and an echo of Shinjiro’s philosophy of excellence. One may enjoy it neat or mix a proper Japanese Highball with it.