Absolut Blue Vodka

Absolut Blue is a 40% ABV Swedish vodka made in the town of Åhus from locally grown winter wheat. The grain base is what you taste in a vodka like this. Wheat spirits usually come across as soft and slightly creamy, with a faint grainy sweetness and a little white pepper on the finish. Expect a clean profile with no added flavoring or sweetness, so it stays in the background of a drink instead of competing with it. These are typical traits of the style, not measured notes for this bottle. The brand's history goes back to 1879, when Lars Olsson Smith introduced it as Absolut Rent Brännvin, "absolutely pure vodka." His portrait is on the silver medallion of the bottle, which keeps the apothecary shape the brand is known for. The neutral, wheat-soft character suits mixed drinks. In a Martini, whether gin-free and dry or with a splash of dry vermouth and a lemon twist, it gives a smooth, lightly rounded base. Its clean spirit lets the ginger bite and lime of a Moscow Mule come through, and it doesn't fight the tomato, horseradish and spice in a Bloody Mary. A Cosmopolitan relies on a restrained base to keep the cranberry, lime and orange liqueur in balance. In an Espresso Martini, a neutral vodka keeps the coffee and sugar in front, so the drink doesn't pick up extra flavor of its own. For sipping neat, keep the bottle in the freezer. At 40% ABV it won't freeze solid, and the cold thickens the texture and tones down any alcohol heat. Serve it well chilled in a small stemmed glass or a martini glass, or pour it over a large cube in a rocks glass with a twist of lemon. Salty and briny foods go well with it, such as smoked fish, olives, cured meats and shellfish.