This Supremely Spicy Absolut Vodka Is Made With Real Tabasco Sauce
Comin’ in hot.
Hot sauce lovers, rejoice: A taste of the good stuff is set to heat up bar carts across the globe with the launch of new Absolut x Tabasco Vodka, which fuses a zest for spice with smooth vodka in every sip.
Fashioned from an essence that’s completely and perhaps surprisingly all-natural, the vodka (which clocks in at 38 percent ABV) takes Tabasco’s famous aged and fermented red pepper mash and fuses it with equally iconic Absolut vodka. Absolut x Tabasco Vodka boasts no added sugar and is also gluten-free, “but now with just the right amount of spice,” Absolut owner Pernod Ricard said in a statement.
Debuted in a zesty campaign spot that quite literally brings the heat by serving Absolut on the rim of a fiery volcano, the launch comes as Absolut notes that spicy vodka sales are forecast to increase 27 percent by 2029. Tabasco’s legendary hot sauce, long a kitchen staple, found a natural synergy with the acclaimed vodka maker, the Louisiana company said. Reclaimed oak barrels and three years of aging lend Tabasco its legendary flavor, while Absolut relies on continuous distillation and is still produced in the southern Sweden village of Ahus.
“With more than 150 years of pepper expertise, it only made sense for us …to partner with ABSOLUT Vodka, another brand with a storied history that understands and cares about the craft that goes into its product,” said Christian Brown, Head of Agriculture and 6th generation family member of the McIlhenny Company, Tabasco’s makers. “TABASCO… exists to light up everything we touch.”
The possible serving options for Absolut x Tabasco Vodka should ramp up the heat considerably and prove highly delectable and versatile, especially as far as traditional brunch cocktails are concerned. Absolut recommends swapping in Absolut x Tabasco Vodka in place of traditional vodka for a Spicy Bloody Mary or better still, a Vodkarita or a tantalizing Spicy Lemonade. The vodka also delivers pleasing heat all on its own, as Maxim found out during a recent taste test.
Complete with Tabasco’s historic diamond label and delivered in an eye-catching co-branded bottle, this luxe-yet-affordable vodka (suggested retail price: $25.99) boasts a “bold, fiery and pleasant heat experience” sure to please hot sauce fans and vodka enthusiasts globally.