Absolut and Uber joined together to give four lucky customers the opportunity to hop on board a private jet and fly to a secret location for an exclusive party in August. The then ‘secret’ location was revealed to be Ibiza. The competition formed part of Absolut’s #AbsolutNights campaign, the ethos of which stresses that the best nights happen out of the blue. In order to be eligible for the "24 hours of fun and spontaneity" promised by the vodka and transport brands, the winners had to be registered Uber users and be local to London. The event was hosted by TV and radio presenter Arielle Free, as well as Absolut’s own brand ambassador and mixologist Rico Dynan.
In May, Dutch vodka brand Ketel One opened its doors and invited guests to Brunswik House for a series of family-themed suppers. The three-day event was designed to celebrate the family that we're born into, as well as the family we create. Dishes on the menu were designed by chef Jackson Boxer and were intended to pay homage to Ketel One's own family heritage. The menu focused on classic recipes, each with a key twist. Guests could choose meals like squid alla vodka with caviar, dry aged brisket with horseradish panna cotta and rhubarb and ginger compote with pistachio.
Grey Goose’s global ‘Boulangerie Bleue’ pop-up launched in June this year, and gave guests an experience of the French Riviera wherever they were in the world. Having kicked off in New York’s Battery Park in June, the vodka brand provided french-themed music, artisan breads – courtesy of Adam Leonti at Brooklyn Bread Lab – and cocktails crafted by some of the city’s best bartenders. As well as New York, the pop-up toured cities including Vancouver, Venice and Paris.
The Black Cow Saloon
Pure milk vodka brand Black Cow staged an activation at this year’s Port Eliot Festival in July. The brand brought its ‘Black Cow Saloon’ to the festival, which served vodka cocktails and hand-crafted cider and lager. Keen to push the Wild West theme, the wooden saloon bar was surrounded by live music from house band The Flats and Sharps. DJs were also on site, spinning country, jive and blues throughout the weekend. Black Cow , which took place in Flintshire in September.
Smirnoff House returned to Creamfields festival over the August Bank Holiday. Billed as the "ultimate house party" experience, the house gave visitors the opportunity to see some of the best DJs the festival had to offer and even mix their own drinks at the bar. It was also a chance for Smirnoff to showcase its new brand, Smirnoff Ice Double Black with guarana – a pre-mixed drink featuring Smirnoff vodka, soda and guarana.
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