Pick Your Poison er... Position...

"The full positioning of a brand id called the brand's value proposition - the full mix of benefits upon which the brand is differentiated and positioned." Armstrong & Kotler Ch. 6 - P. 222

A vodkas quality and flavor are a part of its position:

A Guide to Popular Vodka Brands

By Colleen Graham, About.com

Choosing the right brand of vodka can be a difficult one. Cost, taste, and intended use are important factors to consider. Less expensive brands will generally be hotter and burn in the mouth, these are good for a tight budget or for cocktails with other ingredients that have strong flavors like a Bloody Mary. Premium and Super-Premium brands are going to be excellent choices for shots and light drinks such as Vodka Martinis. There is also an increasing number of flavor-infused and specialty vodkas on the market that open up new cocktail possibilities.

Here some popular brands of vodka...
Value Brands:

* Olifant- 80 proof, Holland
* Smirnoff- 80 proof, United States
* Luksusowa- 80 proof, Poland (potato)

Premium Brands:

* Absolut- 80 proof, Sweden
* ClearHeart- 80 proof, United States
* Finlandia- 80 proof, Finland
* Skyy- 80 proof, United States
* Stolichnaya- 80 proof, Russia
* Tanqueray Sterling- 80 proof, England

Super-Premium Brands:

* Belvedere- 80 proof, Poland
* Bong Vodka- 80 proof, Holland
* Charbay- 80 proof, United States
* Chopin- 80 proof, Poland (potato)
* Cristall- 80 proof, Russia
* Grey Goose- 80 proof, France
* Han Asian Vodka- 80 proof, Asia (rice & barley)
* Mor- 80 proof, Estonia (potato)
* Trump- 80 proof, Holland

Special Interest Brands:

* Blavod- Black Vodka
* Square One Organic- Organically grown and fermented
* Zygo- Naturally caffeinated


Guide to Flavor Infused Vodkas
Finding Flavored Vodkas

By Colleen Graham, About.com

There are many brands of vodka and many of those go beyond the clear, "flavorless" spirit to include flavored vodkas as well. When you see a cocktail recipe that calls for a flavored vodka you have two choices: infuse your own or find a commercially produced vodka. This list will help you in your search for the brands that produce certain flavors and as more are released to the market I will update the list but not all will be available in every market.

At the bottom of the list is a list of flavors which are exclusive to one brand. Also, notice that some brands have unique names for their flavors.

Flavored Brands:
Apple

* Smirnoff - Green Apple
* Three Olives - Green Apple
* UV - aka UV Green
* Van Gogh - Wild Appel

Berry

* Finlandia - Wild Berries
* SKYY
* Three Olives

Blueberry

* Smirnoff
* Stoli - Blueberi
* Van Gogh - Acai-Blueberry

Cherry

* SKYY
* Three Olives
* UV - aka UV Red
* Van Gogh - Black Cherry

Chocolate

* Three Olives
* Van Gogh - Dutch Chocolate

Citrus

* Absolut - Citron
* Grey Goose - Le Citron
* Hangar One - Citron "Buddha's Hand"
* Ketel One - Citroen
* SKYY - Citrus
* Smirnoff - Citrus
* Stoli - Citros
* Three Olives - Citrus
* UV - Citrus
* Van Gogh - Citroen

Cranberry

* Finlandia
* Smirnoff
* Stoli - Cranberi

Espresso or Coffee

* Three Olives - Triple Shot Espresso
* Van Gogh - Double Espresso
* Van Gogh - Espresso

Grape

* SKYY
* Three Olives
* UV

Grapefruit

* Absolut - Ruby Red
* Charbay - Ruby Red Grapefruit

Herbs

* Charbay - Green Tea
* Herb's - Cilantro
* Herb's - Dill
* Herb's - Fennel
* Herb's - Rosemary
* Sonnema VodkaHERB
* Van Gogh - Mojito Mint

Lemon

* Charbay - Meyer Lemon
* Stoli - Limonnaya

Lime

* Finlandia
* Hangar One - Kaffir Lime

Mango

* Absolut
* Absolut - New Orleans (mango and spice)
* Finlandia
* Three Olives
* Van Gogh

Melon or Watermelon

* SKYY - Melon
* Smirnoff - Watermelon
* Three Olives - Watermelon
* Van Gogh - Melon

Orange or Mandarin

* Absolut - Mandarin
* Charbay - Blood Orange
* Grey Goose - L'Orange
* Hangar One - Mandarin Blossom
* Orange V
* SKYY
* Smirnoff
* Stoli - Ohranj
* Three Olives
* UV
* Van Gogh - Oranje

Passionfruit

* 42 Below
* SKYY
* Three Olives

Peach

* Absolut - Apeach
* Stoli - Peachik

Pear

* Absolut
* Grey Goose - La Poire

Pomegranate

* Charbay
* Three Olives
* Van Gogh

Raspberry

* Absolut - Raspberri
* Charbay
* Hangar One - Fraser River Raspberry
* SKYY
* Smirnoff
* Stoli - Razberi
* UV - aka UV Blue
* Van Gogh