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[title]The save-the-date hinted at it with a phrase that left little room for doubt: chili red touch. Guests were asked to add a red detail to their look, and by 11am on Thursday, August 6, those arriving at the gathering in Costanera Norte were following the dress code to a T.
Some were dressed in red from head to toe, while others opted for a subtler approach, with a scarf, a belt and even chili-pepper-shaped earrings that caught plenty of attention. The meeting point was Mesa Tres restaurant. The reason? The official launch of Absolut Tabasco, the new spicy vodka from the iconic spirits brand, created in collaboration with the world’s most famous hot sauce.
Two giants in a single bottle
“Here we have the fusion of two giants, each in their own field,” explained Mauro Steinberg, Absolut’s brand ambassador in Argentina, from behind the bar. The two giants are a perfect match for Bloody Marys and brunch: premium Swedish vodka and the hot sauce born in Louisiana. “Absolut, the world’s most iconic vodka. And Tabasco sauce, which, for those who like spicy flavors, is one of the best-known around the world,” he added.
The product isn’t about chasing heat for heat’s sake. It is made by combining Absolut with a natural essence, with no added sugar, made from the same fermented and aged red-pepper mash used to produce Tabasco sauce. The result has an ABV of 38% and has been available in more than fifty markets since February, including the United States and the United Kingdom. From now on, it is also available in Argentina.
The collaboration is also reflected in the design. The bottle brings together the two iconic packages in a single container, featuring Tabasco’s signature colors and diamond-shaped label alongside Absolut’s unmistakable apothecary-style silhouette. Behind them are two long histories: the sauce has been produced on Avery Island, Louisiana, since 1868 using just three ingredients, while the vodka is distilled in the small town of Åhus, in southern Sweden, using the same continuous distillation method introduced by its founder in the 1870s.
Steinberg, behind the bar, explained the process: “Red chilies are used, the same ones Tabasco uses for its sauce. The chilies are crushed, salt is added to create a kind of paste, and they are left to age in oak barrels for up to three years,” he explained. “That aged chili is then incorporated after the vodka production, through an infusion or maceration process that gives it its heat.” He also clarified that this is not a spiced spirit like some other products, such as the one the brand once made with pepper. “There used to be products with a peppery touch. Here, we’re truly talking about a spicy product.”
The masterclass and the signature Bloody Mary
The highlight of the midday event was the cocktail masterclass led by Steinberg himself for a group of journalists and influencers. Each guest made their own Bloody Mary, the drink that almost feels like the natural habitat of this vodka. “The Bloody Mary is the perfect match for this product,” the ambassador said.
That’s why making one at home is especially easy: the bottle already contains both the vodka and the heat, so all you need to do is add tomato juice, a splash of lemon juice, season to taste and garnish.
Where spicy cocktails are headed
Beyond the specific launch, the event highlighted a growing trend. Spicy flavors have moved beyond being a niche ingredient and firmly into the world of cocktails, and the numbers back it up. Sales of spicy vodka are estimated to grow by 27% over the next three years. Agustín Giuliani, Prestige Coordinator and Brand Ambassador at Pernod Ricard Southern Cone, placed the launch within a broader search for innovation.
“Absolut is a Swedish vodka and the number one vodka in Argentina, and this collaboration with Tabasco has to do with something we’re always looking for at Pernod Ricard: innovation, whether through the launch of new products or collaborations like this one,” he said. “And it’s not just about creating something spicy, because Tabasco is not only about that. It has many other layers of flavor that can be appreciated and that are in line with what consumers have been looking for.”
The executive emphasized that the growing interest in spicy flavors is finding fertile ground among local palates. “Spicy is on the rise, perhaps more globally, but in Argentina there’s a lot of curiosity, especially when you have a brand like Absolut to amplify it,” he said.
For Giuliani, the strength of the partnership lies in the devotion that both brands inspire individually. “They’re two brands that inspire fanaticism. There are people who have Absolut or Tabasco bottles tattooed on their bodies, people who have Tabasco with every meal or choose Absolut when they go out with friends or to a bar.”
Art, music and a canvas painted with Tabasco
As cocktails came and went, the brunch had its own soundtrack provided by a DJ, along with catering that accompanied each table. In one corner, artist Fernando Lerena was working live on a piece that caught attention for one particular reason: instead of oils or acrylics, he was painting with Tabasco sauce.
“The painting medium itself is Tabasco. That creates a really interesting richness in the different shades of red, which come from the natural chili,” Lerena said, without taking his eyes off the canvas. “You can play with transparency and with the marks created by the sauce.”
The figure taking shape was no coincidence. “The volcano is a very prominent image in Absolut’s campaign with Tabasco. Fire, heat, earth. That was the idea,” explained the artist, who comes from a background in muralism and urban art.
He acknowledged that the unusual material required some experimentation. “It was a huge challenge. I had to get to know the sauce a few days beforehand, and I did some tests on other canvases to see how it would behave.”
Mesa Tres and a Costanera that is reinventing itself
The choice of venue was no coincidence either. Mesa Tres is one of the recent openings changing the face of Costanera Norte, an area that is now establishing itself as a renewed gastronomic corridor.
The restaurant operates under the concept of “social dining,” with several spaces ranging from indoor dining rooms to terraces, a wine cellar and outdoor areas, plus a signature cocktail bar led by Ramiro Ferreri. It is a space designed for lingering, making it a perfect fit for a brand that embraces long toasts and lingering after-meal conversations.
As the event came to a close, with the Costanera in the background and the glasses still tinged red, one thing was clear: Absolut Tabasco isn’t arriving alone. It is riding a wave that combines spicy flavors, signature cocktails and a desire to experiment, just as Buenos Aires palates are beginning to lose their fear of truly spicy flavors.