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StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q May/June 2014 22 options (or alternative spirits) they must contemplate in the process. The In Crowd T he ability to stand apart from all those bottles is a signifi cant mark of a brand's success. One way that Pernod Ricard's famed Swedish vod- ka, Absolut, has been able to differentiate itself from the pack is through its limit- ed-edition City Series, which launched in 2007 with an ode to New Orleans in the form of mango and black pepper-fl a- vored vodka. Los Angeles, Boston, Brooklyn, San Fran- cisco, Miami and Chicago iterations followed, each with an originally designed bottle that beckoned from retail shelves, and in 2014 it's the Lone Star State's turn. Abso- lut Texas melds the fl avors of bright cucumber and fi ery Serrano chile, and according to Absolut brand director Afdhel Aziz, this annual creative ritual represents an "as- pirational approach in keeping with the premium-ness of the Absolut brand. "Absolut launched Absolut Peppar in 1986 and Ab- solut Citron in 1988, and the brand is considered a pio- neer within the fl avored vodka category," Aziz continues. "However, fl avored vodka is one of the most competitive sectors within spirits, with a new product launched almost every other day." How does Absolut navigate that kind of pressure? By emphasizing what makes the brand unique. To corroborate Bralow's point that sugary additives are giving consumers cause for concern, Aziz singles out one particular point of interest: that Absolut fl avored vodkas are made from a base of natural ingredients. "We believe that the fact no sugar is added is a real differentiator, especially for health-conscious consumers," he says. As the second best-selling vodka in the U.S., Absolut regis- tered sales of 4.44 million 9-liter cases nationally last year. Stoli, now on its own [Stoli USA] after a run in the Wil- liam Grant portfolio, is another renowned brand with an impressive industry past. "Stoli was the fi rst au- thentic, premium vodka to enter the U.S. in the mid-1970s, and we have always committed to producing a qual- ity product," says brand director Sarah Gorvitz. "We are one of the only vodka brands that controls the entire produc- tion from grain to glass." Stoli owns its own wheat and rye fi elds in Russia, and their water source is drawn from an artesian well underneath its own bot- tling facility in Riga, Latvia. To have this kind of connection to location is both rare for such a high-volume vodka brand and perfectly suited to the ever-growing roster of artisanal-minded customers. "Right now, consumers love to re-engage with au- thentic, historic brands. Our challenge on a vodka as iconic as Stoli is to continually reinvent the brand with contemporary twists, products and advertising, making it relevant for today's consumers, while still remaining true Svedka, which is nearing sales of 4 million 9-liter cases nationally, recently launched two new fl avors: Svedka Strawberry Lemonade and Mango Pineapple. The fact that the already saturated vodka category —one cluttered with all these imaginative Å avor hybrids, as well as celebrity-endorsed newcomers, small-batch craft Ä nds and reinvented classics— continues to thrive amid internal and external competition is compelling. Top-selling vodka Smirnoff continued introducing new fl avor expressions to the market, including this Cinna-Sugar Twist. Absolut added to its fl avor lineup last year with Absolut Cilantro.