Smirnoff: 3 Best & 3 Worst Flavors + 3 Alternatives

Diana Barkley (Senior Editor)

If you like any sort of cocktail, Smirnoff is somewhat synonymous with vodka. This comes as no surprise, since Smirnoff has been around since 1864. In this article we’ll explore what’s behind these different product lines, what makes each unique, and what flavors you’ll want to try.

The unique process used to filter the vodka made for a smoother beverage that is still popular today. Of course since the mid-19th century a lot has changed and Smirnoff no longer only makes pure vodka.

Nowadays, Smirnoff make everything from their original Smirnoff No. 21 vodka (also known as Red Label), flavored vodkas, the popular Smirnoff Ice, Smirnoff hard seltzers, their Smirnoff Mule, as well as limited editions and special releases.

Interesting Facts about Smirnoff

Interesting Facts about Smirnoff

Smirnoff is one of the oldest vodka brands in the world today, so you’ll find plenty of interesting facts about the company:
For a start, Smirnoff became internationally well-known following the October Revolution in Russia in 1917.

The brand quickly spread across the world to become as iconic and popular as it is today. Nowadays, Smirnoff is available in over 130 countries worldwide.

Smirnoff is actually behind the creation of the popular Moscow Mule cocktail (find out more further on in this article).

In the 1940s, Smirnoff’s distributor in the US collaborated with a local Los Angeles pub to create the well-known cocktail.

Smirnoff is famous for its innovative marketing campaigns, including their 1960s ‘Smirnoff leaves you breathless’ slogan. This was popularized to showcase just how pure and smooth the vodka is.

What Smirnoff Is

What Smirnoff Is

Smirnoff is known for its clean, subtle taste which is probably down to it being distilled from corn.

The company use a continuous distillation process that takes around 24 hours to complete. It’s then blended with demineralized water to take it to a drinkable alcohol content.

Today, the company no longer makes just plain vodka, but crafts much-loved mixed drinks, too.

Origin of Smirnoff

Origin of Smirnoff

Smirnoff originated in 1864 in Moscow, Russia. The distillery was first established by one P.A. Smirnov, whose vision was to create an outstanding vodka that would be enjoyable for everyone.

Smirnov, the founder, pioneered the use of charcoal filtration to create a more pure, clean taste.

Fun fact: the original brand was actually called PA Smirnov, but its founder was forced to sell both brand and factory in 1904 when the Russian vodka industry was nationalized by the Tsar.

Smirnov re-established a new vodka factory in present day Istanbul some years later and there began his now famous brand ‘Smirnoff’.

Alcohol in Smirnoff

Alcohol in Smirnoff

Smirnoff vodkas range from around 37.5% to 40% alcohol by volume. Smirnoff Ice contains 5% ABV, and Smirnoff Sparkling Seltzer cans have around 4.5% ABV. The latter also comes in a ‘Spiked’ variety, which has 8% alcohol content.

What Is Special About Smirnoff

What Is Special About Smirnoff

It’s generally lauded as being the No.1 vodka brand in the world.

Their regular vodka’s clean, smooth taste is achieved via a process that sees it distilled three times and filtered a whopping 10 times. This process takes quite a long time, and the result is something that’s been enjoyed for over 150 years to date.

The Best Smirnoff Flavors Ranked

The Best Smirnoff Flavors Ranked

Smirnoff has been around for so long that the sheer number of flavors is unsurprising. You’d think it’d be tricky to pick the best ones, but there are some diehard fan favorites that will possibly never get beat. Below is a list of just these.

Lime

Lime

Smirnoff’s Lime flavor is without a doubt one of their most popular flavors you can buy.

It’s fragrant and delicious without being overpowering. Why not make a tasty vodka mojito with this one and add a slice of fresh lime and a sprig of peppermint?

It basically works for just about any mixed drink, whether it’s traditionally lime-based or not. Ideal iced cold on a hot summer night.

Orange

Orange

Smirnoff Orange is one of the more versatile flavors. It’s great mixed into a range of cocktails, but also pretty decent on its own over ice.

It’s a smooth, classic flavor on its own. Fans seem to particularly enjoy this one paired with some cream soda (think orange creamsicle).

Vanilla

Vanilla

If you’ve never had Smirnoff Vanilla before, have you even had vodka at all? The popular flavor is one of the best around and for good reason.

It’s slightly on the sweeter end of things but without being sugary.

The vanilla adds a beautiful, fragrant note to a range of cocktails, from martinis to sweet, creamy coffee-based drinks. In short: this one is great.

