The Popular Vodka You Might Want To Skip If You Care About Quality

If you asked 100 people to name the five most popular vodka brands in the world, it's almost certain that each of them would name Smirnoff on their list. They're not wrong either. According to The Brand Champions 2025 report on the global spirits business, Smirnoff was a top performer, selling over 24 million cases — more than the next two brands combined! Even in America, where Tito's Handmade Vodka holds over 28% of the market share, Smirnoff sits in second place in terms of sales, well ahead of Grey Goose and Absolut. But "popular" doesn't always equal "good", and if you care about quality, you want to be staying as far away as possible from that standard bottle of Smirnoff.

According to Smirnoff's official website, the brand's vodka is triple distilled and filtered 10 times for a "dry finish" and "essential smoothness". But renowned Scottish mixologist Jack Jamieson disagrees quite emphatically. "I typically avoid the vodkas from the big-name brands, but for varying reasons," he told Chowhound in an interview, adding that this was definitely the case when it came to Smirnoff's parent company, Diageo. "As a point of principle, I avoid Diageo products generally as I don't believe they have customer experience at heart, and simply churn out the poorest quality product for the highest price they can get away with." 

We take Jamieson's advice seriously, and for good reason — he has over 70,000 Instagram followers, and was named the Scottish Drinks Influencer of the Year in 2022. 

One reason for Smirnoff's popularity is linked to how long it's been around. Smirnoff originated in Russia in 1864 — that's over 160 years ago! Having said that, success didn't come easily in America, and involved two instances of clever marketing. When Piotr Smirnov first started distilling and selling alcohol in Russia, he found immediate success. According to a case study on Campaign Live, the Smirnov family was selling over 400,000 cases and raking in the equivalent of $20 million a year in revenue when trouble arose in the form of the Russian Revolution.

Piotr's son Vladimir swiftly moved to Europe and revived the brand using the anglicized spelling of the family name: Smirnoff. Vodka failed to find takers in a bourbon-loving America though, as Smirnoff was selling between just 1,200 and 4,000 cases from 1934 and 1938. Two marketing masterstrokes turned the tide. First, the company ran a campaign that positioned Smirnoff as "White Whiskey" — a milder version of the alcohol consumers were familiar with. Second, Smirnoff invented the Moscow Mule, a cocktail that showcased just how versatile vodka was as a spirit. By 1941, Smirnoff was selling over 22,000 cases a year and in 1975, vodka overtook bourbon as America's favorite tipple. 

Smirnoff's price point helps as well since a 750-ml bottle costs around $10. In comparison, a bottle of Absolut sells for $17, while Grey Goose will set you back about $24. Not only does this mean that Smirnoff is affordable to the masses, it's also become many bartenders' go-to spirit when mixing up vodka-based cocktails that will hit the spot. Today, Smirnoff is sold in over 130 countries, making it just one of many beloved vodka brands.

If not Smirnoff, what vodka should one drink when seeking quality? Ketel One, Belvedere, Grey Goose and Absolut all made it on our experts' list of the 15 best-value vodka brands. But Tito's Handmade Vodka was the clear winner, scoring high on the metrics that matter: clarity, drinkability, smoothness, and flavor.

Taste, however, is subjective. For example, when Tasting Table expert Hayley Hamilton Cogill ranked 19 popular American vodkas, Tito's came in 6th, one spot behind Smirnoff. Charbay took the top spot with its full-flavored and smooth vodka, while Kirkland Signature American Vodka and Heritage Distilling Co.'s Florescence followed closely behind.

Want more proof that taste is subjective? Here we go. Back in 2005, The New York Times got their experts to blind taste 21 vodkas — a combination of old favorites and new entrants in fancy bottles — to find out which went down the easiest. The folks in charge of the testing sneaked a bottle of the much-maligned Smirnoff into the mix as well. "After the 21 vodkas were tasted and the results compiled, Smirnoff was our hands-down favorite," the New York Times article noted, underscoring that the best-tasting vodka always boils down to personal preference.

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