I’ve been writing about spirits for almost two decades. I’ve learned the ins and outs of every popular hard alcohol. But if you’re new to the spirits world, you might not know the differences between tequila and vodka. Tequila vs. vodka –this is especially true when both are unaged. Appearance alone, the two spirits look remarkably similar. When made with high-quality ingredients, distilled multiple times, and filtered a handful of times, both tequila and vodka are crystal clear. There aren’t any noticeable differences. Although, the same could be said for a bottle of gin or a glass of tap water.
Once you take a whiff is when the differences begin to reveal themselves. Unaged (or blanco) tequila carries aromas like vegetal sweetness, cooked agave, vanilla, and cracked black pepper. Vodka has different aromas based on its main ingredient (wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, or something else), but you can bet you find scents of neutral ethanol, minerality, vanilla, cracked black pepper, and even citrus peels.
Tasting them only adds to the differences between tequila vs. vodka. Blanco tequila has flavors like vanilla beans, cracked black pepper, fresh cut grass, cooked agave, and citrus peels. Vodka is crafted to have a neutral flavor, but you’ll find flavors like ripe fruit, corn, cracked black pepper, vanilla, minerals, and spices based on the included ingredients.
Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the different aromas and flavors you’ll find when comparing vodka and blanco tequila, it’s time to find out what really sets these two spirits apart.
What is tequila?
At its simplest, tequila is a distilled spirit made from the Blue Weber agave plant. “The agave plant is endemic to Mesoamerica and has grown in Mexican soil for more than 10,000 years,” said the Diageo Bar Academy.
It’s a geographic-specific spirit with its heart in Tequila in the state of Jalisco. It can only be made in a handful of other states surrounding Jalisco. The agave heart (or pina) is baked, crushed, and then fermented before being distilled. It’s then bottled immediately (or gently aged) as a blanco tequila or matured to create a reposado, añejo, extra añejo, joven, or cristalino tequila.
What is vodka?
At its essence, vodka is a neutral spirit made from water and ethanol. Created to be as odorless and flavorless as possible, it’s distilled multiple times, filtered through charcoal and other materials multiple times, and diluted with water.
Unlike tequila, which is only made with Blue Weber agave specifically (not any other agave, like mezcal), vodka can be made with a number of different ingredients as its base. This includes corn, wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, and even Dwight Schrute’s (character from The Office) favorite root vegetable, the beet.
How are they the same?
When unaged, the two spirits can look remarkably similar in appearance. If distilled multiple times and filtered multiple times, they both will appear to be crystal clear. But this is honestly the only way these two spirits are similar.
If you put a glass of vodka and glass of blanco tequila next to each other and told someone to drink them both without telling them what they were drinking, the only thing that they’d have in common in flavor is that they both taste like alcohol.
How are they different?
The differences between vodka and tequila far outweigh the similarities. The differences begin with their main ingredients. Tequila is made only with Blue Weber agave, but vodka can be made with any number of main ingredients, including potatoes, corn, wheat, rye, and other fruits and grains.
Tequila can only be produced in Mexico in the state of Jalisco and a handful of surrounding states. While vodka’s heart is in Poland and Russia, it can be made literally anywhere in the world. And it is. It’s often the first spirit anyone makes when they first open a distillery.
Aging is another major difference. While blanco tequila is similar in appearance to vodka, tequila is often matured. Thanks to the amount of time it spends in the barrel, it can range from an amber yellow to a dark caramel in appearance. Maturation doesn’t simply change the color, though. It adds nuanced flavors like caramel, vanilla, oak, and spices to the tequila. Vodka, on the other hand, isn’t matured; it’s the same neutral spirit from the time it’s done distilling to the time it’s bottled.
Flavor is the last major difference. Tequila (even blanco tequila) is made to be flavorful. It’s meant to be sipped neat, on the rocks, or mixed into cocktails like margaritas, Palomas, and more. Vodka is a different story. This spirit is crafted to be as flavorless as possible. Although, you can still taste the main ingredient. Wheat vodkas have soft flavors, rye vodkas have a hint of spice, potato vodkas are creamy, and corn vodkas have a gentle sweetness.