Worst Smirnoff Flavors

Worst Smirnoff Flavors

With so many delicious Smirnoff vodka flavors to choose from, you’re bound to get some that really aren’t very good. Below is our list of the all time most disliked Smirnoff flavors. Try these at your own risk (or just take our word for it and steer clear).

Pear

Pear

This one just doesn’t seem to work well. Pear isn’t a flavor everyone loves, which is largely because it can lack depth. This is probably just what happened here.

If you still want to give it a shot, use it for mixers. Definitely don’t have this one on its own. There are far nicer options to enjoy over ice.

Passion Fruit

Passion Fruit

Smirnoff fans either love this or love to hate it: it’s a strong flavor and not one everybody finds particularly palatable, with some even noting that it tastes downright disgusting.

It’s probably not a bad option for mixed tropical cocktails, but otherwise we’d suggest you stay far away from this one.

Smirnoff Sours Green Apple

Smirnoff Sours Green Apple

The entire Sours range isn’t particularly popular, chiefly because it tastes like college and regret.

Ever made vodka infused with Skittles or Jolly Ranchers? Then this is that, except it costs more and leaves you with just as bad of a headache.

Even Smirnoff noted that these are best drank ice cold, which should be warning enough. If you can’t stand drinking it at room temperature, you probably shouldn’t buy it at all.

Smirnoff Ice Flavors

Smirnoff Ice Flavors

Smirnoff Ice is a divisive drink, especially beyond your college days (which is when most people actually kind of hate it).

With that said, it’s still popular enough today for Smirnoff to continue coming out with new flavors.

Here we list some of their most recent additions as well as the original Smirnoff Ice and why you should (or shouldn’t) try them.

Smirnoff Ice Original

Smirnoff Ice Original

Some describe this one as tasting like regret. Others find it a nostalgic flavor of citrus paired with a bitter note you may or may not love.

It’s not a particularly sophisticated drink, but it’s not pretending to be that either. If you’ve never had one of these before, you’re not really missing out.

Pink Lemonade

Pink Lemonade is made of strawberrys

The combo of strawberry, raspberry, and lemon flavors makes for a pretty refreshing drink here.

The balance of sweetness and tart flavors is spot on, and it’s sure to be a popular one at your next beach party or BBQ night.

It’s also not as overpowering as some of the other flavors, so it’s pretty easy to drink.

Peach Lemonade

Peach Lemonade

This one’s quite a good new(ish) flavor that will appeal to those who like peach iced tea.

It pairs juicy peach flavoring with a tasty tart yet sweet lemonade. It’s one you’ll definitely have to enjoy cold, because who likes warm lemonade anyhow?

With that said, it’s one of the better Smirnoff Ice varieties out there, and a good one to bring along to your next BBQ.

Smirnoff Vodka Flavors

Smirnoff Vodka Flavors

With so many Smirnoff vodka flavors to choose from (we counted at least 25) we couldn’t possibly write about each one.

So instead we’re sharing a list of the most notable recent limited and special edition flavors.

Some are excellent, others should probably come with a warning label.

Red, White & Berry

Red, White & Berry

The flavor of this has been likened to Bomb Pops (those red, white, and blue popsicles that come in a rocket shape at just about every ice cream shop).

It’s meant to be a blend of cherry, citrus, and blue raspberry.

This one also comes in a Smirnoff Ice, which contains less alcohol and has an added fizzy base that’s quite satisfying on a hot day.

Peppermint Twist

Peppermint Twist

This limited edition flavor is particularly good in dessert-style cocktail concoctions.

The peppermint flavor here is quite sharp and strong, which is ideal if you like minty drinks.

To top it off, the bottle is quite fun as well, particularly for the holiday season. If you’re looking for an unusual boozy gift for a vodka fan, this may just be the ticket.

Spicy Tamarind

Spicy Tamarind

The Spicy Tamarind Smirnoff flavor definitely comes in a beautiful bottle with a unique design.

The good reviews end there, however, as the flavor is, as many have noted, ‘just plain weird.’

The pungency and sourness of the tamarind pair with a spiciness that is just a touch too hot for a drink of any kind. This one will probably not stick around for too long.

Types of Drinks You Can Get At Smirnoff

Types of Drinks You Can Get At Smirnoff

Over more than 150 years, Smirnoff have produced quite a range of vodkas and vodka-based drinks. These range from smooth but boozy classic vodka, over flavored varieties, to tasty readymade drinks you can bring to your next party. Below is their product lineup at time of writing.

Classic Vodka

Classic Vodka

Smirnoff’s No. 21 classic vodka is probably one of the key reasons the brand has the second-largest market share of America’s vodka industry. The classic vodka is best-known for being 10-times filtered, smooth, and vastly enjoyable in cocktails.

