This article was initially published in the May issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe, click here.
The vodka category has endured a challenging time of late, pushed out of the limelight by gin, then hit by bad PR due to the war in Ukraine. The global thirst for botanicals, however, has sent interest in flavoured expressions rocketing.
In the late 1980s, flavoured vodka really caught the public eye, though not necessarily for the right reasons. There was a tendency for headline-grabbing concoctions based on sweet confections, such as bubblegum or peanut butter & jelly, before sliding into the savoury with the seemingly unlikely likes of bacon or smoked salmon flavours.
While some of these flavours have endured – bacon variants are widely touted as perfect for a Bloody Mary – the current inclination is towards more subtle and, arguably, more sophisticated flavours, using infusions much like early consumers of vodka in Russia and Eastern Europe would have preferred, to take the edge off the harshness of the alcohol.
Indeed, much like they were for those early consumers, fruits, herbs and spices are mainly the basis for such infusions. Pernod Ricard’s Absolut brand is credited with releasing the first commercial flavoured vodka in 1986 through the launch of Absolut Peppar in 1986, seven years after the roll-out of the core SKU. Still in production today, the extension was the first clear flavoured vodka to be imported to the US, now the No.1 market for flavoured vodka.
The brand’s website says of the no-added-sugar Peppar: “Since vodka and pepper are the main ingredients in a Bloody Mary, it seemed like a good idea to make things easier for the many Bloody Mary bars popping up in Boston, New York and elsewhere at the time. The idea soon turned out as intended, both for bartenders, who could now make instant Bloody Marys, and for all the fans of the drink.”
Today, Absolut’s flavours are wide-ranging – this year alone, the brand has launched three new flavoured vodkas across three different ranges. “These include Absolut Wild Berri, which is new to our regular flavour range, Absolut Nights Smoky Piña, which is the first in a range of premium shot drinks, and Absolut Sensations Tropical Fruit, which is our first mid-level-ABV vodka,” says Absolut’s VP of business acceleration & planning, Quentin Meurisse.
One of the brand’s latest flavours, Watermelon, saw sales increase 33% in the past three years, according to Meurisse, “so we see a real appetite”.
Thirst for flavours is global and growing
There really is a major appetite for flavours worldwide - most markets are growing and some very strongly. In 2021, the US was up 7.5% on the year prior in volume terms, while Argentina, the sixth-placed market, rocketed 68.7% (albeit from a much smaller base) and Nigeria, at No.10, was up 36.9%, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis figures.
“There's a balance in flavoured vodka between sticky, sweet flavours and flavours based on natural ingredients, mainly fruit,” says IWSR research director Humphrey Serjeantson. “This balance has tended to ebb and flow, but it’s probably fair to say that at present the category is dominated by flavours that would appear at least to be more sophisticated and healthy, as health concerns are increasingly on consumers’ radars. In addition to ‘better-for-me’ values, there's also a perceived sophistication in flavours associated with fruits as opposed to overly sweet flavours in many markets.”
Serjeantson cites the three Absolut flavours mentioned earlier as giving “an idea of the current direction of vodka flavours”.
Flavours and botanicals play into mindful drinking trend
Absolut may be one of the best-known flavoured brands, being present in some 140 markets worldwide, but there are plenty of other players, both large and small, vying for attention with newly-conceived ranges.
Brown-Forman's Finlandia, for example, has a Botanical infusions range comprising Cucumber & Mint and Wildberry & Rose. The brand owner sees botanicals as playing a role in modernising vodka and an area of “promising global innovation”. Global marketing manager Olena Klymenchuk, explains: “Finlandia Botanicals have been introduced in eight markets, experiencing dynamic volume growth year on year. They have unlocked new opportunities in countries where Finlandia is already a leading vodka brand, such as Poland, Czech and Bulgaria, giving us the opportunity to show consumers how vodka can be enjoyed in different ways and in less-traditional vodka occasions.
“We believe this [botanicals] segment will continue developing. We were thoughtful about the consumer trend towards ‘better for me’, with less sugar and lower ABV. Finlandia Botanicals are made using natural botanicals with no added sugar and no artificial flavours. This creates a great base for simple mixes and light cocktails.”
Another Finnish brand, Laplandia Vodka, counts among its flavours indigenous Bilberry, Cloudberry and Lingonberry. The brand's owner, Global Drinks Finland, believes current trends across the wider industry follow the concept that consumers are looking for products that use “real and natural ingredients instead of artificial, and products that are sustainable while tasting good at the same time”.
But, GDF takes a somewhat different approach in its product development.
“If you look at the market leaders in the flavoured vodka category - Absolut, etc - their approach to the taste profile of flavoured vodka was always primarily vodka, with a hint of flavour as secondary," says company co-founder & MD Nadav David, "often without any sugar at all, which would give the vodka an even more overpowering role, leaving the flavour itself in the shadow.
“When we originally launched the flavoured vodka assortment of Laplandia, we wanted to take the opposite approach and make sure the flavour overpowers the taste of the alcohol, so that it's more enjoyable and suits better for cocktails. We managed to do this by using real natural berry juices, for example, as opposed to only flavourings and aromas.”
Flavoured vodka plays well to the mindful and ‘healthier’ drinking movement, and the IWSR’s Serjeantson says the fact that so many lines currently on the market are pointing to fruit flavours and natural ingredients play an important role.
“Low-strength flavoured vodkas have been present for many years, but their growth has been significantly slower than full-strength flavoured vodkas, especially since 2015,” he says. “Given that these lines are made and promoted in the context of mixing, the low-ABV nature of the final drink can come from the mix and doesn’t need to come from the original product."
Vodka makers respond to spicy and savoury cocktail trends
Cocktail culture remains an important domain for flavoured vodka. Bacardi's Grey Goose, for example, states as a commitment “consumers’ evolving tastes through our cocktail strategy, developing signature recipes to create the perfect cocktails that speak to consumers’ desires”.
Those evolving tastes have recently come to embrace spicy flavours, with Grey Goose global VP Martin de Dreuille citing Mintel research showing that “75% of people in the US now enjoy spicy flavours, while a Sainsbury’s study shows that more than one-third of people in the UK have introduced chilli into their diets in the last two years”.
De Dreuille adds: “We’re also seeing savoury and briny flavours, like pickle and tomato, take over on bar menus across the globe. The Dirty Martini, a classic example of a savoury cocktail, is experiencing a resurgence again. In response to these evolving preferences, we're likely to see the vodka market create more subtle botanical and herb flavours that allow these bold flavours to shine in a cocktail, and also make it easier for home bartenders to experiment with these new innovative tastes.”
Alongside its flavoured collection - La Poire, L’Orange and Le Citron - Grey Goose has a lower-ABV Essences range that plays on savoury notes comprising Strawberry & Lemongrass, Watermelon & Basil and White Peach & Rosemary.
‘Innovation’ is a keyword where Smirnoff is concerned. “Vodka really has become one of the most exciting areas of the drinks market," says Diageo's global senior VP for Smirnoff, Stephanie Jacoby. "We’ve experienced 11% global growth in the category over the last 12 months [to the end of June 2022], creating a real feeling that we’re in the midst of a vodka renaissance which is driven, in part, by exciting product innovations.”
Jacoby has also noted the increased interest in spicy flavours: “We’ve also seen more consumers seeking out exciting and unexpected flavours that are more complex than just one ingredient, demonstrated by the popularity of Spicy Tamarind.”
Given consumers’ appetite for innovation, then, we should expect vodka to produce plenty more flavours in the coming months and years.
This article was initially published in the May issue of Global Drinks Intel magazine. For details on how to subscribe, click here.
