16 Svedka Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best
Thinking about vodka might conjure images of Russia in your head, but Sweden has a centuries-long history of vodka distilling, too. Absolut was the first Swedish spirit to make waves internationally, but Svedka has quickly gained in popularity since it was introduced in 1998. Constellation Brands, one of the largest liquor companies in the world, bought the brand in 2007, bringing it to an even wider audience. According to CrunchBase, Svedka is the second highest selling imported vodka in the United States, making it the 7th-most popular liquor overall.
Much like its Swedish rival, Svedka has differentiated itself from other vodkas on the market with stylish, distinctive ads and an eye-catching bottle design. Svedka positions its product as an affordable luxury, combining a sophisticated image with cheap prices. But what about the product inside the bottle? Svedka used to be made out of Swedish winter wheat, but now the company's website says it's distilled from American corn. The number of distillations has also been reduced, from five times to four, which is still more than some mass-market vodkas.
Despite these changes, Svedka still holds its own compared to other mid-priced vodkas. The original 80 proof is a solid mixer, and some of the flavored versions are quite tasty. Not all Svedka releases are created equal, however. Here's every flavor of Svedka, ranked worst to first.
16. Strawberry Guava
This is one of Svedka's Pure Infusions line of zero-sugar, low-calorie vodkas. It's only 30% alcohol by volume, 10% less than the original Svedka, and has 70 calories per shot. No hard alcohol could really be considered healthy since ethanol is toxic, but the lack of carbs and sugar in Pure Infusions positions the product as a healthier alternative to other flavored vodkas.
In Strawberry Guava's case, the dream of a tasty, health-conscious flavored vodka goes unrealized. Jeff Ellis at Best Tasting Spirits notes that it tastes a little watery, probably because of the low ABV and lack of sugar. He also compares the smell to Bath & Body Works. You don't really want your vodka to smell like lotion or fancy soap.
The strawberry flavor dominates in this vodka, overpowering the guava. The taste isn't so much like actual strawberries, but more like a strawberry-flavored seltzer. It's a hint of artificial strawberry aroma without any real sweetness to back it up. The wateriness and lack of true fruit flavor put Strawberry Guava at the bottom of our ranking.
15. Citron
Confusingly, Svedka Citron is not citron-flavored. According to Britannica, citron is a type of citrus native to the Mediterranean region. Its thick rind is commonly candied and used in fruitcakes in the U.S. In Swedish, the word citron means lemon, and Svedka Citron is lemon-lime flavored.
Citron is bottled at 35% alcohol, a little stronger than the Pure Infusions flavors but still not as potent as unflavored. Unlike the Strawberry Guava flavor, Citron doesn't lack sugar, with one reviewer on Proof66 saying it tasted more like a liqueur than a vodka. The lemon flavor is also quite powerful. Overall, the effect is more like limoncello than other brands of lemon-flavored vodka.
While some may enjoy the syrupy sweetness of Svedka Citron, it's a little too thick and cloying to rank highly on this list. Lemon-flavored vodka should be refreshingly light, and Citron swerves too far into candy territory to be refreshing. If you're really into Lemon Drop shots, you would probably like Citron, but most drinkers would enjoy other flavors more. Plus, the high sugar content is a recipe for a hangover the next morning.
14. Peach
Nothing can compare to the flavor of a perfectly ripe, in-season peach from a farmer's market. The taste just screams summer, with an ideal balance of sweetness and tanginess. Perhaps wisely, Svedka Peach does not try to recreate the flavor of a fresh peach. Unlike some other Svedka flavors, Peach does not claim to be all-natural. Maybe that's why its taste owes more of a debt to the candy aisle than it does to the fruit it's named after.
Stephanie Moreno writes at Distiller.com that Svedka Peach is "really peachy, but in that Jolly Rancher kind of way." Rather than emulating the flavor of peaches, Svedka Peach hits all the notes you would expect from the gummy peach rings you ate as a kid. If peach rings are a nostalgic favorite from your childhood, Peach might be a good way to experience those flavors while getting a buzz at the same time. Most people will prefer other varieties of Svedka that provide more genuine fruit flavor and a better balance between sweet and savory.
