Stolichnaya.
I prefer Skyy… but Absolut is tasty also. I’m talking in shots… mixed drinks, anything will do really.
Feh, Grey Goose is the current choice of posers.
You can’t beat the Austrian potato vodka Monopolowa. Inexpensive and very smooth.
Or rather “poseurs”.
Luksosowa
Priceguy/RealityChuck - I used to go thru a bit of V - always at least 1 bottle in the freezer solely for shots - and was always surprised at the “tastelessness” comment. Perhaps what I was tasting was, in fact, the “smoothness.” But I certainly thought I could tell the difference between - say - Absolut (my wife’s fave) and Stoli (mine). Or the difference between either of theose and - say - Gordon’s. We did blind tastings, and had no trouble telling one from the other.
Moreover, I recall the wife and I debated over the after effects of different Vs. Worse hangovers, headaches, etc. But that could well have been imaginary or due to other factors than the brand of V.
Re: the purchase, it is highly unlikely that anyone will turn their nose up at Absolut or Stoli. If funds are no problem and you desire to impress, feel free to go higher. But drinking shots, I never saw a reason to do so.
If the bottle is going to be druink as shots, you may wish to consider Stoli Limonaya (sp? ) or Absolut Citron. Most V drinkers will still appreciate them, and the non-V drinkers will REALLY appreciate the citrus.
But don’t think that all flavored Vs are the same. Last time I was in the liq they were sampling some vanilla V. Gaack. Needed a couple of Sam Adamses to wash that taste outta my mouth.
IME, the growth of ultra premium vodkas - and gins - is a relatively recent phenomena. 20 years ago the majority of these topline products either didn’t exist or couldn’t be commonly found. People disagree on many aspects of this development.
Call me old-fashioned - many do. But I would go with Stoli out of tradition.
For good or bad, my years of having a bottle in the freezer are well behind me.
I can definitely tell a difference the next morning. There’s a new vodka out called “SIX” from a California maker that runs about $10 a bottle (on sale) and I like as much as Ketel One (that usually runs double that.) I’ve so far only found it at Albertsons, oddly enough so it might be tough to find.
The one vodka I cannot handle is Absolut Mandarin. For whatever reason it gives me the worst headache ever, and I’m a pretty seasoned drinker. Regular and Citron don’t usually pose a problem (although like I said, they have more of an after effect than a pricer vodka usually will.)
I too was unimpressed with Grey Goose.
If your looking for a vodka that has optimal value, then you should try Pearl Vodka. It is the smoothest vodka available for 20 dollars per fifth anywhere. It is definitely underrated. If your looking for the best value in the rum category, look no further than Cruzan.
I just got a bottle of it as a gift, and I wholeheartedly second this recommendation. I had not heard of it before I received it – but MAN, this is some good vodka. It’s better than Grey Goose. I’d like to do a blindfolded taste test challenge.
YAY Hangar 1! Everyone buy some – I want them to stick around.
Two other “middle shelf” vodkas that are pretty good for the price:
My vote for best all round - Absolut.
I’m a devoted Ketel and tonic drinker, with lots of limes, so if you were buying me a bottle, that’s what I’d want. 
But I second, third, whatever other posters who say Ketel, Absolut, and Stolichnaya are all perfectly acceptable vodkas to bring to a party. I prefer Stoli in mixed drinks, as IMO it has a smoother taste (Absolut always tastes like rubbing alcohol to me) and it’s kinder in the morning than the bargain basement vodkas.
I do like Absolut Citron too.
The flavored Smirnoff is better than the regular, but for a good all-around vodka I would go with Stoli. I like vodka martinis (I don’t like gin) and for a martini, the smoother the better. I would use Smirnoff or Absolut for mixed drinks or shots, Stoli or Ketel for martinis or drinks where you sip. There are better vodkas, but after a while the price gets ridiculous.
Right now I have raspberry Smirnoff in my freezer that I like with tonic. The vanilla flavor is good with coke.
Horror story: Once, in college, by roommate convinced a bunch of us to do lemon drop shots with Popov’s. If you want to know what that is like, take a swig of rubbing alcohol and then suck on a lemon. One girl was in tears after that one.
::SHUDDER::
My father-in-law was buried with a bottle of Popov. And his golf clubs. And a Ukulele. It is not a vodka for the “tasteful.” (It’s one step up from the big plastic gallon jug that says “VODKA” in black letters.)
Stoli, Moskovskaya, Luskosowa, all perfectly acceptible. I’ve never gone in for the high end premium stuff because I rarely drink vodka straight. The regulatory regimes are going to be different, of course, what with me being in Canada, but up here you can just buy the cheapest one and not worry about it. Maybe not for a gift, but certainly for your everyday drinking needs. Mind you, Russian Prince, which would probably go in the $8.00 for a 66oz bargain bin in the U.S. is only $2.00 cheaper than Absolut or Finlandia.
If anybody wants to send me a big plastic gallon jug of VODKA brand vodka, I’d be happy to provide contact info. For a bottle of Maker’s Mark, I’ll write up a glowing review.
I prefer Stoli Gold. Based on RealityChuck’s admonitions, I wonder if the difference isn’t solely better distilling.
Anybody had Black Death vodka? I like the bottle, but I hear the actual stuff is pretty vile.
I say go for Royal Gate vodka.
Note that at the top of the label it states: “Royal Gate … Puts the ‘Ahhh’ in Vodkahhh”
Fionn- this post was sarcastic. Purchasing Royal Gate will get you laughed at by all, and banned form any household you may approach with it in tow.
As in:
“Ahhhhh! I’ve gone blind from cheap vodka!”
Actually the posters mouthbreather and[ gooti Bought me a bottle of Van Gogh Vodka for my birthday a year and a half ago at a bama dope. Good stuff.
I’m not a big fan of vodka…the only drink I like that features it is the bloody mary, and I like gin in my martinis. In my early 20s, however, I bought a bottle of Popov when me and some friends were looking to get drunk cheap. We all drank lots of nasty stuff, but my first swig of Popov almost made me vomit. We didn’t even finish the bottle.
I bought a bottle of Popov a couple of months ago to use in bloody marys, though. About anything will work in a bloody mary.