You’re standing in the liquor aisle, staring at a wall of frosted glass. Some bottles boast about being "handmade" in Texas. Others scream about their Polish heritage or their French grapes. You start to wonder, as most people eventually do when staring at a $40 price tag: Vodka: what is it made from, exactly? If you ask your grandfather, he’ll probably tell you it’s just fermented potatoes. He’s not wrong, but he’s also mostly wrong.
Actually, vodka is the ultimate chameleon of the spirits world. It’s a blank canvas.
Legally, in the United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) used to define vodka as a neutral spirit "without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color." They actually changed that rule in 2020 because, honestly, anyone who drinks vodka knows that a potato-based spirit feels like velvet on the tongue compared to the sharp, medicinal bite of a cheap grain-based bottle.
The truth is that vodka can be made from anything that contains sugar or starch. Anything.
The Fermentation Foundation
Before it becomes the clear liquid in your martini, vodka starts as a mash. Think of it like a boozy porridge. If you’re using grains—which is what about 90% of the vodka on the market is made from—you have to break down those complex starches into simple sugars.
Grains like wheat, rye, corn, and barley are the industry heavyweights.
Wheat is the darling of the premium market. If you’ve ever sipped Grey Goose or Absolut, you’re drinking liquid wheat. Distillers love it because it produces a spirit that’s remarkably smooth and slightly sweet. It doesn’t fight back. Rye, on the other hand, is for the person who wants a bit of a "kick." Brands like Belvedere use Dankowskie rye to give the vodka a spicy, bread-like finish that lingers at the back of your throat. It’s aggressive in the best way possible.
Then there’s corn.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka famously uses corn. Why? It’s cheap, plentiful, and naturally gluten-free. It produces a very "clean" profile that mostly just tastes like... nothing. Which is exactly what many people want in a mixer.
The Potato Myth and Reality
Let's address the spud in the room. Most people assume vodka equals potatoes.
In reality, potato vodka is a pain in the neck to produce. Potatoes are heavy, they’re dirty, and they’re incredibly difficult to process compared to a silo full of dry grain. You need massive amounts of potatoes to get even a small yield of alcohol.
However, the result is arguably superior. Chopin or Luksusowa are classic examples. When you distill potatoes, you get a higher concentration of glycerol. This gives the liquid a heavy, creamy "mouthfeel." It’s oily. It coats the palate. If you’re drinking it neat or straight from the freezer, the difference is night and day.
Beyond the Field: Strange Things Vodka Is Made From
If you think we’re stuck in the produce aisle, you’re mistaken. The "vodka: what is it made from" question gets really weird when you look at the fringes of the craft movement.
Grapes: Cîroc famously uses grapes (specifically Mauzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc). Technically, this makes it a cousin to brandy, but because it’s distilled to such a high ABV, it loses the fruity "wine" characteristics and becomes vodka. It has a distinct citrusy lift that you won’t find in a grain spirit.
Milk: Yes, milk. Black Cow Vodka in West Dorset, England, takes the whey left over from cheesemaking and ferments it. It sounds slightly gross until you taste it. It’s perhaps the smoothest spirit on the planet because of the lactic acid and residual sugars.
Apples: Tree Vodka uses New York state apples. It’s not cider; it’s fermented and distilled until the apple flavor is a mere ghost of a memory.
Honey: This isn't just "honey-flavored" vodka. Distillers take raw honey, dilute it with water, and ferment the actual sugars from the bees. It’s expensive and rare, but the floral aroma is unmistakable.
Quinoa: FAIR Vodka uses quinoa from the Andean mountains. It’s earthy. It’s nutty. It’s very "Brooklyn."
The Alchemy of Distillation
The base ingredient matters, but the process is where the magic (and the chemistry) happens.
To be called vodka, the liquid has to be distilled to at least 190 proof (95% alcohol by volume). At that concentration, most of the "congeners"—the tiny impurities that carry flavor—are stripped away. This is why some people argue that the base ingredient doesn't matter at all.
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They are wrong.
