Absolut Tabasco Flavoured Vodka 1000ml

Absolut has been distilled at Åhus in southern Sweden since 1879, using winter wheat grown on the surrounding plains and water from the town's own deep well. This release hands the flavour brief to Tabasco, the Louisiana hot sauce house, for a chilli vodka with a genuinely savoury edge rather than a novelty burn.

The aroma is bold and spicy, aged red chilli leading with a suggestion of tomato behind it, tangy vinegar acidity and a gentle wisp of smoke. The palate stays savoury: aged red pepper, a briny salt and vinegar lift and a soft sweetness underneath, with a peppery heat that warms without taking over.

Built for the brunch end of the drinks list, it turns a Bloody Mary into a one bottle proposition and adds welcome bite to a Michelada or a spicy Margarita. It also works simply over ice with tomato juice and a squeeze of lemon.