Top 10 Vodkas Ranked By Taste

Top 10 Vodkas Ranked by Taste & Quality (The winner will surprise you)

It’s no secret that people in the advertising industry love to drink, and we really know our booze.

So for those with a discerning palate, here’s a curated list of the top 10 vodkas, ranked by quality. 

1. Brackish Vodka
   Crafted in Jacksonville, Florida, 5 times distilled through multiple mediums with a clean, mineral finish. This vodka is crafted from Florida-grown corn, so it’s naturally gluten-free. The salt filtration even imparts some electrolytes. We’re not saying it’s a suitable replacement for Gatorade, but if the shoe fits… 
2. Belvedere Vodka
   One of the vodkas your probably drank during your college years because you probably liked the frosted glass bottle and thought the price made it an ultra-premium product. This Polish vodka is distilled from rye, delivering a smooth and creamy profile with hints of vanilla and white pepper. 
3. Chopin Potato Vodka
   Distilled from potatoes, Chopin provides a rich and full-bodied flavor with earthy notes, making it ideal for sipping neat, but honestly… vodka’s a neutral spirit, so if you’re sipping it neat, you should really just be a bourbon drinker at this point. 
4. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
   Produced in Texas from corn, Tito’s is made by a guy that looks like he was made in a lab that produces soap opera stars for daytime television. He looks like George Clooney’s more athletic cousin, but he sounds like an old timey prospector from the gold rush years. This vodka is the house vodka for virtually every bar and restaurant. Good luck trying to avoid it, you can’t. 
5. Cîroc Vodka
   Made from French grapes, Cîroc stands out with its citrusy aroma and a hint of sweetness, offering a unique twist on traditional vodka flavors. Can you taste the grapes? No, not really, but use your imagination. 
6. Grey Goose Vodka
   Grey Goose won best vodka in the world according to some forgotten publication nearly 25 years ago and that’s probably why you still drink this. Pricing has come down in the past couple decades and it makes you wonder if that’s because their process has become more efficient, or have they cut corners. This French vodka is crafted from winter wheat and natural spring water, resulting in a smooth and slightly sweet taste with a clean finish.  
7. Ketel One Vodka
   Hailing from the Netherlands and distilled from wheat, Ketel One offers a crisp and sophisticated flavor profile with notes of citrus and honey. Honestly, when someone orders this, I cringe a little bit. It has a distinct flavor which is more than you can say for most vodkas, but is that really what you’re going for? Vodka isn’t normally meant to be the star in a particular cocktail, but allows itself to blend seamlessly into whatever it’s mixed with. 
8. Crystal Head Vodka
   Known for its distinctive skull-shaped bottle, this Canadian vodka is additive-free and offers a clean, crisp taste with subtle hints of vanilla. Let’s be real for a moment. You only drink this because it’s associated with Dan Akyroyd, and you really love Ghostbusters. Not normally a fan of oddly-shaped packaging (a human skull in this case… a little macabre, right?) but I AM A HUGE FAN of the color techniques they’ve used in their packaging to create iridescent effects and more. Oh yeah… the vodka, how’s it taste?! It tastes like vodka. Enjoy. 
9. Beluga Noble Russian Vodka
   Originating from Siberia, Beluga uses malt spirit and pristine water to create a luxurious vodka with a rich, velvety texture and a hint of sweetness. If you’re drinking this, it’s probably because you think that a Russian vodka lends itself to authenticity. Russians LOVE vodka. How do I know. Bert Kreischer told me so. 
10. Absolut Elyx
    A premium offering from Absolut, Elyx is distilled from single estate winter wheat, delivering a silky mouthfeel and a clean, fresh finish. Normally I would tell you that Absolut vodka tastes like the kerosene that powers a homemade flamethrower, but this is Absolut ELYX, and that’s a horse of a different color. It’s so easy to drink it’s practically Dasani. Good for the body. Good for the soul.

Now You’re Just Somebody that S.H.E. Used to Know: Exploring “The Great Breakup”

We’re sure you’re acquainted with the term, “The Great Resignation.” Occurring in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic over the last couple of years, the national workforce witnessed an onslaught of employees jumping ship in favor of better opportunities, work-life balance, and greener pastures altogether.

But what if we told you that it was a little more nuanced than that?

Specifically, we’re talking about women in the workforce — and women in leadership positions, especially. In other words, we’re talking about “The Great Breakup.”

