Ever wondered which vodka people prefer in the United States? There are a lot of them out there, and the deep dive into flavored vodkas has caused the market to explode in popularity. So, who holds the reins as the leader of vodkas in the States? We have that information. Looking at the volume sales of vodka, by thousand 9-liter cases in 2019, these are the results.
DETAILED LIST OF THE 10 LARGEST VODKA BRANDS IN THE UNITED STATES
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Smirnoff. Park Royal, London
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 8,898
The Smirnoff vodka brand began with a vodka distillery in Moscow, Russia. It is currently owned by a British company, Diageo, and it is produced in countries around the globe, including in the United States in Plainfield, Illinois.
Smirnoff began in 1864 when Pyotr Arsenyevitch Smirnov founded his vodka distillery in Moscow. He pioneered a charcoal filtration system in 1870, and that quickly won favor with the Moscow market.
Although there were calls for temperance during this era, Smirnov advertised in the newspaper and contributed to the clergy to maintain peace. It is said his vodka was preferred by Russian royalty.
Unfortunately, Russian royalty nationalized vodka in 1904, and Smirnov had to sell. Then the family escaped Russia, moved around a bit, and Smirnov reestablished himself as a vodka producer but renamed the brand Smirnoff.
Vodka didn’t take off in other countries as well as Smirnov had hoped, and many partnerships and buyouts happened. Today, Smirnov has branched out and doesn’t just sell vodka. They’ve certainly gotten in on the flavored vodka craze with 22 different flavors.
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Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Austin, Texas
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 8,808
Tito’s Handmade Vodka was the brainchild of Bert Butler “Tito” Beveridge II, who liked to dabble with infusing vodka when he was in college. He began commercial production in 1997 and formed the company Fifth Generation, Inc, which made 1000 cases of vodka his first year.
Winning some awards for his vodka, sales and distribution expanded and then virtually exploded in the 2000s.
Tito’s is made from yellow corn, rather than traditional potatoes or wheat. It’s also distilled six times and unaged. It was originally craft-distilled in copper pot stills. Today, vodka is obviously made in a large manufacturing facility and no longer handmade. That has caused some issues legally for the company, but the FDA doesn’t define the term handmade, so they are allowed to keep it.
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New Amsterdam. Modesto, California
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 5,299
New Amsterdam vodka claims to be distilled five times from the finest grains, and then they filter it three times so you have a smooth vodka that you can drink straight. Founded by E. J. Gallo Winery, New Amsterdam came onto the scene in 2011.
In that first year, they set a record for selling 1 million cases; they hit the 5 million case mark by 2016. This company has burst onto the vodka scene and is winning customers at record rates.
The secret to their success is that their marketing is geared toward a younger generation, speaks directly to them, and works to create an emotional connection between them and the brand. They’re also on the low end of the price spectrum, which never hurts with young consumers.
Now, while New Amsterdam is a relative newcomer, their parent, E J Gallo, is not. This well-established brand has more than 80 years in the business and has already forged the relationships it needs in the business to dive in as an established company with a solid reputation.
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Svedka. New York, NY
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 4,523
Svedka Vodka cites its beginnings with Marvin Sands, who purchased Canandaigua Industries in upstate New York and began selling wine. The company grew and expanded over the decades and became a major player in the world of wine and even in wine coolers.
In 1993, they purchased Barton Incorporated and branched into the distilled spirits category and the imported beer realm. In 2000, the company changed its name to Constellation Brands, Inc.
Then, in 2007, Constellation Brands purchases Spirits Marque, the company that owns Svedka Vodka, a premium vodka in Sweden that was the fastest-growing brand at the time. The vodka is distilled five times, produced from Swedish winter wheat, and unaged.
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Absolut. Stockholm, Sweden
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 3,490
Absolut Vodka is produced in southern Sweden and is owned by the French group Pernot Ricard who bought the brand in 2008. Unlike some other brands, they have just one facility that produces their vodka, and the water and wheat used to make the vodka all come from the local village.
Absolut was established by Lars Olsson Smith in 1879 and was sold outside of Stockholm so they could avoid that city’s monopoly. By offering free boat rides to the distillery, they became quite popular. In 1917, the monopoly in Sweden extended, and they controlled the entire country’s alcohol industry. The vodka as an import hit the United States in 1979.
The U.S. market quickly shaped the brand when they realized how popular the Bloody Mary was in the States. They introduced their first flavored vodka, Absolut Pepper which let the bartenders skip a step in making the trendy drink. Since then, they’ve pushed the market with many different flavors and are a worldwide contender.
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Burnett’s Vodka. Bardstown, Kentucky
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 2,741
Using a quadruple distillation process and triple charcoal filtering, Burnett’s Vodka claims to be one of the purest on the market. They also tout their natural flavors and have a profile that includes 33 different flavored vodkas.
Burnett’s falls under the ownership of Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., which was founded in Kentucky after prohibition ended. Their focus at the time was on bourbon and whiskey. The company shortened its name in 2014 to Heaven Hill Brands.
Burnett’s Vodka brand didn’t come to be until 1991, when it was introduced as a companion to the company’s already successful Burnett’s Gin, which they acquired two years prior. The brand has won many awards, including the Impact “Hot Brand” Award from 2006-2014.
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Pinnacle. Chicago, Illinois
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 2,460
Pinnacle vodka is owned by Beam Suntory, but it’s distilled in France and then exported to the United States, where it’s flavored and bottled by Beam. Originally launched by White Rock Distillery in Maine in 2002, it was purchased by Beam ten years later.
Pinnacle vodka is often noted for its flavors, and they’ve won numerous awards for them, but their regular vodka has also been an award winner many times as well. Their parent company, Beam, is probably best known for their iconic Jim Beam Bourbon.
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Ketel One Vodka. Schiedam, The Netherlands
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 2,407
Ketel One boasts more than 300 years of history with Joannes Nolet and his Holland distillery in 1691. Staying in business, the family rides the ups and downs, including wars, government changes, moves to other countries, and generation upon generation of distillers.
In 1979 Carolus Nolet visited America to understand the business better and to experience the cocktail culture. By the 1980s, he realizes that vodka is where it’s at when it comes to mixed drinks, and in 1983, Ketel One Vodka is born.
In 2008 Diageo, the alcohol retail giant, announced a joint venture with the Ketel One family owners and has become an even more well-known and respected brand ever since.
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Skyy. San Francisco, California
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 2,390
Skyy vodka’s creator Maurice Kanbar developed a distillation process that he says makes his vodka nearly congener-free, meaning it’s purer. Established in 2009, the company has since been acquired by Campari Group.
Today, there are many other vodka brands that use quadruple distilling and several filterings to create their vodka, but Skyy banked on it and grew in popularity because of it. Now, they’ve added many flavors to their vodka line-up, and their “infusions” line is quite popular in mixed drinks.
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Barton’s Vodka. New Orleans, Louisiana
Total sales in thousand 9-liter case: 1,933
Barton’s Vodka uses a low price point to attract customers with the slogan, “Inexpensive vodka, made to satisfy expensive tastes.” Barton Brands produces a variety of spirits in addition to their vodkas, and they now fall under the umbrella of the Sazerac Company.
The Barton distillery was originally established in 1879 in Bardstown, Kentucky, where they produced a wide variety of spirits, and each kind typically had several brand names.
The Barton’s vodka was surely not their only vodka. In 1993, Barton was purchased by the Canandaigua Wine Company, which then became Constellation Brands due to a name change. In 2009, Constellation sold Barton to the Sazerac Company.
Author
Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.
