Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/12827
BRAND neW OF ALL THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING IN BROOKLYN THESE DAYS, THE NEWEST IS THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN ABSOLUT AND FILMMAKER AND NATIVE SON SPIKE LEE B Brooklyn reaking Out in C ontinuing Absolut’s iconic city-inspired fl avored bottles, new Absolut Brooklyn blends red apple and ginger in a limited-edition art bottle, a combo that “gives a nod to the Big Apple and the spice of Brooklyn,” said Brand Director Ian Crystal. But the special appeal of the bottle is the connection it has to fi lmmaker Spike Lee, who lent a hand in its design and concept. Depicting the brownstone stoop of Lee’s childhood home, the bottle also represents the community and creative spirit of what’s now New York’s hippest borough. The whimsical sketch incorporates sly references to Brooklyn, but you don’t have to be a bklyn insider to want the collectible. “This is the fi rst time Absolut has col- laborated with a visionary on a city fl avor, and we gave him carte blanche in coming to us with ideas that were truly representative of Brooklyn,” Crystal points out. Brooklyn borough President Marty Markowitz, Josh Lockwood, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity; fi lm- maker Spike Lee, Paul Du≠ y, President & CEO, Pernod Ricard USA; and Brooklyn poet Lemon Anderson. From left: Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn borough President; Mel Dick, Senior Vice President, Southern Wine & Spirits; Harvey Chaplin, Chairman & CEO, Southern Wine & Spirits; Roberta Chaplin; Josh Lockwood, Executive Director of Habitat, NYC; Spike Lee; and Ian Crystal, Brand Director, Absolut. Southern Wine & Spirits Chairman and CEO Harvey Chaplin—himself a Brooklyn native—delivered jokes and remarks at the launch ceremony, which took place at a Habitat for Humanity site, a project supported by Absolut in both labor donated by the Absolut team and a check for $50,000. —Lana Bortolot july 2010 / the tasting panel / 81 PHOTO: LANA BORTOLOT PHOTO: LANA BORTOLOT