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The 5 Best Swedish Vodka Brands

Charl Joost
Last Updated: April 19th, 2023

Vodka, a distilled alcoholic beverage, is a drink enjoyed worldwide in a range of ways. Many brands are made to sip, ideally enjoyed neat (without ice) or on the rocks (on ice).

Other vodka brands are best enjoyed as a base for cocktails or are flavored to bring new dimensions to your alcoholic drinks.

Swedish vodka brands are produced in Sweden or originate from a country that has a strong history of vodka distillations. The Swedish government had a monopoly on the production of vodka until the country joined the European in 1995.

Since then, the production of vodka has expanded across the country with numerous distillers producing the beverage.

The Top Swedish Vodka Brands

  1. Absolut Vodka
  2. Pinky Vodka
  3. Purity Vodka
  4. Akva Vodka
  5. RÃ¥vo Vodka

Summary of the Top 5 Sweden Vodka Brands

1. Absolut Vodka

absolut vodka

Absolut Vodka was established in 1879 in Ã…hus, Sweden by Lars Olsson Smith. It was launched globally in 1979 in New York and the brand has kept the processes and recipe true to the original that the brand was made.

This vodka is made with winter wheat which is sown in the fall and harvested during the following fall. Winter wheat leaves certain tasting notes that enhance the overall flavor of the beverage and, combined with water from a deep well in Ã…hus, creates a vodka that is light and free from impurities.

It goes through a process of continuous distillation that leaves a refined and pure vodka. This differs from the usual process of distilling vodka three or four times by taking the beverage through the process an infinite number of times.

In 2008, Absolut was bought by the French Group, Pernod Picard. The brand is currently sold in 126 countries worldwide at average alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% (80 proof). Absolut 100 is sold at an ABV of 50% (100 proof) while the Absolut Elyx bottles are sold at an ABV of 42,3% (84,6 proof).

There are approximately 15 flavored variations of Absolut vodka that are sold in 750-milliliter bottles. Some of these flavors include Mando, Lime, Ruby Red, Pear, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Mandarin, Vanilla, Citron, and Peach.

Each of the flavors available can be drunk neat or on the rocks, or as the base for a flavored cocktail or mixer.

2. Pinky Vodka

pinky vodka

Pinky Vodka was established in Sweden in 2008 as a blended vodka. It goes through a distillation five times and is made from winter wheat (which leaves a soft and sweet taste to the beverage) and pure glacial water which is sourced locally.

The winter wheat and glacial water are combined with yeast to ferment the mixture and convert the natural sugars to alcohol.

Once the vodka mash has fermented, it goes through a distillation process that heats the product and collects the vapor, leaving a pure vodka product with high alcohol content.

After the alcohol has been collected, it is filtered to remove any impurities that may affect the vodka production. Violets rose petals and various other botanicals are hand blended into the vodka to leave a light floral flavor with a delicate fragrance of a flower garden.

Each bottle has a lightly blush hue to it which makes it stand out on shelves of bottle stores.

The vodka can be bought at average alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% (80 proof) at an average price of $25 per 750 ml bottle.

3. Purity Vodka

purity vodka

Purity Vodka is produced at the Purity Distillery which is based in the 13th-century Ellinge Castle. It is distilled in Southern Sweden using old-fashioned production processes, organic ingredients sourced locally, and naturally purified water from local sources.

The brand’s master distiller, Stefan Magnusson, has 10 years of experience refining the Purity distillation process to produce a smooth and unique vodka product.

This vodka is produced using Swedish wheat and malted barley which are carefully selected to ensure there is no chemical cultivation or processing which will affect the final vodka product.

Purity vodka goes through a multiple-distillation process that involved 34 rotations to slowly warm and distill the ingredients. This results in a long and low-temperature distillation that allows the various flavors to blend and leave a smooth finish.

A 600-liter copper still is used to infuse flavors from the copper into the vodka, paying homage to the original vodka-making processes used across the country.

There are four main product offerings available from the brand: the Signature 34 Edition, Estate 17 Edition, Connoisseur 51 Reserve, and Mediterranean Citrus flavored vodka.

Signature 34 is made using the original recipe and can be enjoyed neat or blended in flavored cocktails or mixers. Similarly, the Estate 17 Reserve is ideally drunk in a cocktail as it blends well with other ingredients.

Connoisseur 51 is distilled 51 times leaving a smooth finish from the slow distillation through the copper stills.

Finally, the Mediterranean Citrus vodka is made using natural flavors from grapefruit, orange, bergamot, and botanicals. It is distilled 34 times and is a low-calorie option for citrus-flavored cocktails and mixers.

These vodkas can be bought for an average price of $24 per 750 ml bottle at an alcohol by volume of 40% (80 proof).

4. Akva Vodka

akva vodka
Image: Akva Vodka

Akva translates from Swedish to English, as Aqua. This refers to the brand’s philosophy that nature made their vodka while they bottled it.

Using a simple ingredients list of organic winter wheat and natural mineral-rich water, this vodka is made to be drunk neat or on the rocks.

Organic wheat is used as the base ingredient in this vodka which creates natural wheat flavors without unwanted elements of the wheat coming from chemical processing or cultivation. This leaves a well-balanced vodka without negatively affecting the environment.

Once the wheat has been fermented with yeast, the vodka has an alcohol content of 96% (48 proof) which is then combined with natural, mineral-rich water that is sourced from Lake Vänern which is the largest lake in Sweden.

This brings the vodka down to a drinking level of 40% ABV (80 proof) which has a smooth flavor.

A slow distillation process occurs which utilizes low heat and multiple rotations to slowly distill the beverage and create a maximum smoothness. The brand has a philosophy of cooking the best ingredients slowly as opposed to cooking inferior ingredients at high heat quickly.

Akva vodka is sold at an average price of $22 per 750 ml bottle at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40% (80 proof).

5. RÃ¥vo Vodka

råvo vodka
Image: Ravo Vodka

Råvo Vodka gets its name from the Swedish words for raw (rå) and vodka. The brand has a philosophy of creating a beverage that is pure and uncomplicated, referencing the word ‘raw’.

Winter wheat is used as the base ingredient of this vodka which creates a subtle and balanced sweetness within the beverage. This wheat I planted in the fall and harvested the following year. The vegetative stage of the wheat occurs during the winter, hence the strain’s name.

Natural spring water is combined with the winter wheat to create a vodka using the classic and simple Swedish traditions of vodka-making. This vodka is distilled continuously, five times to create a pure and impurity-free vodka product.

RÃ¥vo can be enjoyed neat or in classic, vodka cocktails to compliment the added ingredients. Each bottle is sold for an average price of $17 per 750 ml and has an alcohol content of 40% (80 proof).

About The Author

Charl Joost

Charl is a trainer, public speaker, and professional writer. While he has been coached to niche down, he has many passions. These include golf, gardening, technology, and a decent cup of coffee or two. Charl loves to learn about new products and tries everything he writes about.

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