After reading the reviews here and on other sites, I think I understand why this vodka is so divisive. Most of the reviews here are either 5 stars or 1, and I believe it to be a difference in what we want from a vodka. I am a vodka prude and am willing to admit the bias. I am even hesitant to recognize anything not made from potatoes as a vodka.

I used to live near Modesto, so when I saw this at a budget price, I thought I’d give them a chance despite being grain based. I noticed it was the only glass bottle on a shelf full of plastic, which caused me to think that, at the least, the makers of this product have a respect both for their own work and those who will be consuming it. I am pleased to say I was right. My favorite vodka has been the potato variety of Chopin for some years. While this vodka will not be challenging that, the mineral bitterness and character are definitely on a relative par with each other.

I have noticed the 1 star reviews for this product have a common thread in what they recommend as an alternative. These vodkas, such as VikingFjord and Svedka, have a distinct alcohol flavor. I would even go as far to describe them as isopropyl-like. This is due to aromatic hydrocarbons and ketones left in the alcohol. The word “vodka” means water, because that is where the flavor is meant to originate. When a vodka is made properly, what you are left with is a refined alcohol, refined water, and the trace minerals which give that water character. If you are tasting the alcohol, you’ve missed the point of making vodka. If you prefer that sharp alcohol flavor, then this is not the vodka you are looking for. You can go about your business. Move along… move along.

After having gone through just about all the locally available Other kinds of liquor, in a search for “MY” drink. Having tried many a different scotch, bourbon, brandy, tequila, rum, etc. (Hey, it took a few years, alright ?), and having been raised to think vodka was only for people who wanted a mixed drink or was in search of a fast high, I finally discovered, (in my adult years) that a good vodka has as many subtle background complexities as a fine wine. Until now, Ketel One was my #1. Sipped ice cold and straight. Smooth, with just faint suggestions of vanilla, pine, and hickory nut in the background. Now, a bottle of New Amsterdam has a place in my freezer. Its one of only a few that I took a sip of and said to myself, “Oh ! This stuff is way TOO pleasant” ! If that makes any sense. All a matter of taste I guess. I’ll be getting it again.

Amsterdam is the best bang for your buck. Its 1/2 the price of Absolute, but easily better. If this vodka had the same brand awareness as Absolute they could charge the same price, I’m glad they don’t. I’m giving it a 5 star for value for price… Its smooth, you can drink it straight and not need a chaser like you would with most cheap vodkas.

I like New Amsterdam vodka, I really do. I think some of the negative reviews here are just based in individual taste. I like to drink it straight chased with just a sip of cold water. I’ll drain about a 750 ml of this stuff in an entire evening. (At least 4 hours.) This is the only vodka that doesn’t leave me hungover! Don’t know why, but it doesn’t. And I’ve tried many, many vodkas over my 35 years of hard drinking. You may think I’m an alcoholic and you’d be right! But I’ve slowed way, way down in the last 5 years or so. New Amsterdam doesn’t leave me feeling like shit, so I highly recommend it. And it’s cheap! :)

I’m not a big vodka drinker, or liquor snob who prefers potato to grain liquor. Hell, anything that will provide a good time is okay in my book. I love me some Captain Morgan’s, and Southern Comfort. But New Amsterdam is one my favorite vodkas I’ve come across. Just drink it with some cranberry juice or whatever you fancy and it won’t disappoint. Don’t let these liquor snobs steer you wrong. If you’re a run of the mill dude (or dudette) looking to catch a buzz on a Monday or Saturday afternoon, New Amsterdam won’t let you down!

