Message on a bottle

Arguably the most recognisable vodka brand in the world, Absolut has a proud tradition of turning its iconic bottle over to artists and designers for limited-edition collaborations that have attracted an army of devoted collectors over the years. 

It’s a tradition that started back in 1985 when Andy Warhol paired with the brand to create a portrait of the bottle that would go on to become one of the most successful advertising campaigns of the twentieth century. Since then, over 600 artists, from Keith Haring and Damien Hirst to comic-book artist Jamie Hewlett and pop icon Lady Gaga have created original works to grace the outside of the classic ‘medicine bottle’.

Pop Art

With Absolut World, a limited-edition bottle created exclusively for travellers, this rich tradition is continued in a collaboration with Swedish artist and illustrator Kari Modén. Inspired by Pop Art and the rich vibrant colours of South American poster art, Modén’s distinctive style is the perfect vehicle for Absolut World’s rallying cry for global unity. Playful and decorative, with a sense of the avant-garde that Warhol might well have enjoyed, the brand have even replaced the bottle’s trademark medallion with a pattern representing a world map.

Modern classic

Behind the distinctive bottle design, the vodka inside is reassuringly familiar. All Absolut vodkas come from the same distillery in Åhus, southern Sweden, and contain only locally grown wheat, no added sugars and water from the brand’s original, deep well. It’s this sense of continuity with the past and original distiller Lars Olsson Smith’s innovative recipe and process that have made the brand such an integral part of our collective drinking culture.

Available exclusively from selected duty-free outlets worldwide, pick up a bottle now. Who knows? It could be a collector’s item soon.