As consumers have traded down in recent years to the mid-priced and premium vodka categories, brands like Svedka, Pinnacle and Sobieski have gained share. But there continues to be a vibrant luxury vodka tier. "Vodka on the top shelf has historically never stood still and I think it's unlikely that it will," Dr. Malcolm Lloyd, ceo and founder of Double Cross Vodka recently told WSD. Double Cross is an imported vodka from Slovakia that competes in the ultra-premium, $40-a-bottle category.