I don’t understand the bad reviews for this this vodka because my girlfriend just started drink not too long ago and from one taste she just loved the vodka she said it wasn’t the least bit bitter and it was super smooth going down and I would have to agree with her it was one of the smoothest vodkas I ever tasted

Great value. Smart & final 1.75L on sale 14.99 with a 5.00 coupon attached 9.99 can’t beat that

I just recently tried New Amsterdam vodka and find it to be quite smooth and enjoyable. Personally, I like to mix blue Gatorade with my vodka –

One of the best vodkas I’ve tried at a bargain price of £12 in UK. Far superior to “premium” vodkas and at a fraction of the price you can’t go wrong . Don’t be a snob and roll your eyes at the thought of a “cheap- non branded” spirit. No bad after taste or struggle to drink it straight like most other vodkas. No dog breath in the morning and no hangovers! Of course drink two bottles and you’ll be rough as hell but drink one and you’ll be ready for work in the morning without the drama associated with binge drinking. Of course you shouldn’t drink a whole bottle nevermind two but it’s easy to get carried away when it tastes so smooth and non alcohol like! Also have full recollection of events in the morning after a wild one rather than the forgetful guilt trip and emptiness associated with most other vodkas (and drinks in general). Keen on seeking the coconut flavour one but unavailable in UK as far as I’m aware.

I drink this vodka all the time taste good to me straight or in a mixer

I just had two shots and didn’t need any kind of chaser. I haven’t tried it mixed yet, but far as drinking it straight, it’s a winner in my book.

This has become my favorite cheap vodka. I prefer it to Svedka (anathema to many I know), Sobieski, etc. I prefer the taste and smoothness of New Amsterdam to other vodka’s I buy for under $20 a handle. No it isn’t “great,” but it is cheap and for me, it’s the best quality for its price.

It’s good, I like vodka to be flavorless and to burn the throat and it does both very well. Good vodka.

I don’t know why people are so enthralled with ” Titos ” vodka…..it too has a ” bitter : after taste and just because it is labeled as ” handmade” it is not……and it is bitter..!!

Don’t let the advertising slogans fool your taste buds… go for the European vodkas such as Chopin…they are the best..!!

I have found through my years of alcohol experiments that each brand can has differences not only in taste and finish, but in very specific differences in effects (and after effects). The cheapest ‘rot-gut’ vodka is simply unenjoyable in any respect. However, since I live in poverty, a few extra dollars tends to influence my purchase. I have found New Amsterdam to hit a good balance in taste, effect, body load, availability distribution, and especially price. I still prefer potato vodka if price was not an issue (maybe it is because I have a degree of gluten intolerance) but in many cases I will go for the best of the lowest common denominator, and this is it.

Although the above reviews are true, new Amsterdam does have quite a bitterness to it, but I’m quite the heavy weight and only a few vodka redbulls put me on my ass! The smell is very astringent, but it fools you into thinking the vodka tastes like rubbing alcohol. In my area of Washington a fifth of New Amsterdam was $9.99, and just like others above I bought this because I don’t have the disposable income for premium top shelf liquor. Although my vodka of choice is Crystal Head (a 60-70 dollar vodka that comes in a glass skull bottle) this vodka makes a decent substitute when compared to ever-so- cheap Smirnoff, but tastes comparable to the 20 dollar absolut. The taste is almost like grey goose except slightly more bitter. Honestly, this stuff won’t be the talk of the town, but could very well be a life of a party hence the only taste that comes through a mixed drink is a slight bitterness. If you like IPAs or a cheap time, New Amsterdam is a good plan B vodka.

Best vodka I’ve tasted — smooth, crisp, and light. In Virginia you can get a liter for $13. There may well be better vodkas but I wouldn’t pay twice or three times as much for a small improvement. Gordon’s is also a good deal but to my taste NA is better.

I love a great Vodka martini straight up. with onions……and I bought the 100 proof…..I do find it a bit bitter….with a n alcohol “bite”” in the end….but for the price it is acceptable…

I prefer the high end taste of “Chopin”…because it is made of potaotes…… and the smoothness of Grey Goose……but it is pricey $$…never the less enjoy a clean martini up and very cold… ..with a few onions….Mmmmm…Kelly M

Not bad. Smells like rubbing alcohol but surprisingly is quite tasteless and soooo smooth. Very nice indeed.

