Vodka, But Make It Interesting: 9 Bartenders Spill Their Picks
July 17, 2025
Vodka might be one of the most misunderstood spirits behind the bar, often labelled as “neutral,” sometimes dismissed as boring, and frequently overshadowed by its louder, oak-aged siblings. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that when made well, vodka can be expressive, textured, and, dare we say it, full of character.
To prove it, we turned to the people who actually work with it: bartenders. Not just any bartenders, nine of Canada’s most flavour-forward, cocktail-pushing professionals from Shawnigan Lake to Ottawa. We asked each of them to name their go-to Canadian-made vodka and the cocktail they love making with it.
The Favourite 9 Canadian Vodka Overview
- Copperpenny Vodka 002
- Lost & Found Strawberry Vanilla Vodka
- Mt. Erskine Vodka
- Dark Sky Stormy Vodka
- Wild Life Vodka
- ALTA Vodka
- Laneway No. 12 Vodka
- HvO Spring Water Vodka
- Dillon's Vodka
Copperpenny Vodka 002
“My go-to vodka is from CopperPenny Distillery No 002 Vodka. The cocktail I enjoy making with it is a vodka Gibson. This is because of how clean the vodka itself is, yet with its buttery smooth texture, having something sharp like a pickled onion to cut through emphasis the duality of each ingredient. Having a beverage that is as grounded and as simple as a Gibson, gives you the opportunity to realize that this vodka is the flawless canvas needed when making a spirit forward stirred down cocktail.”
– Jessica Toews, Bar Manager, PiDGiN (Vancouver, BC)
Lost & Found Strawberry Vanilla Vodka
“My go to vodka right now would be the “Lost & Found” strawberry-vanilla vodka from Holocene Distilling Project in Cobble Hill. Holocene uses “waste” products to create their spirits, using ingredients that would normally be tossed by other companies.
They’ve used a batch of Pinot Noir from a local winery, Blue Grouse, as the base for their vodka.
The delicacy of the base spirit’s palate and aroma lends itself to the local strawberries and vanilla beans very well, giving this vodka a very berries & cream vibe with a strong sun kissed strawberry aroma. Long vanilla finish on the palate, real nice.
We played around with a force carbonated cream soda for Victoria Cocktail week this year that was insanely scrumptious, it may make a comeback this summer.”
– Raven A. Dales, Bar Manager, The Lakehouse at Shawnigan Lake (Shawnigan Lake, BC)
Mt. Erskine Vodka
“For local vodkas, I typically like the creamy texture of wheat based vodkas. Copperpenny Distilling Co. has a nice one that’s great for martinis, with a side of oysters. Sweetwater Distilling out of Salt Spring Island is doing some nice stuff with BC apples. I like being able to pick up hints of the raw material being used.”
– Amber Bruce, Beverage Director, Keefer Bar & June (Vancouver, BC)
Dark Sky Stormy Vodka
“Dark Sky Distillery produces their “Stormy Vodka” which is so unique in a nearly indescribable way, local grain, and a custom built still, produces a product that leaves a lot of people asking why other vodkas don’t live up to it, flavourful and full of body, it’s truly a cocktail nerds vodka. It’s always super cool when a small distillery pushes the boundaries of a spirit, and redefines the definition of that spirit with a complex new take on a product.”
– William Doney, Beverage Director, Bar Trove (Edmonton, AB)
Wild Life Vodka
“Throughout the years, I have grown an appreciation for Vodka. As a younger bartender I had no idea how to use it, so it often went overlooked in my drinks & menus. My advice for vodka – instead of using it solely as a ‘flavour’, use it for the ‘effect’ (mouthfeel, higher abv, etc).
Hands down, Wild life Distillery’s Vodka (WLD), from Canmore Alberta. Made with Alberta Wheat (the same wheat that feeds AAA Alberta beef cows). In my opinion, Vodka is simply a pure-representation of the grain it’s made from; So with some of the best grain in the world, it’s no surprise the Vodka in Alberta is considered top shelf. WLD Vodka, on the palate, hits with a clean-pure feeling and hints of vanilla. This was my first straight-vodka I ever tried and said ‘wow’.
Honorary mentions also go to Sons of Vancouver CHILI Vodka and Wood’s Spirit Co Vodka.”
– Nick Park, Bar Manager, Bar in the Woods (North Vancouver, BC)
Alta Vodka
“My go to Canadian vodka is Alta Vodka by Strathcona Spirits, and my favourite vodka cocktail is a savoury style martini.
A classic vodka might not have the same diversity of flavour and style compared to other spirit categories, so I like to focus of course on quality, but also on brands that are prioritizing social and environmental benefits. By purchasing from a local brand, you’re supporting local jobs and your local economy, while avoiding environmental impacts from long range shipping. Alta vodka achieves all of these benefits at an affordable price while not compromising on quality.”
– Justin Draper, Bartender, Bespoke Barcraft (Edmonton, Alberta)
Laneway No. 12 Vodka
“Laneway Vodka has something I’ve been really craving from Canadian Distilleries, the use of Maple. This vodka uses the necessary, sugar cane, along with maple water giving it a naturally sweet and round quality. As much as I would love to use this vodka on its own for cocktails it’s actually one of my go-to bases for creating tinctures and bitters. I first came across the use of a maple/cane distillate based tinctures with Bennet Bitters and it’s been hard to go back to grain. My tinctures are coming out beautifully with this stuff. I would highly recommend giving this vodka a try and getting started on a few of your own simple tinctures to spice up your cocktails with. Cheers!”
– Tristin Vissers, Bartender, Library Bar (Toronto, Ontario)
HvO Spring Water Vodka
“Whatever you think the smoothest vodka on your roster is, HvO beats it out easily. It’s made in Ontario from barley and naturally-sourced spring water, and was introduced to me a few months ago by a former bar manager. This is a very light vodka with a slightly sweet finish so it balances well with acidity in a Cosmo or bitterness in an espresso martini, although I personally suggest subbing it in for the gin in an Aviation.”
– Grace Graham, FOH Manager, The Moonroom (Ottawa, Ontario)
Dillon’s Vodka
“My favourite Canadian vodka is Dillon’s I like the hint of toasted spice that comes through from the rye base, and the otherwise very clean and smooth finish owing to the oak distillation.
I love it in a martini with a touch of dill, so the character of the vodka can shine through, 6:1 and a 12 hour cold infusion of 1 gram of fresh dill per 200 grams of martini. Lemon zest.”
– Nick Hu, Bartender, Laowai (Vancouver, BC)