13. Vodka Soda Mango Pineapple
Like seemingly every other alcohol brand, Svedka has released a line of spiked seltzers to capitalize on exploding demand for fizzy, fruity alcohol. Unlike many sparkling drinks sold in slim cans, which are brewed from sugar or grains, Svedka's offerings are made from real vodka mixed with sparkling water, fruit juice, and natural flavors. This makes them more like canned cocktails than other spiked seltzers. They're also boozier than the average seltzer, with a hefty 8% alcohol. The higher alcohol and use of real fruit juice increases their calories and sugar relative to other seltzers, with Mango Pineapple coming in at 182 calories, 7.3 grams of carbs, and 6.9 grams of sugar.
Mango Pineapple Vodka Soda might have been better if it was just Svedka Mango Pineapple vodka mixed with sparkling water. The addition of juice and natural flavors tips this canned cocktail into a cloyingly sweet territory, and the natural flavors have a bit of an artificial edge.
12. Ginger Lime
This flavor should have been a slam dunk. Ginger and lime are classic cocktail ingredients, and it's relatively easy to translate them into natural flavor extracts that you can use in vodka. Ginger Lime's downfall is that it's in the Pure Infusions line, so it can't use any sugar and it's watered down compared to other Svedka vodkas. It's not bad exactly, but Best Tasting Spirits records that it smells "like lime aftershave" and that the dominant flavor is "lime popsicle." The perfumy smell and candylike taste make Ginger Lime a poor choice for drinking neat or on the rocks.
Despite its shortcomings as straight-up vodka, Ginger Lime is a pretty good mixer. It includes all the flavors of a Moscow Mule, and using it in place of regular vodka in a mule adds more depth to the lime and ginger flavors. The zip of ginger and lime also enlivens a vodka soda or vodka tonic, especially if you don't have fresh limes or ginger to use as garnishes. There's nothing wrong with Svedka Ginger Lime, but it faces strong competition from other types of Svedka.
11. Cherry Limeade
Cherry Limeade is the perfect vodka for the Sonic stans of the world. Nobody expects cherry limeade to taste like cherries or limes. When you buy a cherry limeade, you want the artificial taste you remember from going through the drive-in as a kid. Svedka Cherry Limeade delivers this flavor in spades, with Jessie E. on Drizly raving that it tastes "Like a SPIKED Sonic cherry limeade!! ?" She's clearly excited, and you will be too if cherry limeade is your favorite soft drink.
Cherry Limeade also blends well with sweet and fruity mixers. A writer at Forbes recommends reinforcing the spirit's flavors by mixing it with limeade and grenadine to make a refreshing summer treat. However, if you didn't grow up going to Sonic all the time, or you're not into sweet drinks, you might enjoy other Svedka varieties more than this one. Its sugary, tart flavor can grow tiresome over the course of an evening of drinking.
10. Vodka Soda Black Cherry Lime
This is the only flavor of Svedka Vodka Soda that's not based on an existing vodka from the company. Everyone loves black cherry White Claw, so you can see why Svedka would want to capture some of those people with its own black cherry drink. Black Cherry Lime has the most calories and carbs of the three Svedka Vodka Sodas, with 186 calories and 7.9 grams of carbs.
Opinions on this canned cocktail are divided, with one satisfied customer on Target's website saying "this drinks like an awesome summer cocktail, light refreshing and the right amount of flavor and fizz." Another reviewer was less enthused, saying the drink lacked the proper amount of carbonation. There's a chance that the second reviewer got a bad can, as other reviews of the product don't mention carbonation issues. If you get a can with the right amount of bubbles, Black Cherry Lime will be a solid addition to your summer drinking rotation.
