Best Sugar Cane Vodka Brands

A vodka is a classic option when you are looking for a refreshing alcoholic drink. Although originally made from potatoes, vodka producers are slowly challenging just how many ingredients can be used to make the distilled beverage.

Cane Sugar vodka is slowly growing in popularity. However, the best sugar cane vodka brands are subjective; it truly depends on your preferences and what you expect out of your drink.

This article will focus on our top picks and hopefully give you some more insight.

Reigncane Vodka or Felene Vodka?

Among the best cane sugar vodka brands are Reigncane Vodka and Felene Vodka. Both brands use sugar cane as the base ingredient in their vodka production, pushing the bounds of vodka making in the United States.

Felene Vodka is a hand-crafted vodka brand based in Denver, Colorado. It is an American-made alcoholic beverage that is produced using pure, non-GMO, organic sugar cane.

The Denver distillery was built using 80% reclaimed materials from the existing facility. This was done to reduce the impact of demolishing and dumping the materials in landfills, keeping the building sustainable and true to its origin.

Reigncane Vodka was started almost by chance after the founders sourced water from an island in Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago in 2016. From there, the idea to produce the purest bottled water formed into the desire to produce the purest vodka.

Vodka is made using 60% water and 40% alcohol, with pure water creating a neutral base for crafting spirits. The idea is to use sugar cane from tests to make the best flavor profile for vodka. Sugar cane leaves a subtly sweet finish and feels soft on the tongue.

How Are They Made?

Cane sugar vodka is made primarily of cane sugar. However, different brands will use different parts of the plant to make their vodka. Felene Vodka uses sugar cane juice in its production.

Sugar vodka (as it is commonly known) is a neutral spirit that is made from yeast, water, and sugar cane. The sugar cane is broken down, followed by the yeast to begin the fermentation process.

This fermented liquid is then distilled to a high alcohol level (which is roughly 95% alcohol by volume). The resulting alcohol is tasteless, colorless, and odorless which is what makes it a ‘neutral spirit’. Felene Vodka is then sold at an ABV of 40%.

Reigncane follows a similar process, however, after the distillation process, the brand adds Alaskan water. This reduces the original product which has an ABV of 97% to a beverage with an ABV of 40%.

The basic method of creating vodka follows 8 steps. The first step involves combining the base ingredients, which in most cases, a grain, water, and yeast. The base products are then fermented which will break down the compounds of the product into natural alcohol called ethanol.

That mixture is strained to remove the liquid from the fermented solids and the alcohol is then distilled. Distillation is the process of heating a liquid and vaporizing it, after which the vapor is collected and recondensed into a liquid.

The liquid is then sorted and filtered, with many brands using charcoal to remove impurities from the resulting beverage. The vodka is diluted to bring it to acceptable alcohol by volume, after which it is bottled and sold.

What Are They Made of?

Reigncane uses organic sugar cane as the base ingredient for its vodka. Sugar cane is a type of grass that has a clean flavor that brings with it a soft finish and sweet smell.

The distilled organic sugar cane is combined with naturally pure water from Alaska that is free of pollutants, leaving a cleaner aftertaste.

Felene Vodka is similarly made from 100% organic sugar cane that is non-GMO. Felene has a range of flavors in their collection which are made with fruit extracts.

How Are They Similar?

Both brands use sugar cane to create their vodka, with each brand’s vodka having a soft taste due to the nature of its base ingredients.

Both vodkas use a distillation process to remove impurities from the alcohol. Reigncane uses organic coconut husks to filter their vodka while Felene uses block carbon in their filtration system.

Direct Comparison of Reigncane Vodka and Felenē Vodka (200 – 400)

Item	Reigncane Vodka	Felenē Vodka
Production Area	California, United States of America	Denver, United States of America
Raw Materials	Alaskan water, organic sugar cane	Purified water, organic and non-GMO sugar cane
ABV	40% (80 Proof)	40% (80 Proof)
Taste	Hints of sweetness	Consistent smoothness, slight sweetness
Average Price (per 1 Liter)	$46,65	$33,32
Color	Clear	Crystal clear
Mixing notes	Best served on the rocks to bring out the flavor	Ideal for martinis, cocktails and enjoyed on the rocks or neat

Felene Flavors is a collection of flavored vodkas offered by the brand. The flavors are made with no artificial coloring and have zero sugar.

The first of the flavors is Blood Orange which is made with an imported Italian variety of blood orange extract. Tarocco blood oranges are the sweetest variety and have a bright flavor with notes of tangy raspberry.

Raspberry-Lemonade is a combination of the sweetness of raspberry and the tangy finish of lemonade. It is ideal in a mixer and is suitable for martinis.

Finally, the coconut-lime flavor has a subtle finish of lime that is ideal for the summertime. It is best mixed with bitter orange or pineapple juice and is suitable for cocktails.

How to Drink Reigncane and Felene Vodka

Reigncane recommends enjoying their vodka neat or on the rocks the first time you have it. This is so you can truly taste it before mixing it in with something else. Simply pour the vodka into a shot glass and sip it slowly (which is what is popular in Mexico).

Otherwise, pour the vodka into a rocks glass and add a large ice cube. Using a large ice cube prevents the ice from melting too quickly and watering down your beverage.

Felene vodka is ideal for cocktails, particularly when the flavored range is involved. A Mediterranean Orange Colada cocktail is recommended by Felene. For this cocktail, you want to use a Highball or Poco Grande glass.

Fill the glass with ice cubes and add 2 ounces of Felene Coconut lime vodka. Shake and pour 4 ounces of Orangina into the glass and gently roll it to combine the ingredients. Finish it off with a lime or orange slice to garnish.

Additionally, you can add a stemmed maraschino cherry to your drink. If you would like to reduce the sweetness of the cocktail, simply substitute the Orangina for plain sparkling water.

Sugar Cane Vodka Brands – Alternatives

ROCK’N Vodka is a cane sugar vodka that was established in Rockford, Illinois. It was founded by Andy Roiniotis in 2019 and is now co-owned by Rick Nielson and Cheap Trick. It has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% which is the same as both Reigncane and Felene.

Crescendo Organic Vodka was established in 2017 and is made from organic sugar cane and water sourced from Oregon’s snowpack. In 2022, the name of the distillery was changed to Fireside Distillers from Crescendo Spirits. The vodka is distilled 5 times and has a subtle sweet flavor.

Crescent Vodka is a vodka brand based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is made from organic sugar cane and is triple-filtered through charcoal. The spirit is made from 100% Louisiana sugar cane and distilled water from the base of the Rift Valley.

Farm Horse Vodka is made from non-GMO sugar cane and is based in the mountains of Northern California. This spirit is ideal for sipping (much like Reigncane) and has been made with ultra-pure rainwater and sugar cane.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which came first?

Reigncane was established in 2019 while Felenē was established in 2016, making Felenē older.

Which is stronger?

Both Reigncane and Felene are sold at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% or 80-proof.

Which is the most popular?

Depending on the person and area you are from, either brand could be more popular. Given that both are somewhat new to the vodka market, it is difficult to say subjectively which is the most popular.