Type Vodka Introduced 1879 Website absolut.com | Country of origin Åhus, Sweden Proof (US) 80 - 100 | |
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Manufacturer V&S Group (Pernod Ricard) | ||
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is owned by French group Pernod Ricard; it bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 from the Swedish state. Absolut is the third largest brand of alcoholic spirits in the world after Bacardi and Smirnoff, and is sold in 126 countries.
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History
Absolut was established in 1879 by Lars Olsson Smith and is produced in Åhus, Sweden. Smith challenged the city of Stockholm's liquor marketing monopoly with his vodka. It was sold just outside the city border at a lower price than the monopoly's product. Smith even offered free boat rides to the distillery and "Rent Brännvin" made Smith a fortune.
In 1917, the Swedish government monopolized the country's alcohol industry. Vodka was then sold nationwide under the name "Absolut Rent Brännvin". The name changed with intervals, Renat Brännvin or Absolut Rent Brännvin. In 1979, the old name Absolut was picked up when the upper-price range ABSOLUT VODKA was introduced. Renat is still a euphemism for spirits in Sweden, and the name of another vodka product by Vin & Sprit.
Absolut Vodka was introduced to the global market in 1979. Since its launch, Absolut has grown to sell over 90 million litres of vodka annually by 2008. The vodka is made from winter wheat. Approximately 80,000 metric tons (2,900,000 bushels) of wheat are used annually to produce Absolut Vodka. Over one kilogram of grain is used in every one-liter bottle.
Advertising controversy
In 2007, Absolut began its "In An Absolut World" campaign in which the company posted various, often fanciful scenarios of what the target audience might think would constitute a perfect, or "Absolut", reality.
In 2008, an ad placed in Mexican publications and on Mexican billboards featured a map of the U.S. and Mexico with the boundaries between the two as they were prior to the 1836 Texas Revolution and the Mexican–American War. Media outlets reported on some American consumers' reactions at the ad's perceived insensitivity to immigration issues. Absolut responded that the ads were purely whimsical, with no political or nationalist agenda, but its critics were adamant. Absolut later issued a public apology and withdrew the ad.