The Smirnoff brand traces its origins back to the distillery Piotr Arseneevich (PA) Smirnoff established in Moscow in the late 1800s. Brought to America in 1939, Smirnoff spearheaded the cocktail revolution in the U.S. as Americans were introduced to the versatility of "white whiskey" in such drinks as the Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Kamikaze, Martini and Moscow Mule. Today Smirnoff is the world's best-selling vodka, sold in 130 countries on six continents, and still produced according to Smirnoff tradition, using Piotr Arseneevich's multi-column charcoal filtration process.

In January 2005, the New York Times assembled a diverse panel of beverage experts to conduct a blind taste test of 21 world-class vodkas, including brands from France, Poland, Russia and the United States. Smirnoff emerged as the "hands-down favorite," praised for its "pure, clean and ultra-smooth" character and "pleasing texture and classic vodka aroma."