Pearing up for 2007

Distillers are hoping 2007 will be a peach of a year. The folks at Absolut are hoping pear also will figure into the equation.

That's because Absolut plans to introduce a pear-flavored vodka to the market in january, 20 years after launching its first flavored vodka, Absolut Peppar.

"We constantly have 'flavorists' on the hunt for all the new scents, flavors and tastes, and pear was ripe for us," said Jeffrey Moran, spokesperson for The Absolut Spirits Co.

The Absolut Pear bottle design incorporates the shape of a pear. It will launch with a print campaign featuring a green snake wrapped around an Absolut Pear bottle with the tagline "The New Temptation."

The flavor of pear -- particularly in brandies and some premium malt beverages -- is popular in Europe, so Absolut thinks the new beverage will work there. It's not quite as common in the U.S., but there is a slight groundswell of pear-flavored drinks.

Most popular at the moment is pear-flavored brandy from Oregon's Clear Creek Distillery which took a double gold medal at the 2000 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its eau de vie de poire. Clear Creek also makes a limited-production $80 Pear-in-the-Bottle product, growing the fruit inside the bottle and then filling it with pear eau-de-vie.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.