A new breed of flavoured vodkas are taking the spirits world by storm, shaking off their bad reputation from the early 2000s.

Back then crazy, artificially flavoured vodkas flooded the market and tainted tastebuds. The latest releases are big on premium, natural flavours.

At IWSC 2025, 53 flavoured vodka entries earned medals – including Australia’s Fellow Lemongrass & Citrus Vodka (Gold, 95 points) – proving this once-maligned category has evolved from novelty to serious spirit through quality ingredients and refined production.

“For flavoured vodka, I think reports of its death are overstated,” said IWSC Spirits Judging Committee member David T. Smith. 

“We’re seeing an increase in the quality of flavoured vodkas… [the category] is moving more towards real fruit, more authentic-feeling flavours.”

Absolut and Tabasco are heating up the global spirits scene with the launch of a new spicy vodka, now available in the United States and rolling out across more than 50 markets worldwide.

Crafted by fusing Absolut with a unique and completely natural essence created from the fermented, aged red pepper mash used to make Tabasco Sauce, the flavoured vodka comes amid strong and growing demand for spicy food and beverages.

Global audiences have an adventurous thirst for bold drinks now more than ever, with sales of spicy vodka forecast to increase 27% by 2029.

In October last year, Australia’s largest independent light RTD brand—FELLR—decided to take on the spirits giants with the debut of Watermelon Vodka.

The launch saw FELLR’s Watermelon variant – one of Australia’s leading RTD products since its 2021 launch – translated into premium spirits. The five times distilled, twice charcoal-filtered wheat vodka maintains FELLR’s light and crisp taste, while providing the versatility to be mixed into everything from simple vodka sodas to cocktails.

“We’re not just launching another flavoured vodka – we’re taking our cult Watermelon that Australians already love and giving them a premium format for at-home occasions,” said founder Will Morgan.

Last month Grey Goose Berry Rouge launched in the United States, crafted with natural ingredients, including hand-picked fruit and no added sugar.

“Consumers continue to seek cocktails made with spirits that are both premium and flavorful,” said GREY GOOSE Vice President of Global Marketing Aleco Azqueta.

“With Berry Rouge, we wanted to rethink what a flavored vodka can be, creating a multidimensional blend of four berries that delivers a vibrant flavor. It’s a delicious way for consumers to pick pleasure without compromise, whether enjoyed on its own or mixed into a great cocktail.”

Azqueta told Spirits Business: “When we look at our insights over half of all vodka consumers dabble in flavours and over a third of all vodka consumption is flavour, which doesn’t even count all the spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTD) products, which, when you think about it, are often a different version of flavoured vodka.”