- 2015
- Worldwide
- Core release
In 2015, Absolut looks to the future and makes a new mark by introducing a freshly redesigned bottle – an icon for the future made by a passionate group of creatives who push boundaries in their pursuit of perfection.
Since its launch in 1979, the Absolut Vodka bottle has stood out for its shape. The new bottle is a transformation of the original, featuring an updated two line logo, a new script, a redesigned medallion, reduced glass weight and a new brand signifier. To update what was already seen as a perfect bottle, Absolut brought together a group of creatives including a master illustrator and master calligrapher, each adding their mark to the new bottle through their own pursuit of perfection.
A trendsetter among the design community, the Absolut Vodka bottle is already respected all over the world. The bottle refresh was done in collaboration with Brand Union, which accepted the challenge to create an icon for the future. One of the most significant updates was to add a brand signifier to the back of the bottle, adding a bold, new short hand for the Absolut brand. The iconic shape of the bottle has been strengthened to feature more clearly defined shoulders, straightened neck and body, and a flattened bottom, while also using a reduced glass weight to minimize environmental impact.
Crafted by a group of creatives working towards the same goal of perfection – just like Absolut Vodka itself – the new bottle is the brand’s latest expression of its dedication to quality.
Absolut Vodka was first launched in New York in 1979. It soon became the talk of the town, in the US and eventually of the world. But the recipe behind the clean and natural taste of Absolut is actually older than 30 years. So is the 18th century medicine bottle found in an antique store in Stockholm, Sweden that gave inspiration to the iconic Absolut Vodka bottle.
Absolut Vodka is a Swedish vodka made exclusively from natural ingredients, and unlike some other vodkas, it doesn’t contain any added sugar. In fact Absolut is as clean as vodka can be. Still, it has a certain taste: Rich, full-bodied and complex, yet smooth and mellow with a distinct character of grain, followed by a hint of dried fruit.
In 1879, Lars Olsson Smith introduced the continuous distillation with which he made Absolut Rent Brännvin. Instead of the usual three or four times, the vodka was distilled an infinite number of times. 100 years later, it was reintroduced as Absolut. Just as then, Absolut is produced in Åhus, L.O. Smith’s birth town. Also the place where the wheat used for making the vodka is grown. And since the way Absolut is made won’t change, neither will the true taste of vodka.
The main ingredients in Absolut Vodka are water and winter wheat. The water comes from a deep well in Åhus where it’s protected from impurities. Winter wheat differs from other crops: it’s sown in fall, and harvested the next one. Days in between it grows under the Swedish snow developing its hard grain. Also, the use of fertilizers is minimized.