Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/39104
LAUNCH-PAD Front and center in this latest concoction from the iconic Swedish vodka brand (owned by Pernod Ricard since 2008) are its innovative flavor combina- tions—white grape, papaya and the increasingly popular dragon fruit—which give the vodka a distinctly Bay Area flavor, as they stitch together a wide cultural tapestry. P ABSOLUT SF received a high-octane launch last month at the tony Terra Lounge and Gallery in San Francisco’s SOMA district. Beautiful people mingled and danced as ABSOLUT SF flowed freely. As one might expect of a city known for being at the intersection of art and technology, the event featured an interactive photo booth that projected attendees’ mugs, billboard-sized, onto the walls, not to mention into cyberspace—live tweeting at any event is, of course, de rigueur in wired San Francisco. Meanwhile, a pair of artists painted a large-scale mural depicting The City (don’t call it Frisco!) and its new namesake vodka as the party pulsed to the tunes of “sonic ambassador” Miguel Migs. oets have been trying to capture the essence of San Francisco since the city’s inception in the 1850s. Some have gotten close (the Beats come to mind, as does Armistead Maupin), but perhaps the best way to capture the City by the Bay is in a bottle. ABSOLUT SF, a new creation from Sweden’s premier purveyor of fine vodkas, gets close to achieving this feat. “We’re really excited about ABSOLUT San Francisco. The essence of the flavor is totally consistent with what’s important in San Francisco: freedom of expression, diversity, and a unique style of its own,” says Pernod Ricard USA Division Marketing Director Brian Mequet “Essentially, we’ve fused what appears to be disparate flavors to create ABSOLUT SF, just like diverse lifestyles and ways of thinking come together to create this one-of-a-kind city of San Francisco.” The San Francisco–themed vodka was a collaborative project between ABSOLUT and a select group of local tastemakers, from chefs to fashion designers. The company’s hope is that the product moves from being a spe- cialty spirit already embraced by mixologists and other spirits industry profes- sionals to “really become part of the fabric of San Francisco,” says Mequet. And don’t worry—you can get ABSOLUT SF even if you’re not in San Francisco; Pernod Ricard intends to roll it out to virtually every major market, Mequet assures fans. Eat your heart out Tony Bennett. 36 / the tasting panel / august 201 1