Absolut
Åhus, Sweden
Continuous column distillation on Swedish winter wheat, all of it made in one town. No added sugar in the original, though the flavoured range is a different product entirely.
- Filtration
- Carbon
- Grains
- winter wheat
- Congeners
- Very Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 98
- Sugar
- 0g
14g ethanol at 40% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No added sugar or additives in the original
- ✓Single-source wheat and water
What to watch
- !Wheat base, so not a safe pick for the severely gluten-sensitive
- !The flavoured line is sugared and should not be read as the same drink
Factor by factor
Congeners Very Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Very Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Absolut runs a continuous column still rather than a set number of batch passes, which is why you will never see a credible “distilled N times” figure on the bottle. The rectification is effectively endless while the still is running, and the result is a spirit at the neutral end of the category.
The thing to watch with Absolut is not the original but everything beside it on the shelf. The flavoured range is where the sugar lives, and the bottles look near-identical.
Absolut questions
How many calories are in a shot of Absolut? ▾
About 98 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 40% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Absolut have sugar? ▾
No. Absolut has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Absolut gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Absolut is distilled from wheat, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What is Absolut made from? ▾
Absolut is made from winter wheat and filtered through carbon.
What proof is Absolut? ▾
Absolut is 80 proof, which is 40% alcohol by volume.
Does Absolut give you a bad hangover? ▾
Absolut scores 2/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 2/10 for vodka overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Absolut vegan? ▾
Yes. Absolut is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.