Absolut Vodka

Absolut vodka is produced entirely in the small Swedish town of Åhus, and ranks among the most recognised names in spirits worldwide. Its story stretches back to nineteenth century distiller Lars Olsson Smith, though the label familiar today was developed for export in the late 1970s. Ownership passed from the Swedish state to French drinks group Pernod Ricard in 2008, yet production has never left Åhus, and its clean lined bottle remains instantly recognisable on bar shelves everywhere.

Every bottle starts with local winter wheat grown on farmland around the distillery, cut with water from Absolut's own deep wells and filtered through Swedish bedrock. The result is a clean, neutral vodka built for mixing, whether that means a simple drink lengthened with a good tonic or mixer, or something more elaborate built around a ready-made pre-mixed cocktail. It is a genuinely versatile bottle, equally at home behind any bar.