Still Spirits Top Shelf Vodka

Still Spirits Top Shelf Vodka is a 50ml Still Spirits Top Shelf flavouring that turns 40% ABV neutral spirit or vodka into a finished spirit. One bottle makes 3 bottles of 750ml. Still Spirits describes it as "Clean tasting with a subtle yet smooth finish."

What it tastes like

A vodka essence sounds odd until you have tasted raw neutral spirit. Even a well-run reflux still gives you something clean but flat, and this flavouring adds the rounded, slightly sweet character that a commercial vodka has. It is the one to reach for when you want a mixer vodka rather than a base for a gin or a liqueur.

How to make it

Shake the bottle, add the full 50ml to 2.25 litres of 40% ABV neutral spirit or vodka, and mix well. That is the whole method. There is no resting time, though most people find the flavour settles after a day in the bottle.

The spirit can be bought vodka or your own neutral spirit. Most of our customers run theirs off an Air Still Pro or a Turbo 500 and carbon filter it first; our guide to making a clean neutral spirit covers the wash and the run. A clean base matters more than the flavouring: an essence cannot hide a rough spirit.

When to choose this one

Choose this over the Still Spirits Original Vodka when you are making a bottle to drink neat or in a simple mixer and want it to taste finished. Choose the Original when you are flavouring a large batch cheaply. If the spirit is going on to become a gin or a liqueur, skip the vodka essence altogether and use the neutral spirit as it is. The rest of the range is on the Top Shelf essences collection.

Specifications

• Range: Still Spirits Top Shelf
• Bottle size: 50ml
• Makes: 3 bottles of 750ml
• Base spirit: 40% ABV neutral spirit or vodka
• Base pack needed: none
• Allergens listed by Still Spirits: celery

Check your local laws regarding home distilling before purchase.

Reviewed by the AHB Brewing Team, September 2026.