IMBIBE

ABSOLUT Pinstripe Decanter

Hand-blown by Swedish glass artisans in Reijmyre, this is not your average ABSOLUT bottle. Limited to a run of 800, the stylized crystal decanter comes with two matching pinstriped tumblers and is sure to skew towards the higher end of the iconic vodka brand’s price range. Design aside, this is a nice attempt by a vodka category to reclaim a classic bartop accessory normally reserved for the likes of single malts and vintage reds.

Ryesenberg Rye - Concept Packaging

New from Israeli designer David Riesenberg comes a brilliantly nuanced piece of concept work concerning his own brand of imaginary rye whiskey. Despite the obvious aesthetic advantages to Mr. Riesenberg’s design, it yields a great deal of ethos as well. Suitable for small run premium batches, according to the designer, “the label is a piece of the actual barrel the whiskey was aged in. Following a process of drying, pressing and silk screening the label is attached to the bottle and can be removed to be used as a coaster or simply as a collectible once the bottle goes dry. Each piece is naturally unique, maintaining the black color from the charring process and slight aroma.” David’s concept includes some nifty OOH pieces as well including a branded coaster. Now if only it could get manufactured in reality!  

Veuve Clicquot Origami Ice Bucket

New from Veuve Clicquot comes a brilliant little promotional piece in the form of an origami ice bucket. Constructed from fully foldable, water-resistant material, the bucket is the brainchild of the aesthetically-oriented champagne brand and Belgian designer Mathias van de Walle. Complete with instructions and a bottle of bubbly, this fully-foldable chilling device can be easily carried with the lucky recipient anywhere they go, just incase there’s a sparkling wine-related emergency.

Emergency Cocktail Station

New from urbancase comes a witty, tongue-in-cheek nod to the classic “emergency” first aid kit that every school, office and home has tucked away in a corner somewhere. Crafted completely out of a smooth, beautiful lacquered MDF and designed by Darin Montgomery, this emergency kit caters towards a different kind of crisis: the urgent need for a hand-crafted cocktail. Providing the ideal storage space for liquor, glassware, and tools - the “Emergency Cocktail Station” doesn’t come cheap. Retailing for $850, the sleek, stark and humorous design is available now through Design Public.

ABSOLUT BLANK Artist Series

The ABSOLUT Vodka bottle’s kaleidoscopic range of iterations in print ads, short film pieces and throughout copious collaborations have made the liquor brand’s basic container a valuable asset and a veritable canvas for aspiring artists across the globe. Honing in on a marketing opportunity, ABSOLUT selected 18 creatives to get involved with ABSOLUT BLANK - a project that pretty self-explanatorily asks each participant to lend a visual makeover to a model of one of the brand’s standard, blank vodka bottles. The eclectic results include the intricate and surreal work of Good Wives and Warriors, energetic collage imagery from Mario Wagner, graphic design from Robert Mars and bright, geometric artwork from UVA, among others. Simply a great idea, ABSOLUT BLANK demonstrates how the venerable vodka brand has managed to once again leverage one of their most basic commodities - their bottle - as a trademark. It may not be tall, slender, glossy or frosted; but the ABSOLUT bottle makes for an ideal blank canvas for artists of all kinds. At the end of the day, that’s a lot more valuable than a luxurious or high-end perceived brand value. Art as commerce - Warhol would have been proud. 

Check out more from ABSOLUT BLANK here.