Categories: Food & Wine

Rain, Skyy, and Smirnoff: The Vodka Differences

Vodka is a popular distilled beverage that packs a punch. Vodka may be colorless, but if you drink too much you’ll be seeing colors! It also has a tendency to be odorless, which is true as long as you stick with the unflavored vodkas. This popular spirit can be found with an alcohol content ranging from 35% all the way up to 50%. But there are so many brands of vodka out there, which is the best? Which is the cheapest? And above all, what makes each one unique.

So I decided to do a little comparison and find out. I looked into three of the brands of vodka that I have tried and figure out what makes them so good… and so bad.

Let’s start with Rain Vodka.

A lot of times when people think of Vodka, they think of potatoes, wheat, and certain regions of the world that make Vodka, or sometimes they think of their last experience with the alcohol; but in any case, Rain Vodka is actually made in America and is 80 proof! It is made out of organic white corn and has a scent of deep pears. It has a very list taste to it and gives that comfy warm feeling, but doesn’t give the burning sensation that some vodka does. What I thought was really cool when I tried it was that it left this tingling feeling when it touched my lips. However, it is known for its grainy aftertaste.

Rain Vodka goes through four levels of distillation, the first one leaving it at 120 proof! The second distillation is at 190 proof! Of course a proof that high will knock anyone on their fanny in seconds, so when it comes to the bottling stage, the proof is brought down to 80%.

One thing that is really great about this vodka is that it works very well with making Martini’s especially being used with Apple Pucker and my favorite, Peach Schnapps.

For a 750ml bottle it will run you about $25. Cheap, long lasting, and very high quality is the best way to describe Rain.

Skyy Vodka is another highly ranked brand vodka that has a 90 proof available vodka. This vodka has five types of Skyy Vodka which are Skyy Citrus, Skyy Melon, Skyy Spiced, Skyy Berry, and Skyy 90.

Skyy is very technically controlled when it is being made and the taste is designed for the martini drinkers. Skyy is made using amber winter wheat hence assisting in creating a very smooth taste. Like most vodkas, there is not color nor scent, however when trying this vodka, it may have a smooth taste, but the aftertaste is harsh. The taste has that twinge to it that tells you that you are drinking something strong.

Many people have said that they have never gotten a headache from this vodka, but I have, as well as heartburn. It’s not severe, just enough to realize you have a bit of a hangover.

Skyy also goes through a four step distillation process and has very low impurity levels. It’s also great for a diet! Only 70 calories and no sugar, no fat, no carbohydrates, no preservatives; your set!

Normally I have found Skyy for about $15 a bottle. I highly recommend using Skyy Vodka as a mixer and not straight shots. This stuff is very potent and you will be hurting the next day.

One of my favorite brands of vodka is Smirnoff. Smirnoff is stated to be one of the best selling vodka’s in the world with selling more than four million cases per year! What always grabbed my attention were the shape and style as well as colors of the bottle. The bottles are very simple glass bottles with colored labels designating whether the flavor was black cherry, green apple, orange, citrus, blueberry, raspberry, watermelon, vanilla, lime or strawberry. The tops of the bottles are color coded as well. They are very good at sticking out in the crowd and screaming. “Pick me!”

Smirnoff is 80 proof and goes through almost 50 quality control checks before being bottled and shipped out. Unlike the previous compared, Smirnoff goes through a double distillation process. It’s widely known for its purity. However, from my taste buds, it is very strong. Smirnoff initiates the distilling procedure by using a neutral grain strength, which they then mix together with specially filtered water.

If you get one of the flavored ones, preferably the black cherry, are full of such astonishing and in your face flavor. It is not very smooth, and if you do not mix it with soda or juice, then be sure to have a toilet nearby. After a few shots, you’ll be heading towards it. It has a great initial taste, but a horrible dry aftertaste and a very warm fuzzy feeling after drinking it.

The warm fuzzy feeling passes quickly into a sweet numbing feeling, almost a type of longing and clingy feeling until the aftertaste kicks in.

Don’t get me wrong, I think this is very good vodka; however it is not good vodka to drink if you are planning on getting wasted. This is more or less casual drinking vodka and a reasonable priced vodka at that. Depending on where you go, you can find Smirnoff Vodka for $15 to $25 for a 750ml bottle.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a cheap bottle of vodka and don’t care about the hangover qualities, grab a Smirnoff. But if you are looking for the best with no worries of a hangover, at least a bad one, grab the Rain.

And always remember to drink responsibly and have access to a toilet at all times.