Absolut canned passionfruit martini

Source: Absolut Vodka

The NPD has hit shelves at Waitrose (rsp: £2.20/250ml)

Absolut has added a canned passionfruit martini cocktail to its RTD lineup.

Billed as an “expertly mixed” combination of Absolut vodka “with natural flavours of zesty passionfruit and sweet vanilla”, the 5% abv drink offered “a sophisticated taste experience”, it said.

The “stylish” 250ml cans featured a gold silhouette of the brand’s 18th-century medicine bottle for “premium cues and on-shelf standout”, it added.

The NPD recently hit shelves at Waitrose, with a wider retail rollout planned for April (rsp: £2.20/250ml).

Absolut had “become synonymous with the much-loved cocktail and it’s only natural that we’re launching a bar quality pre-mixed format”, said brand director Marnie Corrigan.

The NPD was “a great drink for enjoying at home with friends when you can’t make it out to your local trusted bartender”, she added.

It comes as drinks suppliers are cashing in on the convenience afforded by RTD formats. The category’s overall value was up by £60.9m to £459.1m in the 52 weeks to 11 September 2021 [NielsenIQ].

Absolut last month unveiled a new bottle design across its vodka lines, along with reformulated drinks, in what it claimed was the brand’s “biggest shake-up since its birth in 1979”.