The World’s Best Vodka—According To The New York World Spirits Competition

The World’s Best vodka for 2024 is Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka, according to The New York World Spirits Competition, a prestigious competition run by The Tasting Alliance, the same group that runs the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Weber Ranch, a new Texas vodka brand launched this May, received the New York World Spirit competition’s coveted Best In Show award last week. The competition took place over the summer in Brooklyn where top spirits experts — including spirits journalists, bartenders and distillers — blind-taste tested the entries across spirits categories. The best in class, double gold, gold, silver, and bronze award winners were announced early, but the Best In Show award winners are being announced this month. Other nominees for top vodka at the New York World Spirits Competition include Derring-Do Vodka from St. Petersburg Florida, DE CAJON Vodka from Peru, and Por Osos Vodka also from Texas.

I’m a big fan of Weber Ranch 1902, it’s got a ton of character and just a hint of tequila flavor. But I was still pleasantly surprised it won because it is such a distinctive vodka. I explain why and share my tasting notes below.

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This Year’s Best Vodka Is A Different Kind of Vodka

Vodka is a unique spirit in that it is defined by what it becomes not what base ingredients are used. The majority of the world’s vodkas are made with wheat, potatoes or corn, Weber Ranch takes a decidedly different approach. This vodka is crafted from 100% pure Blue Weber agave, resulting in a finished drink that has subtle but still present agave notes that make it taste like something of a tequila and vodka hybrid, though it certainly leans more to the vodka side. At $29.99 for a 750 ml bottle, it is also accessible for the budgets of most vodka enthusiasts.

Weber Ranch uses mature Blue Weber agave that is up to seven years old. This agave is then distilled in Jalisco, Mexico, before it is finished in Texas with water from the Trinity Aquifer. According to The New York World Spirits Competition “Their meticulous methods—blending tequila-making practices with vodka production—result in a spirit that’s rich in flavor and naturally gluten-, carb-, and additive-free.”

Blue Weber vodka is named for French botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber, the first to catalog the famous Blue Weber agave, which now bears his name. It is owned by Round 2 Spirits, a company recently founded by the team that created Patrón Tequila.

Tasting Weber Ranch Vodka

Weber Ranch Vodka’s official tasting notes mention fruity and sweet flavors including green apple, pineapple and hints of citrus. I get this green fruit and warm flavor that really cuts down on the booze burn some vodka has and creates a warm and full-bodied finish. It does remind me of tequila but, of course, since it’s not a tequila, there’s much less going on in terms of the agave flavors, no subtle funk or pepper flavors here. I’d describe it as a vodka that’s just a little less neutral than most and therefore more interesting to drink neat but still suitable for mixing in many vodka cocktails.

A Vodka That Awknowledges Tequila’s Rise

In many ways, it’s fitting that Weber Ranch vodka received this award now. In recent years vodka and tequila have been in fierce competition for drinkers and their dollars. Recent stats on overall spirits sales show tequila and other agave spirits such as mezcal are the second best-selling spirit in the U.S. trailing only vodka. (Read-to-drink cocktails also outsell tequila but I see that as a separate category.)

However, while tequila sales are trending upward (sales rose by 5.7% in 2023) vodka sales are in mild decline — falling by 2.6% last year. It’s not clear tequila will overtake vodka as the country’s top-selling spirit but it is starting to give it some serious competition. Weber Ranch’s vodka demonstrates that when it comes to these two spirits the choice for consumers isn’t always one or the other.