I am vodka drinker and have been for many years. I prefer potato vodka and Chopin is my fav. A new liquor store just opened down the street and the owner talked me into buying a bottle of New Amsterdam. I also bought a bottle of Kettle One. The new Amsterdam was on sale for only 15.99-1.75. For the price it is worth it but it does have a bitter taste. I usually drink my vodka straight but New Amsterdam is a tad too bitter to drink straight for my taste. I had a shot of NA and a shot of Kettle. Huge difference in that the Kettle did not have the bitter taste. I have tried NA in a mixed drink and it was good as it is distilled 5 times. My advice is if you want a good bang for your buck in a mixed drink than New Amsterdam is great especially for the price. If you are going to drink straight than don’t go any lower on the shelf than Kettle or Tito’s and Chopin or Grey Goose should be your choice depending on grain vs potato.

This vodka does not even compare to a super premium vodka like Tito’s, Ketel One or Grey Goose. It doesn’t have the bouquet or nuances of flavor. It is more like a poor man’s Absolut. Its not even as good as Stoli. With that being said, it is an amazing bang for the buck. Think Stoli at a Smirnoff price. It is smooth but slightly bitter in the nose with a slight burn in the finish. Excellent mixed with anything citrus. I made my grandmother’s kettle recipe fresh lemonade substituting New Amsterdam vodka at the end for some of the water. It proved to be an excellent summer drink. All of my friends rave about how good it is. But even in that recipe, any of the super premiums are better. Especially Tito’s.

1.75L $21.00, at room temp, out of a white wine glass

nose: what you’d expect of vodka, acetone. but its what you are not smelling is what makes it great.

Taste: light citrus and vanilla and not much else going on. as a vodka should be.

Finish: as fast as it hits your tongue it is gone like a ghost. the alcohol does not linger it almost feels like drinking thin water.

Final thoughts: Fantastic vodka! I picked up a 1.75L for a party of co-workers there is a bunch of us so i thought vodka would be the best option and i didn’t want to spend that much money as i am going to be sharing most of it. i have tried cheap vodka in the past and it turned me off of vodka for a good long time. I have had grey goose and the taste is vary similar (it was chilled). will buy again and also I want to try the new Amsterdam Gin if the vodka is this great.

Good Vodka. Good Price.

Now if they would make a Moonshine [100 proof or better], we’d REALLY be ready to shift gears.

Let it sit in the freezer for a bit~ icy smooth shots.

Mix with just about any 100% juice alone~ tropical cooler material.

More complex cocktails are also well-served by this bargain-priced
high octane “water”.

Very harsh straight. It mixes ok with all the usual mixers. It was $13.99 here, but even in that range there are better options. I will drink the rest, but I won’t get it again. Its not a terrible vodka, but it isnt a good vodka either. I try a different brand every week or two, I still haven’t found anything I like better than stoli, but I’m enjoying the hunt!

Final review deserves the 3. At room temp, straight with no chaser, this vodka burns from entry through swallow. It’s not enjoyable straight, even when cold. When mixed with chilled pomegranate juice in a 2-1 or 3-1 ratio, harshness is undetectable. It took me 5 nights to finish the liter so that says a lot. So Luksosova can be purchased for virtually same price per liter at 15.99. It’s the better product, not as harsh.

I was a Kettle One(Holland) fan tried and true until a year ago Labor Day weekend when a friend introduced me to New Amsterdam. It has a smooth distinctive taste that challenges, and in a lot of instances surpasses, many of the more preferred top shelf vodkas. My drink of choice is a vodka tonic and I have found that New Amsterdam and tonic is almost like drinking water but with the desired effects. It also comes flavor infused and is great with or without chaser. The peach is amazing!!!!!

