Best Vodka in Wisconsin

Where can you find the best vodka? I know. This is a topic sure to cause lively debate. Much of it relates to personal preference. However, the best vodkas made in Wisconsin have a few characteristics in common. Taste and smoothness tend to top the list. These characteristics are subjective. What I consider to be smooth and has a great taste may not be your idea of taste and smoothness. Here are a few more tangible things to consider when selecting the best vodka.

Making the Best Vodka Requires . . .

Sometimes, before you test the taste and smoothness, you need to go behind the curtain and see what goes into great vodka.

Water. Wisconsin has no glaciers or pure water icebergs on its lakes from which to get great water. Water quality can make or break any distilled beverage, including vodka. Wisconsin has many springs and well water in addition to some of the nation’s best tap water. One isn’t necessarily better than the other. However, water quality will affect vodka quality.

Excellent ingredients. The best vodka can come from a variety of ingredients. Vodka can use barley, corn, grapes, potatoes, rye, and wheat. Dairy products such as whey, you read correctly, are ingredients used to make vodka. Each offers a different flavor profile despite the vodka being essentially tasteless. Wisconsin distillers have a knack for finding high-quality ingredients, often from local sources, without pricing themselves out of a customer’s price range.

Filtration. Filtration ensures you get the smoothest taste while enjoying a beverage having any impurities. Most distilleries use some form of active charcoal filtration because it effectively reduces the impurity levels, including aldehydes, ethers, fusel oil, and free acids. Other filtration options include coconut husks, cellulose, and metal filters.

Distillation. How vodka is distilled depends on a combination of the skill of the distiller and the quality of the equipment used. Vodka often is distilled more than once. Distilling it multiple times removes more impurities and flavors a consumer may not want to taste. However, good distillers know that at some point, distilling vodka more than X times adds little difference to the product, although it can be a great marketing ploy to have you pay more.

Flavor? Well . . .

Good vodka should be smooth and perhaps a little creamy, depending on the ingredients. Most vodka is almost absent of any flavor. Flavor, or lack of flavor, is why so many cocktails use it to ensure the other flavors in the drink stand out. At least, that used to be the case.

Many vodkas line grocery and liquor store shelves today, making it difficult for the average person to discern the best option. Some distillers choose to infuse other flavors of fruits, botanicals, or some other herbs to stand out from the competition. Purists may not like those, but the reality goes back to determining the best vodka in Wisconsin—the best vodka in Wisconsin is the one you like best.

Where to Find the Best Vodka

Planning a weekend getaway or have a celebration coming soon? Then now is the perfect time to visit one of the many distilleries across Wisconsin to find your best vodka. Cheers!