Absolut Collaborated with Tabasco on a New Flavored Vodka
Despite the explosion in whiskey’s popularity over the past decade, vodka still reigns supreme as far as sales (even though, overall, people are drinking less and buying less booze). That’s because most vodka is generally thought to be devoid of flavor and used as an alcohol delivery vessel, a perception that both large and small brands have been attempting to change over the years by trying to show that their vodka actually has flavor (and some of it really does). Of course, then there is flavored vodka, a popular category that just got a boost with the introduction of a new collaboration between Sweden’s Absolut and New Orleans-based hot sauce Tabasco.
The good news is that this vodka actually tastes like Tabasco, which, after all, is the whole point. According to the Pernod Ricard-owned brand, Absolut Tabasco is not made by dumping a bunch of hot sauce into a vat of vodka and stirring. Instead, the spirit is infused with “a unique and completely natural essence created from the fermented, aged red pepper mash used to make Tabasco Sauce”—the same mash that is barrel-aged and used to make Tabasco. Unlike many other vodkas, even ones that aren’t flavored, there is no sugar added to the spirit, and it actually packs a spicy kick.
“Absolut has never been afraid to mix things up or shy away from bold moves and flavor,” said Caroline Begley, U.S. VP of marketing for Absolut. “We’re proud to partner with another icon and one of the world’s leading hot sauce brands to add a spicy kick to both classic and trending vodka cocktails.”
It should be noted this is not the first Tabasco-spirit collaboration to see the light of day, but it’s much more successful than the last one. Tennessee brand George Dickel released a Tabasco barrel-finished whiskey back in 2018, and it was . . . not very well received. This vodka is much better than that, and will be available starting this month at retailers around the country (SRP $25).
Also of note, the Spirits Business reported that the family-run company that owns Tabasco, McIlhenny Company, filed a lawsuit against Stoli Group claiming that its new Stoli Halapeno Pepper flavored vodka infringes upon its trademark. Apparently, Stoli was in talks with McIlhenny in 2024 about releasing a vodka collab, but that didn’t come to fruition. Stoli has other problems at the moment as well: Stoli Group USA and Kentucky Owl both filed a motion to convert Chapter 11 bankruptcies to Chapter 7 liquidation, something that is still in process.
