Vodka Absolut Kurant (Sweden)

The story behind the name Absolut Kurant is black currant, a typical Swedish berry from which the flavour is taken. When launched in 1992 it was a tribute to the Swedish origin of Absolut Vodka. Originally it was even supposed to be called Absolut Vinbär since the Swedish word for black currant is vinbär. Only thing was that the English pronunciation would have been wine bar.

Absolut Kurant is made exclusively from natural ingredients, and unlike some other flavoured vodkas, it doesn’t contain any added sugar. It’s smooth and mellow, with a fruity black currant character and a hint of tartness.

In 1879, Lars Olsson Smith introduced the continuous distillation, with which he made Absolut Rent Brännvin. Instead of the usual three or four times, the vodka was distilled an infinite number of times. Absolut Kurant is made the same way, the only difference is the taste of black currant. And, like the rest of the family, it’s produced in Åhus, L.O. Smith’s birth town. Since the process will never change, neither will the true taste of Absolut Kurant.

The main ingredients in Absolut Kurant are Absolut Vodka and black currant flavour. Absolut Vodka is made from water and winter wheat. The water comes from a deep well in Åhus where it’s protected from impurities. The winter wheat is also grown in Åhus and differs from other crops: it’s sown in fall, and harvested the next one. Days in between it grows under the Swedish snow, developing its hard grain. Also, the use of fertilizers is minimized. Of course, the black currant is as natural as the rest of the ingredients.