Even at 95% purity, the molecular structure of the source material remains. A corn spirit will always be thinner than a potato spirit. A rye spirit will always have a sharper edge than a wheat spirit.
Most modern vodka is made in a column still (or continuous still). These massive stainless steel towers can run 24/7, stripping out impurities with surgical precision. Craft distillers might use a pot still, which is the old-school copper kettle method. Pot stills are inefficient. They leave more "character" in the booze. For vodka, that’s a double-edged sword. Too much character and it’s basically unaged whiskey; too little and it’s just industrial ethanol.
The Water Secret
Here is something the marketing departments don’t tell you enough: your bottle of vodka is roughly 60% water.
When the spirit comes off the still at 95% ABV, it’s undrinkable. It would literally burn your throat. Distillers have to "cut" the alcohol with water to bring it down to the standard 40% (80 proof).
If you use tap water, the minerals will make the vodka cloudy and metallic. This is why brands obsess over their water sources. Reyka uses Icelandic water filtered through lava rocks. Finlandia uses glacial spring water. Some use reverse osmosis to strip the water down to nothing, while others swear by the specific pH level of their local limestone aquifers.
If the water is bad, the vodka is bad. Period.
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Filtering: The Final Polish
You’ve probably seen "filtered through charcoal" or "filtered through diamonds" on a label.
Charcoal filtering is the industry standard. It’s not just for show; activated carbon acts like a magnet, pulling out any remaining harsh oils (esters and aldehydes) that cause hangovers and "burn."
The "filtered through diamonds" or "filtered through quartz" stuff? That’s mostly marketing fluff. Diamonds are chemically inert. They don't pull anything out of the liquid. It just sounds expensive. What actually matters is how many times it’s filtered and the speed of the process. Slow filtration results in a softer spirit.
Choosing the Right Base for Your Drink
Now that we’ve answered "vodka: what is it made from," how do you actually use this information? Not all vodkas are created equal for every cocktail.
If you are making a Moscow Mule, don’t waste money on a delicate, expensive potato vodka. The spicy ginger beer and lime will absolutely steamroll the subtle creamy notes. Use a clean, grain-based vodka like Ketel One (wheat) or Tito’s (corn).
If you are making a Martini, the vodka is the star. This is where you go for the "high-character" bases. A rye vodka like Belvedere adds a savory, peppery note that plays beautifully with a lemon twist. A potato vodka like Chopin creates a luxurious, velvety texture that feels incredible when ice-cold.
For a Bloody Mary, go for something bold. You need a spirit that can stand up to tomato juice, horseradish, and hot sauce. A grain-heavy vodka with a bit of bite works best here.
The Gluten-Free Confusion
A quick word on health. Many people search for "what is vodka made from" because they have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Scientifically speaking, the distillation process removes gluten proteins. Even if a vodka is made from 100% wheat or rye, the final distilled product should be gluten-free. However, cross-contamination can happen in the facility. If you are highly sensitive, stick to vodkas made from corn, potatoes, or grapes. These are naturally gluten-free from start to finish.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Sip
Don't just buy the bottle with the coolest label. Use your knowledge of base ingredients to find what you actually like.
- Check the label for the base grain. If it doesn't say "100% Potato" or "Grapes," it's almost certainly a grain blend.
- Taste at room temperature. To really tell what your vodka is made from, don't freeze it. Pour a small amount at room temperature and sip it. The "burn" will tell you about the quality of the distillation, while the aftertaste will reveal the base ingredient.
- Look for "Single Estate." This means the distiller grew the grain themselves. It usually indicates a much higher level of control over the flavor profile compared to industrial ethanol bought in bulk.
- Don't overpay for "Multi-Distilled." A vodka distilled 20 times isn't necessarily better than one distilled 3 times. In fact, over-distilling can strip away the very oils that give vodka its mouthfeel and soul. Look for a balance.
Understanding what goes into the bottle changes how you experience the drink. It’s no longer just a delivery system for alcohol; it’s a product of the soil, the water, and the fire of the still. Whether it’s the ruggedness of Polish rye or the clean simplicity of Midwestern corn, the "what" matters just as much as the "how."