I haven’t tried the unflavored New Amsterdam, but the Peach, Red Berry, Pineapple and Orange are fantastic. Straight or in a mixer. I even used the orange to make orange jello shots and it was great. This is one of the few vodkas I’ve tried that doesn’t give me hangovers. In my area it’s $13.99 for the 750ml, which is not bad.

Its get me drunk and is good mixed and why??? You don’t taste it lol I’m drinking it with passion fruit and I really can’t complain

We enjoy drinking Absolut (Sweden), Ketel One (Holland) and Stoli (Russia) -> (but we absolutely quit buying Stoli due to their campaign against gay athletes at the Olympics in Sochi; who wants to drink hate?) — so we’re mindful of a good-tasting vodka. Happily, we discovered New Amsterdam and we love it for five reasons: 1) Smooth 2) Californian 3) American grains 4) Mixable Peach and Red Berry and 5) Good value. Excellent with Squirt or fresh cranberry juice on crushed ice. Paid $12.99. Cool, modern bottle. We will absolutely buy this over Skyy and Smirnoff, which are very bitter. Nothing against Grey Goose (France), but my boyfriend and I will stock the bar with three bottles of New Amsterdam for what we’d pay for one of the Goose. Recommended.

Ok so I bought this after looking at that top review without looking at the readers review. I love vodka and have drunken many different brands and types, and I was really excited to try this. This has to be one of the worst vodkas I have tasted to be honest. I truly expected something better. It is not the bargain it is made out to be honestly if you’re thinking about buying it just get aristocrat or popov. The only thing it has over those to cheap brands is the cool bottle. Which I will admit is pretty darn cool.

It was a decent vodka for the price. Though every bottle I buy once opened the lid is stripped. Might as well use a piece of foil. There feedback form is so rediculassly complicated they lost me as customer.

straight it is bitter, but once you found your choice or mixer it is fantastic !

I bought a cheap 1.75 L bottle and goddamn. It literally tastes like rubbing alcohol. So far I’ve drank almost the whole bottle with no mixer shots only. The most nastiest thing ever when I Pound down a shot. Smooth? No, clean crisp taste? Oh it tastes clean alright. Fucking rubbing alcohol clean. Atleast I know now to not get this stuff unless I atleast have a mixer because if you dont… r.i.p

I have drank this mixed with V Fusion,tastes absolutely fantastic.I have mixed it wit Bloody Mary mix,great.Have also drank it straight,slightly bitter but smooth.I will definitely buy it again!!

I will be trying this and updating my assessment. Payed 15 dollars for the liter in Long Island, NY. Limited selections of Vodka exist out here……I was looking for an economical vodka that is not offensive. Mark up prices are rampant in NY. Can’t drink Tito’s as it got me violently sick upon mistaking it for 19 dollar water. Lol. Russian Standard cost 24 for a fifth out here if you even find that size. Best vodka I ever tasted was Jewel of Russia. ZYR had to be close second, Chopin third. I love Eastern European type vodkas.

The only thing keeping this on the bottom shelf, aside from being new in the market, was that it entered the market during the Recession, aka “the Depression by another name”. Naturally, it snatched up a demographic that was expanding from the top shelf vodka’s contracting demographic.

Due to it’s unpretentious yet high quality, this vodka competes well against premiums whose rating and price is overinflated. Giving it 5 stars is a bit generous, but it is a great value.

I like the vodka and the price point, however the cap (lid) needs some work. Very hard to open for a couple of old farts, and can cut fingers if you are not careful. Try to get this fixed before there is a bloody mess in someones kitchen or wet bar. Thanks RH Taylor

@ Robert, I mostly agree with your review. The vodka is very smooth and has a growing mildly bitter flavor through the swallow, which lingers in the aftertaste. The thing that I found that is different from your review, and different from any other vodka that I have experienced, is that the flavor becomes significantly sweeter as the vodka in my martini warms up. If the sweeter flavor had pervaded the entire time, I would have given New Amsterdam a 5 star rating.instead of only 4.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend drinking this straight, but mixed in cocktails, it’s not too bad. It has a very peppery aroma, and it burns a little bit going down, but for the price ($5.49 for 375ml), I can’t complain.

