Product: Absolut Ruby Red Producer: Absolut Approximate Retail Value: $20/750 mL Category: Vodka Country of Origin: Sweden Reviewer: R. Pietsch The F Words: Flavor – Slightly sweet, like a grapefruit with Splenda™ sprinkled on it. Feel – Very light with a sharp tinge of alcohol. Finish – Relatively quick, with a bitter citrus bite.

Rating:

Another year, another new product from Absolut. This time, they’re treating us to a grapefruit flavor of vodka. Fortunately, this fruit-infused product is more along the quality of their Absolut Citron than their Raspberri flavor.

As would be expected, this is not a product you’d like to sip straight. Fortunately, it’s doable if you’re up to it. While I wouldn’t exactly recommend a chilled shot of Ruby Red to jumpstart your evening, you won’t find yourself hunched over a sink if a “friend” imposes one on you. It’s a rather clean spirit. It lacks the harsh impurities of other, lesser flavored vodkas. But, the nice thing about this product is it has one of the better flavor profiles of the Absolut product line.

One of the nice things about this product is that it lends itself very well to being mixed with the most common of juices. Things like cranberry or grapefruit go a long way with this one. It’s always fun to go to the Absolut website and see how they recommend serving their products. There, you will find the most mindless as well as the most convoluted Absolut recipes on the planet. But for those of you who don’t have Noilly Prat on hand, try mixing 3 parts Absolut Ruby Red with 1 part sour mix and 1 part grapefruit juice. Shake it and serve with crushed ice. The result is a refreshing cocktail that works perfectly at brunch.

Ruby Red is not as adventurous or interesting as last summer’s release of Absolut Apeach, which found its way into some unique and odd concoctions. Making some of the suggested cocktails took a more extensive collection of mixers than is typically found in a home bar. While few of these Ruby Red drinks scream “perfect for summer” in the way Absolut Apeach Iced Tea did, it’s easy for the most novice of mixers to craft palate-pleasing concoctions. With a basic knowledge of complementary fruit flavors, Absolut Ruby Red will go a long way with your bar.