Absolut Vodka Everybody knows that the Russian and Polish national spirit, made from rye malt and often potato starch, is vodka. However, one of the most popular premium vodkas on todays market actually comes from Sweden, first appearing in 1979.
The brands advertising has become as iconic as Coca-Cola’s. Fourty percent of imported vodka bought by Americans is Absolut of some variety. Still, the recent explosion of premium vodkas has resulted in something of a fragmented market and weakened Absolut’s stranglehold.