If You Liked It, Then You Should Have Made A Value of It

Simply put, the Great Breakup is a similar phenomenon to the Great Resignation. However, while many may think of it as a wave of women simply quitting their jobs, the subject is more complex.

And it all comes down to whether or not the woman’s company is aligned with her values.

That being said, Pew Research Center has discovered that “a greater number of women than men tend to enter or exit the labor force in an average month.”

So, what makes the Great Breakup different?

“Women leaders are leaving their companies at the highest rate we’ve ever seen—and at a much higher rate than men leaders,” as explained by McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report. “To put the scale of the problem in perspective: for every woman at the director level who gets promoted to the next level, two women directors are choosing to leave their company.”

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Let’s face it: When it comes to women leaving their place of work, many people will likely think of motherhood first. After all, having and raising a child is one of the most common reasons a woman will leave their job, right?

Well, no. Not in the case of the Great Breakup, at least. In this case, it’s often about whether or not a woman’s company is intent on bridging the gaps in both wage and diversity.

“Many women are finding that this intention isn’t there, as women continue to be more likely to experience microaggressions and overwork themselves for little to no reward, even at the executive level,” as reported by CNBC.

And, going back to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report, the following are the top three reasons that women are “breaking up” with their current companies:

1. Women in leadership positions have a desire to climb the ladder but face greater obstacles than their male colleagues
2. Women in leadership positions are both overworked and underrecognized
3. Women in leadership positions are searching for a different workplace culture

S.H.E. Is Miss Movin’ On (Because S.H.E. Matters)

Here’s a (not so) fun fact: Statistics show that a mere “one in four C-suite leaders is a woman, and only one in 20 C-suite leaders is a woman of color.”

And when you consider all of the aforementioned — in addition to the Broken Rung, the Glass Ceiling, and an overall failure to address intersectionality — these statistics are, sadly, unsurprising.

And that’s why we think it’s time we take action and inspire widespread change.

But what do you think? Have you participated in the Great Breakup or the Great Resignation? And, if so, what do you think needs to be addressed and/or changed?

Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

Meditation Madness: Welcome, Tranquility!

By: Kandi Mensing, Mad Men Marketing Vibe Curator

Everyone deals with anxiety from time to time. You are not alone in the pursuit of peace and tranquility. With so many of us looking for ways to cope with emotional turmoil, meditation is a wonderful tool. Tools like meditation practices can help keep us calm and support a sense of balance amidst turmoil and chaos.

When we are stressed and anxious, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can actually compromise our immune systems. Meditation releases “feel-good” hormones, like serotonin and oxytocin, which are scientifically proven to boost our immune systems and relieve stress.

Meditation is ultimately a unique personal practice in learning to manage one’s internal crises and overall wellness. It is an ongoing process of going inward to understand the true essence of letting go, observing without judgment, being comfortable in stillness and silence, and finding power in the present. There are no levels or measures to gauge one’s experience or expertise in meditation. If anything, there is only that pure intention and commitment to working towards becoming a better version of ourselves.

If you’ve not yet dove into the world of meditation and would like to try it, you might find peace in knowing there is no one-size-fits-all rule when starting a meditation practice. Find what works for you. It evolves and changes differently within each person. Just the same, it is accessible to anyone and everyone looking to discover the power in stillness and silence.

First things first: find a time you can commit to every day and tell the one(s) you’re close with daily with to honor this important private time for yourself. Consistency is important when introducing new habits but, of course, you can employ meditation at any time during the day, anywhere, and for short or long periods of time. That is what makes it accessible to anyone.

Again, no rules; just find what works for you. Newbies may want to check out this page by Headspace: How to Meditate.

There are several meditation apps and resources available.

To list a few:  

• BREETHE – Check out their Learn to Meditate and Daily Breethers programs.
• HEADSPACE is an app with guided mindfulness exercises and meditation.
• Use your Alexa speaker to prompt meditation sounds by saying “Alexa, play meditation” or “Alexa, play guided meditation” for the meditation of the day.  Perhaps a helpful guide.
• Use YouTube to find meditations, like this one.
• Look up meditation music albums on Apple Music or other music platforms, such as “50 Best Meditation Songs Collection.”
• Make use of the zen room in your workplace, if you’re lucky enough to have one like we do at the Mad Men Marketing office in Jax.
• Maybe you are lucky enough to have space at home to create a dedicated meditation space.

We want our team at zen, not zero. Offering creative benefits like professionally-guided meditations, sound baths, and yoga sessions keeps our team creative and connected. We also host wellness challenges that involve prizes — one of which was a meditation challenge!

