The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2016

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Justin Wagner, bartender at PS450 in New York City, mixes up a ABOSLUT Mule. by Lana Bortolot / photos by Evan Sung In the spirit of "what goes around comes around," vodka is having its moment. Again. And ABSOLUT, bolstered by a recent increase in sales, is ready to ride. As the overall vodka category rebounds from sluggish sales, ABSOLUT's improved performance has given the brand a boost. Nielsen reported an increase by 1.9% in national sales in the last six months, with ABSOLUT Original accounting for 4.3%, reflect- ing a turn-away from flavored vodkas in general. Noting that vodka in the U.S. is "unbelievably competi- tive," Craig Johnson, ABSOLUT's VP of Marketing at Pernod's ABSOLUT unit, told a British trade publication, "One of the big shifts that we can see happening is a real focus on unflavored vodka," he said, adding, "We probably pushed things too far in our flavored approach." Many brands followed the flavor wagon, and for a time, the market was saturated with flavors that complemented—and many that didn't. "[T]oday, we can see consumers coming back to the original expression," Johnson told Just-Drinks.com, a trade site based in the U.K. A revamping of the brand's "ABSOLUT Nights" campaign and a new focus on retro cocktails, set to launch this summer, will put "a lot of fun back into drinking," ABSOLUT executives said. Helping to helm the newly charged ship is Kevin Denton, National Mixologist for Pernod Ricard, based in New York City. Denton says the brand's heritage, which hinges on authenticity and sustainability, "resonates in a world where craft has become the buzzword." Denton said ABSOLUT's distillery—"one of the most sustainable on the planet"—is carbon neutral, with everything made in one place and the water coming from one place. He said while the company had been doing this for more than 20 years, its long-time mission is only more relatable now. "What's also working to its advantage is that the brand never strayed from its original integrity—it hasn't reformulated or put a bunch of bottling plants all over the planet . . . and hasn't changed to 'now we're gluten free' [messaging]," Denton said. "It's just been trucking along making great vodka since its inception, and there's something to be said for a brand that was always arrow-straight with its mission." Though now considered classic, Denton notes, "ABSOLUT was not a heritage brand—it was a new, disruptive brand, but now 30 years have passed, but it's more like the David Bowie of the spirits world—it continues to be relevant and shifts with the times." The summer program in the U.S., features re-dos of five summer classics that aim to make vodka a playmate during the day: The Beer Shandy, Chabela, Sparkling Lemonade, Half & Half (think Arnold Palmer) and the anchor of the program, the ABSOLUT Mule, served in the iconic copper cup. Five flavors, plus ABSOLUT Original form the backbone of the program: Ruby Red, Mango, the tasting panel

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