Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/19027
COVER STORY Photographed at The Edison in downtown Los Angeles, Simon Ford, Absolut’s Director of Trade Outreach & Brand Education, confers with Joe Brooke, Spirits Director for The Edison and last year’s winner of NBC’s On the Rocks: The Search for America’s Top Bartender. One of this season’s episodes was filmed at The Edison on the day of our photo shoot. PHOTO: ROB BROWN If there’s one brand that’s managed to carve out a rock-solid niche for itself in the ever-burgeoning vodka category, it’s Absolut. From its iconic advertising campaigns, to the sheer classicism of its bottle, Absolut has become a must-have on every backbar and a popular call in many fine cocktails. But in recent years, the vodka category has changed, with ultra-premium vodkas rolling out at a breakneck pace; with them, a new prototype of what vodka “should be” has emerged. “The ultra-premium vodka brands focus on a tasteless vodka as their ideal,” explains Joen Choe, Senior Brand Manager for Absolut. “But what consumers want, and what we believe,” he continues, “is that vodka should have a distinct charac- ter and flavor.” It is with this emphasis on what’s in the glass—and on tasting what’s in the glass—that Absolut is continuing to lead the charge in the vodka category, and the brand has positioned itself as the ideal ingredient for cocktails, a stance that’s been perfected by emphasizing three dis- november 2010 / the tasting panel / 39