9. Dragonfruit Melon
Dragonfruit Melon is the best entry in the Pure Infusions lineup. Something about the flavors of dragonfruit and watermelon plays well with the low ABV and mild taste that characterizes this product line. Dragonfruit has a very subtle taste already, so the fact that the dragonfruit flavor in this vodka is muted isn't a big drawback. Jeff Ellingson finds that the watermelon and dragonfruit notes in this vodka balance each other well, lending a nuanced fruitiness to the drink that's neither too sweet nor too watery. Watermelon flavoring can easily tip over the edge into candy territory, so the restraint Svedka displays in Dragonfruit Melon is welcome.
Reviewers on Drizly are almost unanimous in their praise for this flavor. The one complaint is that because there's no sugar added, the alcohol burn of the vodka is more present than it is in sweeter flavored vodkas. If that's an issue for you, you can always mix it with juice or soda to mellow it out.
8. Blue Raspberry
Blue raspberry is the most mysterious of the classic confectionery flavors. None of us has ever seen a blue raspberry in a grocery store, and blue raspberry treats tend to taste indistinguishable from their red counterparts. Our own deep dive into the history of blue raspberry revealed discovered that the flavor was born in the 1970s when researchers started to question the safety of Red No. 2 food dye, a common colorant in raspberry-flavored products. Blue raspberry flavoring is allegedly inspired by the flavor of a white bark raspberry, a little-known variant with a dark purple color. In reality, most blue raspberry products use typical raspberry flavoring ingredients combined with bright blue dye instead of Red no. 2.
Blue Raspberry Svedka is definitely trying to capture the flavor of a blue raspberry Icee rather than the tart taste of the white bark raspberry. It succeeds at that mission. The flavor brings you back to childhood summer days spent dyeing your tongue blue with frozen treats. In a concession to adulthood, Blue Raspberry Svedka omits the artificial coloring, so it doesn't change the color of your mouth. If you hate the taste of alcohol, this flavor would be perfect for you, because the blue raspberry taste completely overwhelms any alcohol burn.
7. Strawberry Lemonade
If you're looking for a tasty lemon-flavored spirit, Svedka Strawberry Lemonade wins handily over Svedka Citron. Strawberry Lemonade is plenty sweet, but it doesn't have the unpleasant syrupy quality that doomed Citron to the lower reaches of this list. The strawberry flavor is present, but much like the drink it draws inspiration from, Strawberry Lemonade Svedka leans toward lemonade rather than strawberry.
In their review, Best Tasting Spirits predicted that Strawberry Lemonade might be the next breakout hit in the flavored vodka space. They found it impressively smooth, even poured straight up or on the rocks, and said that the flavoring canceled out the alcohol taste of the vodka. This vodka is less candylike than some of the other fruity varieties in Svedka's portfolio, with notes of real lemon and strawberry that verge on being sophisticated. Strawberry Lemonade Svedka would make for a versatile addition to most home bar setups.
6. Rosé
Svedka rosé delivers a booze-on-booze experience that somehow tastes less boozy than either component would on its own. Unlike most Svedka vodkas that rely on natural flavors, Rosé actually contains 5% rosé wine to bring real grape flavor. For many people, rosé is the unofficial drink of summer, and Svedka Rosé gives you that summery vibe with an extra hit of alcohol.
Most reviewers at Influenster rave about Svedka Rosé, with the consensus being that it tastes more like rosé wine than it tastes like vodka. The only hint that you're drinking liquor instead of wine is a telltale alcohol sting as it goes down your throat. You have to be careful with this vodka, as it's easy to forget that you're consuming a 70-proof beverage. Svedka Rosé would be great blended with ice to make a frosé with an extra kick. It also has the classiest packaging design of any variety of Svedka.
5. Original 80 Proof
It can be hard to evaluate the quality of vodka, a product that in America has historically been defined by a lack of flavor, color, and smell. However, as Wine Enthusiast notes, different vodkas vary noticeably in taste, aroma, and quality, and federal regulations have been updated to reflect the fact the vodka has a flavor. In their guide for how to evaluate vodka, Vodkaphiles says that good vodka should have a thick texture, smooth flavor, and sweet smell. Bad vodkas, conversely, are thin, harsh, and acrid.
