Absolut Gangster

The Absolut Gangster is a spirit-forward, stirred cocktail that mixes vodka, French aromatized wine, simple syrup and clove bitters. It’s essentially an Old Fashioned made with vodka instead of bourbon.

“You’re getting that hit of clove; you’re getting all those fresh spices from the Lillet Blanc. With Absolut Vodka, you get that pure butterscotch and taste of the winter wheat,” explains Rico.

“It’s one of the best drinks on the market. I know I created it, but I’m allowed to say it because I’m your favorite bartender’s favorite bartender!” he adds.

The Absolut Gangster was created in 2016 by Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan. As Rico explains in the video, the creation of this drink is what got him the job as Absolut Global Brand Ambassador. The name comes from the fact it’s made with Absolut Vodka.

• Serve it “slightly premature”
  As Rico explains, “You want to stir it until it’s nice and chilled. You can tell by keeping your hand on this mixing glass. Personally, I would say that you want to serve it a little bit premature so that you get the full development of the drink as you sit and sip it.”

• Hollis
  The Hollis is the winter version of the Absolut Gangster. To make the Hollis, simply substitute Lillet Blanc for Lillet Rouge and clove bitters for chocolate bitters.

  Cozy, chocolate-y and delicious, check out the drink recipe for a Hollis.

• Summertime Cookout
  The Summertime Cookout is a summer version of the Absolut Gangster, which uses Lillet Rose instead of Lillet Blanc and grapefruit bitters instead of clove bitters.

  The result is clean, fresh and citrusy with the grapefruit bitters working incredibly well with the vodka. Discover how to make the Summertime Cookout.

• Serve the Absolut Gangster in a short, sturdy glass such as a Rocks Glass or Old-Fashioned glass.

• Place a large ice cube or chunk of piece at the bottom of your glass so that it melts slowly, ensuring minimal dilution while keeping the drink chilled.

• To garnish, we recommend a piece of orange zest. But before dropping it into your glass, give the zest a squeeze to express the oils from the zest.

• Absolut Gangster Pitcher
  If you’ve got a bunch of friends coming over or you’re hosting a party, the Absolut Gangster works incredibly well as a batched cocktail. Here’s how to do it:
  1. Grab a 1 liter bottle of Absolut Vodka.
  2. Pour out 225 ml and set it aside to make four other cocktails another time. 
  3. Add 160 ml Lillet Blanc.
  4. Add 50 ml of rich syrup.
  5. Add 20 dashes of bitters (2 per drink).
  6. Shake the bottle and store it in the fridge
  7. When you’re ready to serve, measure 75 ml of the batched Absolut Gangster and pour it into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes.
  8. Stir to chill and dilute. Using a julep strainer, pour into a rocks glass over a big block of ice and garnish with orange zest.
  9. You get all the praise, and none of the hassle!