Review: Absolut Tabasco Vodka Is a Spicy, Meme-Worthy Delight

(Photo: Pernod Ricard)

Fireball has finally met its match.

In January, Sweden’s Absolut Vodka surprised drinkers with the debut of Absolut Tabasco, a boozy twist on the world-famous vinegar bomb of a hot sauce. Now available just about everywhere spirits are sold, the product forgoes added sugars for a natural essence derived from the fermented, aged red pepper mash used in the Tabasco recipe. It’s an eyebrow-raising premise to say the least — and we immediately knew we had to give it a shot.

Though spicy spirits have always been a hot commodity, the category was until recently mostly known for hangover-inducers like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire and Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind — dorm room party fodder for people who, by and large, don’t like alcohol. Trends of the day have since given the market a hard shake. The popularity of hot sauce interview shows, One Chip challenges and the overall fascination with blisteringly high Scoville units has ushered in a new era of spicy pepper spirits, designed to have more in common with an actual, bona fide jalapeño than melted candy in a bottle.

Designed for sipping by the fireplace, however, these products usually aren’t. Of the handful we’ve tried, the results have ranged from middling to downright atrocious. The ghost pepper-infused Ghost Tequila provides little more than heat and agave syrup flavor, while New Amsterdam’s limited-edition collaboration with Hot Ones reminded us why it’s never a good idea to pay $11 for a bottle of liquor. Other stabs at the concept include Fiero Habanero (not half bad) and Truly Hot Wing Sauce Seltzer (need we say more?).

All of this is to say, Absolut Tabasco has been a long time coming. A superstar distiller was bound to collaborate with a superstar hot sauce maker at some point or another, if not to make a best-selling product, then to at least go viral on social media. Based on Total Wine’s top sellers charts, Absolut Tabasco is already both.

We received an early preview in the mail and were immediately impressed by the attention to detail. The brands have gone to great lengths to recreate the likeness of a Tabasco bottle in 750-milliliter form, complete with a green cork wrap, a red background and the McIlhenny Co. stamp of approval front and center. The spirit is bottled at 38% ABV and is, according to the label, two and a half spicy marks out of five. And in case you’re wondering: The spirit itself is as clear as vodka, not as red as hot sauce.

The liquid leaps out of the glass with a pungent, all-consuming scent. A puff of spicy pepper clogs the nose, followed by a lingering funk and a trace of sweetness that reminded me of Sweet Thai Chili potato chip seasoning. It’s right up there alongside tuna sandwiches as the last thing you’d want to crack open on a crowded train ride.

The palate more than delivers on that musty promise. Cayenne pepper dominates alongside a bit of that fermentation zing that Tabasco is known for. Surprisingly, though, I didn’t get much of the vinegar punch that elevates the brand’s standard hot sauce to iconic status. It’s there if you go looking for it, but it’s nowhere near as pronounced as expected. The sweet-and-sour vibes are instead replaced by a hit of earth that tastes like a pile of freshly ground black pepper. The flavor lingers at the back of the throat for ages, alongside a heaping tablespoon of cayenne spice.

Though it isn’t a one-to-one imitation of the Tabasco profile, there’s plenty to like here. Most importantly (for me at least), it has none of the cinnamon jelly bean flavor associated with far too many of these products. Instead, its spice is sharp, brisk and gritty, tasting about as fresh as it gets for a $20 vodka.

I reviewed this spirit as I would any other  — poured into a Glencairn glass, swirled and sipped slowly, then repeated again after a couple of days to shore up my opinions. Needless to say, that’s not what God intended.

Take a round of shots with friends, marvel at the memeable bottle and splash it into an extravagantly garnished Bloody Mary or two for best results. If you’re intrigued by the premise of “Absolut” and “Tabasco” written side by side on a label, then you won’t be disappointed.

Read Our Full Review of Absolut Tabasco