Top 10 new vodka brands

Vodka is notoriously one of the most saturated categories in spirits, but a number of enterprising producers refuse to let this deter them from releasing a hoard of new brands.

Up against stiff competition, these are the top 10 new vodka brands which have recently made their debut

While long-established labels still dominate the competitive sector, smaller distillers are aiming to cut themselves a slice of market share with interesting new labels.

Some aim to stand out from the masses with innovative production methods, including single estate sourcing and milk distillation, but others are not afraid to use a spot of gimmickry.

One entrepreneur sought to capitalise on the crisis in Greece by registering the trademark for a Grexit Vodka, as another distributor released a bottling in homage to late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the top 10 new vodka brands launched over the past two years. If you think any essential choices have been missed off this list, let us know by leaving a comment below.

Arbikie Vodka

As the farm to bottle spirit trend began to gain traction last year, the newly opened Arbikie Distillery launched what is thought to be Scotland’s first single estate vodka brand. The vodka is created at the Arbikie Highland Estate using a blend of Maris Piper, King Edward and Cultra potatoes, which are grown, fermented and distilled in copper pot stills on site. The Stirling family, owners of the estate, have been farming at the site for four generations and recently launched the single estate Kirsty’s Gin.

Milk Money Vodka

Launched in the US last year, Milk Money Vodka is an expression made entirely from milk. Developed and owned by a family of cow-loving dairy farmers, Milk Money Vodka is uniquely distilled from milk sugars and is packaged in a traditional milk bottle design. Its launch followed that of Black Cow Vodka in 2013, which is distilled from English whey for a “unique creamy character”.

Equality Vodka

Texas-based Epic Spirits launched new brand Equality Vodka in September last year to help advance the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. The group donated a portion of Equality Vodka’s profits to charities supporting LGBT rights. The brand recently announced it intends to expand following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US, entering additional markets in Texas and California.

Grexit Vodka

Though it doesn’t appear to be officially available just yet, the Grexit Vodka brand was unveiled last month ahead of a referendum held for the Greek public to vote on the terms of the country’s European bailout. Trademarked by German entrepreneur Uwe Dahlhoff, the lemon-flavoured drink satirises animosity between Greece and Germany developed during the crisis, depicting Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and finance minister Yanis Varoufakis raising a drink underneath a European Union flag with Angela Merkel’s face surrounded by a circle of stars.

Ogilvy Vodka

Another single estate Scottish potato vodka, Ogilvy Vodka is created at an eponymous Scottish farm in collaboration with Abhishek Banik, distiller and technical production manager of Heriot-Watt University (HWU). The brand, revealed in January this year, is made using Maris Piper potatoes grown on site that are distilled in a column pot still and matured for a week before being charcoal-filtered at a drip speed.

Emory Vodka

Said to be the first ultra-premium product to be “conceptually inspired by one of today’s leading artists” in the US, Emory Vodka made its debut in May this year. Taking New York artist Blake Emory as its inspiration, Massachusetts-based Blue Vase Marketing said the 100% corn based vodka creates a “strong artistic impression” which solidifies “brand recognition”. The group teamed up with Emory to develop the artist’s Zebra Love oil canvas collection for use on the Emory Vodka bottle design.

Hanson of Sonoma

Marketed as gluten-free, grape-based vodka brand Hanson of Sonoma was launched in 2013 with the goal of taking on Diageo’s fast-growing grape-based vodka Ciroc. Certified gluten-free, USDA organic, non-GMO, the vodka is available in Original, Cucumber-Mint, Espresso, Mandarin, Ginger and Boysenberry-Blueberry varieties. Using grapes grown in its home state of California, Hanson of Sonoma is created by Scott Hanson and his three sons.

Killer Queen Vodka

Killer Queen Vodka pays homage to legendary late Queen front man and rock icon Freddie Mercury. Named after the band’s 1974 hit single, the brand has been officially endorsed by Queen guitarist Brian May, and is produced through a partnership between distributor RnR Brew and Stolichnaya Vodka maker SPI Group. It has been distilled seven times and filtered through quartz sand and birch charcoal before being bottled.

Jackpot Vodka

Last December a new brand of vodka that encourages gambling was given regulatory approval and went on sale in Las Vegas. Jackpot Vodka features a redemption code on the cap that when registered online gives the purchaser at least US$25 in resort credit to spend at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Marketed with the tagline “every bottle is a winner”, the vodka is produced by the Golden Gate Distillery in San Francisco for brand owner Jackpot Spirits.

Vdka 6100

Co-created by Hollywood actor Robert De Niro in collaboration with Australian spirits company the Artisan Spirits Merchants, Vdka 6100 is distilled using whey and New Zealand spring water. Though the vodka had already been created by ASM, De Niro became involved in packaging and marketing discussions when he was first approached to front the brand two years ago. Vodka 6100 sponsored the Tribeca Film Festival, which De Niro co-founded in 2002, and has been promoted through a series of digital campaigns.