Summers in Europe are becoming increasingly hot due to climate change with several southern popular tourist destinations being hit by heat waves and forest fires. Coolcations in northern destinations are becoming increasingly popular. Maybe an idea for the planning of your next gay vacation? I went to Stockholm to refresh. I was mainly curious about what the Sweden’s capital has to offer to LGBTQIA+ tourists. The Scandinavian country has a gay-friendly reputation, taking a top 10 place in the 2026 Rainbow Map of ILGA Europe alongside the other Scandinavian countries. But is Stockholm really hot as gay destination? It was time to take the temperature in person!
A remarkable gay story is how the Swedes turned a stated-owned brand into a global success. We are talking about Absolut Vodka. The brand did not shy away from gay marketing when this wasn’t such a wide-spread phenomenon in the marketing world yet. The love they shared went beyond just promoting the brand to a gay audience. It became an alliance.
To learn more about the history of Absolut Vodka I visited the Spritmuseum in Stockholm, a museum about Swedish drinking culture. They have an exhibition called ‘Absolut Absolut.’ that can be visited until 20 March 2028.
A spirit is born
Absolut Vodka has a history that goes back to the nineteenth century. Absolut was established in 1879 by Lars Olsson Smith. The Swedish government monopolized the country’s alcohol industry however in 1917. Vin & Sprit was founded in that year. The group was owned by the Swedish government and was created to control the production, import and distribution of stronger alcoholic beverages. The real birth of Absolut Vodka took place in 1979, out of necessity to save a distillery in Åhus in the south of Sweden.
Swedes consumed many of the alcoholic products made in Swedish distilleries. In the mid-1970s however Swedish consumers began drinking more imported wines. As a result there was an imbalance between imports and exports. To make things worse the production had been streamlined, so several Swedish distilleries were being shut down. There was a high risk that the distillery in Åhus would be next in line. The Swedish government had to come up with a plan.
Vodka to the rescue
A young assistant of Vin & Sprit was given the task to develop an export product. He made proposals to restore the trade balance and export spirits from Åhus. Vin & Spirit made a thorough decision. They conducted a market analysis. They realized that the American market was thirty times larger than the Swedish one. High-income consumers in the US liked cocktails. It was an emerging trend. In the US there was an increasing demand for clear spirits, unlike in Sweden.
Vin & Sprit chose a clear spirit with a neutral taste that would be ideal as an export product: vodka!
Gay marketing
The advertising agency Carlsson & Broman was commissioned to develop both the identity and design of the new vodka. To make it stand out they introduced the recognizable Absolut Vodka bottle, in a shape inspired by an apothecary flask from the eighteenth century. Absolut Vodka was going to become an upper-price vodka.
The marketing story becomes even more interesting. When the brand was introduced in the US, Absolut Vodka started to identify with gay consumers. Not just out of humanity of course: gays were a financially strong and untapped target group. From 1981 onward, Absolut promoted itself in gay magazines like The Advocate and After Dark. Few other brands dared to do that at the time.
Collaborations
Gay people became loyal consumers of the brand. Prominent artists and designers who collaborated with the brand, enhanced the credibility of the brand. For example the collaboration between Keith Haring and Absolut Vodka.
It does need some nuance: long time the gay advertising wasn’t explicit. It was done in a language that gay people would read but that wouldn’t necessarily shock the outside world because they wouldn’t always understand the gay references that were passed on in the advertising.
It was only in a later stage that Absolut Vodka went all the way with more sexually explicit advertising.
Fearless
When the AIDS epidemic hit the Western world homosexuals were singled out as the source of transmission and homophobia increased. Other brands started to withdraw from advertising in gay media.
Absolut Vodka did not. Actually, they did the opposite. They decided to strengthen their presence. Absolut Vodka actively supported the LGBTQ community and its AIDS-related causes. Over the years Absolut Vodka (and by consequence the Swedish government who owned the brand) contributed significant financial support to research AIDS and HIV.
Global brand
Today Absolut Vodka is no longer the courageous new kid of the block. It’s a global brand and no longer state-owned. The brand is part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Consumers have become much more critical of how brands are constructed. Absolut has certainly supported the gay movement and taken a clear stand for diversity and inclusion. But the purpose was always to buy credibility.
The new challenge is to keep this image but to also proof their claims of inclusion. Action speaks louder than words. At the same time interacting with the consumers will be more important than ever. But I am pretty sure the company behind Absolut Vodka will navigate its way in the new landscape. I don’t see the brand disappearing anytime soon.
Spritmuseum
The Spritmuseum has more temporary exhibitions than just the one on Absolut Vodka. You can also take a quiz about Swedish drinking culture or taste some drinks at the museum’s bar.
However you can’t buy Absolut Vodka in the souvenir shop. What’s more: in Stockholm you won’t even find the artistic bottles for which the brand is known. They can only be purchased online. It all has to do with how Sweden deals with the sale of spirits.
Sweden has a state monopoly on alcohol over 3,5%. The sales of those drinks are limited to the government-owned Systembolaget.
You will not find high percentage alcohol beverages in Swedish supermarkets and night shops. When I visited one of the selling points of Systembolaget, I only found the general bottles of Absolut Vodka. So much for trying to collect a new decorated bottle!
How ironic
The irony of it all is that the bold gay marketing of Absolut Vodka would simply not pass in Sweden. Not because of the gay content, but because advertising strong drinks isn’t allowed. Also, to buy alcohol over 3,5%, you have to be 20 years old.
The Swedish government tries to minimize the social harm and health damage of alcohol amongst its citizens by these measures.
A gay guy told me that gays who are part of Gen Z generally consume little alcohol. They do attend rave parties in the woods where a lot of drugs is consumed. So much for trying to protect the health of our youngsters!
Fascinating policy
The effect of Sweden’s alcohol policy is a continuous source of debate. Nonetheless Swedes broadly support the country’s strict alcohol regulations.
The state-owned retail monopoly, Systembolaget, is consistently ranked as one of the most trusted institutions in Sweden. As travel and cross-border purchasing have become the norm, there is however a growing demand to modernize laws.
I found the Absolut Vodka history and the way Sweden deals with alcohol quite fascinating. Because let us be clear about this: drinking is a part of Swedish (gay) culture. So it’s definitely worth exploring. Skål!