The US market dominated the North America Vodka Market by Country in 2022, and will continue to be a dominant market till 2029; thereby, achieving a market value of $9,094.6 million by 2029 per KBV Research’s May 2023 report on the North American vodka market.
By definition, vodka in the U.S. must “be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color,” according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Yet vodka makers big and small are pushing a different narrative, one in which vodka is distinguished by its raw materials, whether that be grapes, wheat, potatoes, rice, corn, or even whey. It’s something that vodka makers are quickly learning when it comes to using wine as the raw material. Wine as a vodka base can change the textural components, as well as the mouthfeel. These changes have a lot to do with the chemical glycerol, which is produced during fermentation.
Glycerol is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste. It’s present in fermented grains and potatoes as well, but the amount of glycerol depends on the amount of sugar in the initial product. Your traditional grain or potato vodka starts with a relatively low initial alcohol, like a beer. Wine contains more sugar to ferment, so during the production of the initial wine, a lot of the chemical, glycerol, is produced.
Some of that comes across in distillation (although an excessive number of distillations and filtration will lead to a more neutral spirit), and it softens some of the harsh edges. It’s not the only compound that impacts taste either.
A 2010 study from the University of Cincinnati and Moscow State University looked into the molecular composition of popular vodkas to find why people prefer some brands over others. It found that a varying concentration of hydrates surrounds ethanol molecules in different brands, and “these ethanol clusters undoubtedly stimulate the palate differently,” meaning “vodka drinkers could express a preference for a particular structure.” Each grain has unique characteristics. However, within the same grain, there aren’t major differences.
For consumers, taste is just one factor influencing a purchasing decision. Sustainability, novelty and a good story are also important. Paul Hughes, an assistant professor of distilled spirits at Oregon State University, also approached vodka from a sustainability standpoint by making vodka from whey, a byproduct of cheese production. Each pound of cheese results in nine pounds of whey. Small creameries have a hard time getting rid of it, and turning it into vodka solves that problem while also creating another revenue stream.
“I think some of the flavors in whey spirit we’re not quite so used to, but we had no difficulty getting something that was pretty good on the whole,” says Hughes. Though he admits it won’t compete with super-premium brands when it comes to the most neutral flavor.
Increasingly, however, neutral isn’t the goal. As the number of craft distillers in the U.S. grows, brands have to find a way to stand out. Some vodkas are highlighting origin by using what’s local, and others are highlighting the ingredients like potato, rye and wheat.
Sometimes, the choice of what to make vodka from is twofold. Corn can give a sweeter flavor that has a softer mouthfeel, and gentler finish than wheat or potatoes. Another way to think about this is bread, for example, cornbread versus wheat bread versus potato, all have distinctive flavors. The only way to really understand the differences is to taste them for yourself. It won’t take long to find that the most neutral spirit by definition does indeed have a distinctive character, aroma, and taste.
