Absolut: The Vodka with Nothing to Hide

Absolut Vodka is showcasing a stunning stand at this year’s Bar Convent in Berlin on 10-11 October, with the message, ‘The Vodka with Nothing to Hide’. The interactive stand will give visitors the chance to learn more about Absolut being the world’s most energy efficient distillery[1]. There will also be the opportunity to speak to the brand’s sustainability gurus and sample the delicious and sustainable, ‘Milk Punch & Ice Cream’ serve.

Anna Schreil, VP Operations at Absolut Vodka, comments: “Sustainability is in our heritage and has always been integral to the brand. We believe that producers have a duty to act responsibly and that sustainability is a key principle at the heart of any progressive society. That’s why we are proud to be CO₂ neutral[2] and transparent about our processes.

“We have always worked closely with our farmers and have an unwavering commitment to the local community and environment, to ensure sustainability always remains central when we make any decisions about our vodka. We are, ‘The Vodka with Nothing to Hide’ and it’s a message that is so important to consumers and one which we feel truly differentiates us.”

Absolut Vodka works in a number of ways to act sustainably:

One Source - The Absolut Distillery is in Åhus, Southern Sweden. This is where every single drop of Absolut Vodka comes from. We call it One Source – the very heart and soul of the unique production process, guaranteeing impeccable quality from seed to bottle.

One Source enables us to have a carefully designed, climate conscious production process and facilities that have been developed over generations to be as energy efficient as possible.

Winter Wheat - When we started producing Absolut Vodka in 1979, we decided to use winter wheat because of the smoother character of vodka we wanted to produce. But it also produces a high yield, so less farmland is needed, which allows us to use approximately half as much land as the global average for growing wheat.

Wholesome Water - In southern Sweden, we have direct access to one of the most pristine water sources. Our distillery is located above an underground aquifer, which means we can draw clean, naturally filtered water from wells as deep as 140 metres. Our commitment to reducing water usage means we are using 23% less to produce 1 litre of vodka than in 2001 and our goal is to decrease use by a further 13% by 2020.

Efficient Usage of By-Products - We ensure all of our by-products are put to good use. 250,000 pigs and 40,000 cows are fed every day with stillage from our distillation process, some of the CO₂ we produce is collected and recycled to make the bubbles in your soda maker and we utilise recycled steam to run the distillery.

Schreil concludes: “For 2040, we hope to achieve One Sustainable Circular Source with zero emissions, zero waste and 100% recycling. We will continue to showcase our work to inspire others to increase their efforts in sustainability and we happily invite others to inspire us. We will continue to be transparent and brave, as we are, ‘The Vodka with Nothing to Hide’. We really look forward to speaking to visitors about sustainability at Bar Convent this week.”

Please contact Suzanne Surridge or Amy Searle at Cirkle for further information on 01494 731750 or at firstname.surname@cirkle.com

About the stand: Absolut Vodka is working with UK brand and experience design agency Contagious, to bring its sustainability story to life at this year’s Bar Convent Berlin. Contagious is responsible for

developing, curating and interpreting all educational material for Absolut, including the renowned Akademi programmes in Åhus, where Absolut is produced.

About the convention: Since the start in 2007, Bar Convent Berlin has grown into one of the leading international trade fairs for the bar and beverages industry. The organizers anticipate more than 12,000 visitors over the two days of the trade fair. This year, more than 1,000 brands and exhibitors will attend the fair, and the organizers expect more than 10,000 visitors.