Flavored Vodka

Flavored Vodka

Currently Smirnoff’s flavored vodka range includes a variety of delicious options, including:

• Raspberry Crush
• Mango & Passionfruit Twist
• Green Apple
• Orange
• Cranberry
• Citrus
• Vanilla
• Strawberry
• Black Cherry
• Watermelon
• Lime
• Blueberry
• White Grape
• Melon
• Pomegranate
• Passionfruit
• Pear
• Peach
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Coconut
• Amaretto

And those are just to name some, there are plenty more limited and special edition flavors to choose from.

Smirnoff Ready To Drink

Smirnoff Ready To Drink

Since Smirnoff introduced their Ready To Drink range in 1999 it’s been a popular addition to the lineup.

Nowadays, flavors include Cranberry, Lime & Soda, Cola, Raspberry Crush, Mango & Passionfruit Twist, Diet Cola, Passion Fruit Martini Cocktail, and more.

They offer the convenience of ready-mixed cocktails for when you want something delicious, but don’t want to get all of the individual ingredients yourself.

Smirnoff Ice

Smirnoff Ice

Smirnoff Ice is famous for its delicious flavors and icy designs.

It’s essentially another lineup of ready to drink cocktails, though the exact concoction is of Smirnoff’s own design.

Flavors include Smirnoff Ice Original, Raspberry, and Tropical.

Smirnoff Ice was also introduced in 1999, and originally contained their famous vodka and some lemon-lime soda.

Smirnoff Seltzers

Smirnoff Seltzers

With the dawn of hard seltzers, Smirnoff quickly jumped the bandwagon and introduced its own delicious range.

Smirnoff Seltzers boast just 96 calories per can, 4.7% alcohol by volume, and a range of tasty natural flavors. These include Raspberry & Rhubarb, Mango & Passion Fruit, and Orange & Grapefruit.

Tasty Alternatives to Smirnoff

Tasty Alternatives to Smirnoff

If Smirnoff isn’t your favorite (perhaps you don’t love corn-based vodka), there are a range of alternatives available. From other vodkas to other hard liquors worth testing, we’ve listed the very best below.

Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka

The Swedish answer to vodka is one of the most popular on the market today. It’s well known for being clean-tasting and smooth to finish.

One of the key differences is perhaps that Absolut is made using winter wheat (wheat that’s sown in Fall or Winter to be harvested the following Summer) and natural well water.

Taste-wise, it’s not all that different from Smirnoff, making it a good alternative unless you follow a strict gluten-free diet.

Grey Goose Vodka

Grey Goose Vodka

Grey Goose vodka is actually distilled 5 times — twice more than Smirnoff. This likely makes Grey Goose one of the purest vodkas around, which is perhaps why vodka fans love it so much.

Taste-wise, people are divided as there doesn’t appear to be a huge difference.

Grey Goose is made with winter wheat grown in France as well as French spring water.

Hendrick’s Gin

Hendrick’s Gin

Plenty of cocktails make use of either vodka or gin (think martinis), so a good-quality gin is a unique alternative to your favorite vodka.

Hendrick’s Gin has long been one of the most popular. It’s made with cucumber, which gives it a lovely refreshing taste that other gins can sometimes lack.

Why not try your favorite martini recipe with an extra slice of cucumber to give it a refreshing kick?

Drinks You Can Make with Smirnoff

Drinks You Can Make with Smirnoff

Smirnoff makes for a great mixer for a great many cocktails, particularly if you want to have a play with their flavored vodkas. Here we list some of our favorite mixed drinks that are easily made using Smirnoff vodka — plus which flavor you’ll want to use.

Moscow Mule

Moscow Mule

You’re best off making this popular drink using Smirnoff’s Classic No. 21 vodka. Simply add some ginger beer, ice, and garnish with lime wedges and a sprig of mint. Alternatively, give this one a go with the very popular Smirnoff Lime flavor.

Passionfruit Martini

Passionfruit Martini

Who doesn’t love a gorgeous, tropical passion fruit-based drink?

Make this one using passionfruit juice, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup, half a fresh passionfruit, and some Smirnoff vodka.

The best flavors to try here are Vanilla, Classic No. 21, and of course Passsionfruit, in that order.

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitans are popular cocktails, and for good reason: they’re very tasty. Pair some Triple Sec, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice, and Smirnoff vodka for your perfect Cosmopolitan.

Garnish with a freshly made orange twist. The Classic Smirnoff or Smirnoff Orange work nicely here.

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