Why does this site claim that it’s rated 5/5 based on 8 reviews when half of the reviews are negative reviews?! Two of the 5 star reviews are from the same person to boot.
Either way, me and my buddy decided to pick up a handle of this stuff in preparation for a hotel room party while on vacation, so we headed to the nearest walmart (yeah they sold liquor at this walmart). Since they didn’t have any tito’s I basically picked up a handle of this since it was super cheap, and there was some rebate deal going (though to be honest I forgot to mail the rebate, oh well).

This stuff…is bitter, and not just a little bitter. Bitter to the extent that you can tell there’s cheap vodka in your redbull and vodka. I tried it mixed with pineapple juice, orange juice, redbull, cheapo-redbull knockoff venom, and straight up and it was just way too obvious that there was cheap vodka in all the mixers. Either the people rating this 5 stars are drinking a different vodka or they lack taste buds. Even as a mixer I’d pick something else.

Just got home and made me a glass guess what this is a really good Vodka. My choice of Vodka is Absolute I like this Vodka for the price its smooth. I give this a 5 star and I’m making another glass.

I don’t understand folks equating smoothness with quality. Is New Amsterdam smooth? Absolutely. Is it bitter? The most bitter I’ve ever had. It’s a terrible vodka and one I will never try again. If you’re spending in the neighborhood of 13$ for a fifth, there is no excuse to get this over Svedka, Sobieski, Moskovskaya, etc.

This vodka is bitter and foul and sickly tasting – I nearly threw up , it cannot be drunk straight – I only hope I can get away with using up in espresso martini ‘s – I hope it masks the taste !!

Basically flavourless with a slight bitter tinge at the end. Mixes pretty well. In comparison to vodkas like Svedka, much smoother and drinkable without a heavy alcoholic taste;

I made a white Russian with this vodka tonight and it was ok. It definitely had a kick to it. I got the New Amsterdam because it was cheap and I was on a budget. After I finish the bottle I think I’ll go back to my Absolute.

I really like this vodka for the price. I have tried many many vodkas and this one is good.

Just got home from buying this Vodka from the liquor store. The owner of the store asked me what was I looking for I told him Vodka. My choice is Absolute Vodka he told me you should try New Amsterdam Vodka its half the price and its a good Vodka. I told him ill pass he said I promise you its good. Guess what made me a glass and its really good for the price. I give this Vodka a 5 star and I’m makeing me another glass.

You certainly have been actively reviewing vodka again lately. It is good to see your renewed availability. I haven’t noticed this on any of my local liquor store shelves, but if I do I will be tempted to try it. BTW, how inexpensive is New Amsterdam vodka; does it challenge vodkas like Sobieski for the top value spot?

I have had worse vodkas. Sometimes I buy vodka to use for cleaning, and take a nip to remind me why they are used for cleaning. New Amsterdam is what I envision bathtub ‘shine to be like. Its nose is musty; not quite the floor drain. It is too bitter to sip. It is too harsh for shots. And I have yet to find a mixer that can cover it up. Next time I will pay the buck and get Phillips, a far superior bottom shelf libation. But I have windows to clean, so all is not lost.

I can not get past the horrible commercials. Must less horrible American vodka.

I can’t believe anyone would really think this is good vodka. It is the worst vodka you can buy. Go to walmart and buy rubbing alcohol instead. This vodka is undrinkable even mixed. I have tasted over 40 different vodkas from all over the world. This is the worst.

I found this vodka to be absolutely awful straight. Made me want to throw up. It is so bitter and sour and the taste is absolutely awful. Take my word for it, stay away!

the vodka did not taste very good. i had to chase it with a shit ton of orange juice because it tasted nasty. i have never tried any other vodka but this does not taste good.