Where to Buy Hot Sauce Flavored Vodka Online

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Absolut has long led the charge when it comes to flavored vodkas, but the popular Swedish brand is turning up the heat with an unexpected new collaboration with Tabasco.

The aptly-named ABSOLUT TABASCO infuses the vodka brand's premium distilled liquid with a new and natural “essence” created from the fermented, aged red pepper mash that's used to make Tabasco sauce. The result: a unique chili pepper-flavored vodka expression that's approachable yet unexpected, at once spicy and refined.

Absolut officially unveiled its new vodka collaboration last month, with an invite-only preview for select press at the brand's distillery in Åhus, Sweden. There, journalists and tastemakers got to sample the new liquid on its own (tastes smooth and creamy with a kick at the end); in a Bloody Mary (perhaps the best way to experience the sweet, spicy and savory notes of ABSOLUT TABASCO); and in other cocktails, like a twist on a dirty martini, and a refreshing spicy lemonade (made with ABSOLUT TABASCO, fresh-squeezed lemonade and a tajin rim).

Absolut calls vodka the “perfect vessel to elevate and enhance flavor,” owing to its clean and smooth taste that doesn't overpower flavors. Indeed, just as Tabasco still uses just three ingredients — red peppers, salt and vinegar — Absolut still makes its vodka from local well water, winter wheat grown by local farmers in Åhus, and a proprietary strain of yeast. Vodka of course, isn't aged like some spirits, but Tabasco actually ages and ferments its pepper mash in reclaimed oak barrels for up to three years to bring out its fullest range of flavors.

Talks between the two brands started last summer and quickly accelerated into an official collaboration by fall. Bottles were still being filled and shipped last month, but they've since landed in select retail stores and online at sites like Total Wine (you'll want to hurry though — Total Wine says that ABSOLUT TABASCO is a current best-seller and moving fast).

The collaborative bottle draws from both brands' motifs, with Absolut's instantly-recognizable apothecary-inspired shape merging with Tabasco's iconic diamond label, and red and green colorway. A green topper nods to the Tabasco bottle's green plastic wrapping. Though the liquid is clear, the label gives the appearance of a red hue under certain lighting conditions. A and surprising fitting coincidence: Absolut uses the same glassmaker for its bottles as Tabasco.

In a press release, Absolut says the new release “is the perfect way to add heat to any occasion: from game-day gatherings and convivial brunches to music festivals and nights out. Each ABSOLUT TABASCO serve delivers a smooth vodka accented with a heat that builds, leaving a warm, lingering tingle on the lips with every sip.”

“We are thrilled to bring the unique flavor of TABASCO Sauce to ABSOLUT's smooth premium vodka,” adds Kate Neuhaus, Director of Global Marketing Communications at McIlhenny Company, owners of Tabasco. “We share a rich heritage and a commitment to quality – and this new partnership is a testament to both.”

As for Absolut, their team says it expects ABSOLUT TABASCO to be as popular as its bestselling ABSOLUT CITRON vodka (flavored with lemon and lime).

“The premium vodka category has been growing over the last five years and brands like Absolut are democratizing cocktails for people,” says Stéphanie Durroux, CEO of Clear Spirits and RTDs at Absolut owner Pernod Ricard. The reason: “Spirits deliver an experience and variety that neither wine nor beer can offer,” she says.

“Absolut is an iconic brand and so this partnership with another iconic brand like Tabasco is spot on,” adds Craig Ven Nikkerk, the Global VP of Marketing for Absolut Vodka. “Tabasco is something people are already familiar with,” he says, adding that “the goal is for ABSOLUT TABASCO to be an instant classic.”