Top 10 unusual vodka flavours

As the flavoured vodka market becomes more and more saturated, it falls upon producers to turn to more innovative and unusual vodka flavours to catch the public’s attention.

There are some wacky and rathe runusual vodka flavours out there

Flavoured vodka is adored Stateside and is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), more than 40% of all spirits – predominantly vodka – now have flavoured line extensions, with over 220 different flavours from citrus to bacon now existing.

The most popular flavours in the States are: Orange (163), Cherry (98), Coffee (87), Peach (85), Apple (84), Chocolate (82), Raspberry (82), Lemon (77), Anise (75), Lime (67), Coconut (59), Grape (57), Strawberry (54), Vanilla (50), Tea (47), Citrus (43), Blackberry (38), Mango (38), Peppermint (38) and Amaretto (34). Surprisingly Whipped and Cake don’t appear here, quite possibly due to their overwhelming sweetness and limited mixability in cocktails.

But of course, some flavours work better than others. We decided to investigate the market to discover the most unusual vodka flavours available. This list is ranked on the merits of originality and strangeness; so if you buy one of the bizarre flavours and it tastes bizarre, ask yourself, what did you expect?

If you think we missed any out, or you know of an even stranger flavour, please let us know by leaving a comment below.

10: Glazed Donut

For the vodka drinker with a sweet tooth. The 360-vodka company recommends that their Glazed Donut Vodka should be enjoyed with a fruity flavour such as raspberry (their official website features cocktail recipe ideas). Imagine dipping a glazed donut into a glass of vodka and eating it. If the sound of that appeals to you then you are sure to love this drink. The 360-vodka company, which prides itself on being eco-friendly, has turned America’s favourite snack into a sweet vodka drink. In fact, its quite uncanny how close to the flavour of a confectionery doughnut this spirit gets. With the sweetness that has been infused into this vodka, this could easily pass as a liqueur.

9: Bacon

Bakon is a potato vodka by Black Rock Spirits designed to make the perfect, meaty Bloody Mary cocktail, thanks to its balance of savoury and sweet flavours.Carnivorous cocktails are all the rage these days, but Back Rock insists Bakon’s smoky flavour can be used to strengthen other sweet drinks, like in a chocolate martini, or in a Hawaiian punch when mixed with pineapple juice. Strange but intriguing.

8: Buddha’s Hand

Not quite as strange as it sounds. Buddha’s hand is a pithy citrus fruit that contains aromatically scented oil, which can be extracted and used in perfumery. If you thought this vodka was distilled to taste like the hand of the founder of Buddhism you will be very disappointed. The fruit, which looks like a strange cross between a bunch of bananas and some swollen gnarled fingers, has been used for perfuming rooms and clothes for centuries. It is rarely eaten due to a poor mixture of pith and bitterness, though it can be enjoyed glazed in sugar. This drink is like lemon vodka with a perfumed twist. Buddha’s Hand vodka by Hangar One tastes best in a glass with a sugared rim and garnished with a slice of lemon.

7: Wasabi

Wasabi can an overpowering flavor at the best of times but if fans of fiery drinks such as chilli vodka may enjoy this drink. This particular variety from Indio Spirits is a hot little number that addas a nice little kick to a Bloody Mary or Martini.

6:  Peanut Butter and Jelly

Peanut butter and jelly by Van Gogh is a combination of flavours that shouldn’t work but does. So some might find this vodka pleasantly surprising. It consists of a predominantly nutty scent with a slight hint of raspberry. When tasted, the flavours are reversed with a unique blend of the savoury peanuts mixed with the sweetness of a raspberry jam and a hint of vanilla. Goes well when mixed with Coca-Cola or Dr Pepper. Taste testers have compared drinking Van Gogh’s, P and J flavor to drinking a sandwich.

5: Electricity

This is probably the most abstract of all the flavours on our list. So many questions come to mind. Wouldn’t tasting electricity lead to a very fast and extremely painful death? Does electricity even have a taste? And if it does would the person who tasted it still be alive to tell the tale? Well apparently the answer to all these questions are yes and Oddka Vodka have bottled it and infused it in to their latest vodka flavour. We could fill this copy with puns and say it tastes “shocking” or “electrifying” but that would be far too easy. If you enjoy the taste of Blue Raspberry this will pleasantly surprise you. The only serving suggestion on the official website is to be served straight, in a shot glass. Others have suggested that the vodka is best served in a glass of orange juice in what has been branded as an “Electric Screwdriver”.

4: Scorpion

Looking into this bottle, a sinister-looking scorpion with its tail poised looks back at you. Q*edible assures us this is completely safe and in fact improves the vodka’s flavour. Not quite as intimidating as it sounds. The scorpions (which have been farm-raised and had the poison removed), apparently add smoothness and an additional woody flavour to the vodka. They are put through a three-month detoxification process before the vodka is released to the public to ensure that it is not poisonous. When the bottle of vodka is finished, you can eat the scorpion if you wish, if you want…

3: Smoked Salmon

This vodka is to be enjoyed as part of a Bloody Mary and in all its strangeness, the Alaskan Distillery say it is one of their top selling products. The thought of a fish-flavoured drink may be enough to turn stomachs, but some people swear by this product as a vital ingredient in the making of cream sauces or as a welcome addition to a seafood chowder.

2: Dill Pickle

A lot of people will ask, who came up with this drink and why? In this case, there’s an answer for both. While no explanations were given for the inspiration behind most of the drinks on the list, this one has a back-story as bizarre as the drink itself. One afternoon, Jason Zimecki ran out of mixer for his vodka at an American Football game in Virginia. With no other option, he decided to mix his vodka with pickle juice (the only thing available to him at the time) and immediately fell in love with the drink. Why he didn’t just drink his vodka straight is irrelevant. Ideas on the website for the spirit by Naked Jay include a cocktail called “The Dirty Pickle”, a drink that includes dry Vermouth, Dill Pickle Vodka and olive juice.

1: Fresh Cut Grass

We know this is the second release from the Oddka Vodka range mentioned in this list, but as the latest flavoured vodka line to come from creative drinks group Pernod Ricard, we think it’s a sign of market innovation. Everyone loves the smell of fresh cut grass, but what about the taste? Of course, Bison Grass vodka is becoming increasingly popular, but is the musty grass scent upon opening the bottle enough to make you want to taste it?.