In all, there are many ways to support the health of your workforce. This is just one of them.

Happy Meditating.

S.H.E. Matters and is Invaluable to Our Economy

In case you didn’t know, the month of September is National Women’s Small Business Month.

Thus, in honor of this month’s observance, we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on how women pave their own financial paths and generate a lasting impact on our nation’s economy.

After all, it’s not just that S.H.E. Matters today, it’s that she always has and always will.

The History of Women in Business

Recorded history dates the first woman-run business in America all the way back to the 18th Century.

Specifically, in 1739, “Eliza Lucas Pinckney took over operation of the family’s three South Carolina plantations at the age of 16 after her mother’s passing and her father’s return to the West Indies,” As reported by the SBDC National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNet).

Following, up until the mid-20th Century, most businesses that were run by women were ale houses, clothing shops, and brothels. Primarily, these were only established by women who were unmarried or otherwise without a man who was considered the “traditional breadwinner” at the time.

Thankfully, by the 1920s, the idea of female entrepreneurship became normalized. Thus, in the 1940s, women were more ready to step into the workforce amidst the ongoing war. Even when the men returned and displaced those women, many went on to establish their own businesses and lines of work.

Finally, in 1988, “Congress passed The Women’s Business Ownership Act, which ended discrimination in lending, eliminated state laws that required married women to have a husband’s signature for all loans and gave women-owned businesses a chance to compete for lucrative government contracts,” according to Media Partners Worldwide.

Modern Growth, Modern Numbers

Today, while women continue to face an uphill battle against the glass ceiling, broken rung, and many other phenomena that otherwise hinder their upward mobility in business, there is still reason for celebration.

“In 1972, there were a little over 400,000 women-owned businesses in the United States,” as reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). “Today, there are over 13 million women-owned businesses and counting.”

What’s more, the U.S. Census reported that, in 2018, “women-owned employer firms reported nearly $1.8 trillion in sales, shipments, receipts or revenue and employed over 10.1 million workers with an annual payroll of $388.1 billion.”

Further, some exciting statistics provided by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) include:

• One in five firms that report their annual revenue of $1 million or more is woman-owned
• 4.2% of all women-owned firms have revenues of $1 million or more.
• 5.4 million firms are majority-owned by women of color in the U.S.
• The aforementioned firms generate an annual $361 billion in revenue
• Those firms also employ 2.1 million people

S.H.E. Matters, and So Does Her Business

At the end of the day, women-owned businesses remain invaluable to our economy, and we hope to see them continue to proliferate as time goes on.

After all, women should not be doubted — and neither should their impact on the workforce.

Further, we would love to highlight some of your favorite locally-owned businesses that are owned and run by women. Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

Enterprise Digital Marketing Solutions = BOXED (I mean lazy) digital marketing solutions.

I recently spent some time at a convention in….let's call the city…. Dallas, which was hosted by a digital marketing company that specializes in digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry. Which is already crazy to me, as an advertising/marketing professional, it is not beneficial to advertise to a vertical….shouldn't we be advertising to consumers? Thus we should be experts in consumers right? I know I'm mixing words and intent of the specialization in a particular category, I digress. Before I digress…if you are in the automotive industry, aren't you already an automotive expert??? Ok I actually digress meow (excited about Super Troopers 2). 

While at this convention, I had the pleasure of meeting some really talented digital marketing professionals, that do truly work hard. The problem is, said company works with MANY, MANY manufacturers and that requires the dreaded enterprise solution. What is an enterprise solution in its most basic form? Here is what Wiki says about Enterprise software and you can easily apply it to any enterprise fill in the blank: Enterprise software, also known as enterprise application software (EAS), is computer software used to satisfy the needs of an organization rather than individual users. 

Here is where I am going to point out the obvious issue if you are a business. The definition of enterprise is to satisfy the needs of an organization rather than individual users. Now there are MANY applications where an enterprise solution works, I won't go there, but when I read the line “satisfy the needs of an organization rather than individual users”, I see it like this – A big digital marketing company as the organization, and each of its clients as individual users.

So think about that for a minute all you decision makers out there, the Enterprise Solution for your digital marketing, is only “Enterprise” to benefit the organization billing you for time, and not for you specifically as an end user. THAT IS CRAZY! But so many decision makers just don't know, and don't want to look “dumb” for going with the problematic enterprise solution. If you read my previous article, you would know you have fallen for Buzzword Billies. So don't be scared to make a change and just because something is enterprise, doesn't mean it is the right choice for your organization.