Clear, clean, and consummately mixable, vodka is the go-to drink of the rough commoner and the nightclub VIP alike. And right now, thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s also a political statement. Happily, you can get a great bottle of vodka for less than $30 that’s made nowhere near Russia, including some brands you may have thought were Russian, but aren’t. Some are household names, others are obscure up-and-comers. All, however, punch above their proof and their price tags.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
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Stolichnaya
$18 and up from DrizlyShop Now
Stoli became the first company to sell premium and flavored vodkas in the United States, starting in 1972. The moment is cited as the start of the luxe vodka era, and the first time gin had a legitimate competitor among martini drinkers. Fifty years later, Stoli remains arguably the greatest value vodka on the market. Despite Russian roots, today it is made not in Russia, but Latvia, which is a NATO member. Stoli has even posted a message condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine on its website.
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Tito’s Handmade Vodka
$21 and up from DrizlyShop Now
Tito’s Handmade Vodka soared to wild success by breaking the sleek, glamorous marketing mold that was long the standard among good vodkas. Instead of Euro/nightclub, Tito’s carved out a blue-collar craft image — and it worked. The Texas-made medicine is now one of the most popular and familiar brands in the country, and it can be had for well under $30, often even for less than $20.
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Ketel One
$22 and up from DrizlyShop Now
Tito’s smart branding has helped the distiller muscle in on Ketel One’s turf, but Ketel One still outsells it worldwide. It’s also the vodka of choice in about one-third of the country’s “elite bars,” according to Drinks International. A staple of the world’s top mixology and bartending competitions, Ketel One is as accessible as it is respected. If you’re grabbing a bottle for yourself or as a gift, and you’re on the fence about your selection, it’s really not possible to go wrong with the brand that’s so Dutch there’s a windmill at its Netherlands distillery.
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Absolut
$18 and up from DrizlyShop Now
A product of one of the world’s biggest spirits companies, Absolut, a Swedish export, has long been panned as the Budweiser of vodka — a starter sauce for college kids that’s big because of clever marketing. It’s true that Absolut bottles and ads have adorned dorm rooms, man caves, and dive bars for generations. But trendy marketing is not necessarily a substitute for quality — especially for anyone on a budget. Absolut offers an astonishing number of flavored and specialty vodkas that are better than the vast majority of the brands that loiter around the $15 to $20 range.
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Belvedere
$24 and up from DrizlyShop Now
Billed as the world’s first “super premium” vodka, Polish-made Belvedere is clearly going for the fancy crowd — but it’s named after a presidential palace in Poland, not a stereotypical butler. A high-quality rye vodka at non-palatial prices, Belvedere also offers specialty lines that are marketed under names such as “Heritage” “Bespoke” and “Single Estate.”
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Chopin
$24 and up from DrizlyShop Now
Named for the famed composer, Chopin is a Polish vodka that emerged in 1992, just a few years before Tito’s hit the scene in 1995. Chopin epitomized the sleek, luxurious marketing trend that Tito’s so successfully bucked — but Chopin stayed the course. It retains its posh and chic European image to this day with its high-end Vera Wang x and Family Reserve lines. Chopin’s single-ingredient potato, rye, and wheat offerings are accessible at under $30 a bottle.
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Pau Maui Vodka
$19 from DrizlyShop Now
Don’t worry, Hawaiian-made Pau Maui Vodka does not taste like pineapples — it’s actually been celebrated for its crisp, clean tastelessness — but it is made from the tropical citrus fruit. A unique spirit crafted in glass column stills, Pau is made from pineapples grown on the same farm where the spirit is distilled and bottled.
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Volstead
$23 from DrizlyShop Now
Anyone who knows their Prohibition history will get the irony in a vodka named Volstead. Emerging from the West Coast craft tradition, Volstead comes from an Oregon distillery that produces five signature spirits, including a whiskey, a rum, and a coffee liqueur. If you sense a smoky flavor, it’s not your imagination: This corn-based vodka is filtered through charred coconut husks.
Related: 32 Secret Restaurants and Speakeasies Across America
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Smirnoff
$15 and up from DrizlyShop Now
One of the most famous vodka brands on Earth, Smirnoff is almost universally associated with Russia, where the brand was launched, but it’s actually a British-owned spirit that’s made in Illinois. One of its owners co-created the Moscow mule in the 1940s, the now-famous drink made with ginger beer that gave Smirnoff a lifesaving surge in revenue and lifted the entire vodka movement into the American mainstream during its post-Depression early days.
Related: 17 Refreshing Cocktails From Around the World
Grey Goose
$27 and up from DrizlyShop Now
Of all the chic, trendy, imported vodkas that emerged in the 1990s, none embodied the top-shelf VIP nightclub vodka craze more thoroughly than Grey Goose. France’s most famous vodka, Goose has an impressive pedigree — the distilling process is finished in the Cognac region.
Related: 18 Best Rums Under $35 to Spice Up Your Home Bar
Purity
$24 from Drizly
If the opinions of people and publications dedicated to vodka mean anything to you, consider giving Purity a shot. It’s a highly decorated spirit, with several impressive accolades awards in its ever-expanding trophy room. Purity is crafted by master distiller Stefan Magnusson, who has a distillery in a 13th-century castle in Sweden.
Quarantine Vodka
$30 from Drizly
Designed for the era of COVID lockdowns, American-made Quarantine was created specifically for booze-bonding during times of crisis in close quarters — but you can pretty much drink it anywhere. It also happens to be a quality mixing vodka that’s celebrated for its clean and crisp taste. That comes only after being distilled six times from “the purest water in San Diego.”
Related: 15 Best Tequilas Under $30 a Bottle for Your Home Bar