Unflavored Svedka performs quite well by these metrics. It has a clean, slightly grainy smell without the rubbing alcohol overtones of rotgut vodka. The taste is pure, with a minor alcohol burn but no harsh aftertaste. Vodkabuzz awarded Svedka 5 stars, with the reviewer saying it beat out almost every other vodka in its price range. Original Svedka is a great choice for classic cocktails like mules and martinis.
4. Vodka Soda Strawberry Lemonade
This is by far the tastiest of Svedka's carbonated drinks. It's also the lightest, with fewer calories, carbs, and sugars than the other Svedka Vodka Sodas. Svedka Strawberry Lemonade vodka is already delightful, and the flavor is great as a pre-mixed, bubbly drink. Despite its relatively low calorie count, this flavor tastes the most like soda of any of the Svedka canned cocktails. The lemonade taste obscures the alcohol flavor entirely, leaving your palate free to enjoy the crisp taste of citrus and berry. The fruit flavors never become too sweet since they're balanced by acidity from the lemon.
The strength of this flavor makes you wonder why White Claw hasn't introduced a strawberry lemonade variety. Sparkling lemonade is delicious, and the alcoholic version barely tastes like it has booze in it, so it seems like every seltzer company should have a lemonade drink in their portfolio.
3. Mango Pineapple
When strong tropical flavors like mango and pineapple go wrong, they can taste quite bad. Products with these flavorings have a tendency to overdo the sweetness, and fake mango often tastes more like chemicals than fruit. Svedka Mango Pineapple avoids these pitfalls and delivers an appealing blend of sunny, tropical flavors. This vodka contains a small amount of real fruit, with the brand claiming that it uses Filipino mangos as part of the flavoring mix.
Tasters at Influenster love this vodka, saying that it mixes well and is smooth enough to drink straight. As you might expect, it pairs best with fruity mixers and tropical fruit juices. If you want to make tiki-influenced drinks at home but don't want to invest in all of the ingredients, Svedka Mango Pineapple is a good shortcut for capturing that scorpion bowl vibe. Whether you're choosing the right liquor to bring to a beach vacation or trying to mentally escape the cold of winter, this vodka will do the trick.
2. Raspberry
You might expect Sveda Raspberry to taste similar to its Blue Raspberry cousin, but they're completely different taste experiences. While Blue Raspberry tries to replicate the flavor of the frozen drinks we grew up with, Raspberry Svedka faithfully recreates the taste of actual raspberries. The label proudly declares that this vodka is all-natural, and the manufacturers at Svedka have done a great job of recreating the nuances of the fruit they're imitating.
Raspberries have a lot more going on in their flavor than just sweetness. They also have hints of sour and bitter that combine with the sweet to create a well-rounded balance of tastes. Unfortunately, when that flavor gets translated into packaged goods, the complexity usually doesn't survive the transition. Svedka Raspberry somehow captures the essence of raspberries faithfully, resulting in a delicious, drinkable vodka. Wine Enthusiast named it a best buy and said that there aren't many competitors in its price range that can beat it.
1. Cucumber Lime
Cucumber Lime comes out victorious in this Svedka shootout. As this collection of recipes from Taste of Home shows, cucumber and vodka make for an unbeatable duo in cocktails. Anybody who's ever tried to drink a vodka soda with no garnish knows how important lime is for enjoying vodka as well. Put them together, and you have the ultimate flavored vodka.
Of course, a good flavor idea means nothing without proper execution, and Svedka Cucumber Lime hits all the right notes. Best Tasting Spirits declares that it might be better than any other cucumber-flavored vodka you can buy. Fresh cucumbers don't have a ton of flavor, but when infused into drinks they bring a fresh, light flavor with a hint of bitterness that plays well against lime's sweet-and-sour pungency. On the rocks, this vodka tastes like a nice cocktail. It also adds zest to a standard vodka tonic and gives you fresh lime and cucumber flavor without the hassle of cutting up fresh garnishes. Cucumber Lime's winning combination of versatility, taste, and refreshment make it the overall winner in this competition.