Absolut Mandarin Vodka
Absolut Mandarin Vodka is a mandarin-orange flavoured vodka bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), made in Åhus, Sweden from winter wheat and natural mandarin flavour with no added sugar — a citrus vodka staple since 1999. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Flavour: natural mandarin orange, no added sugar
- Origin: Åhus, Sweden — winter wheat, continuous distillation (L.O. Smith, 1879)
- Style: flavoured vodka; launched 1999
Mandarin, Not Just Orange
When Absolut launched Mandarin in 1999 it picked the sweetest member of the orange family — mandarin, with its easy-to-peel sweetness and floral citrus edge — instead of plain orange. The result is softer and rounder than most citrus vodkas, with no added sugar to push it toward candy. Over two decades on, it remains the bottle that bartenders reach for when a screwdriver or a citrus spritz needs real mandarin character rather than generic orange.
Tasting Notes
Sweet mandarin and orange blossom on the nose, bright and inviting. The palate is smooth and citrus-forward — juicy mandarin with a soft wheat backbone and none of the syrupy sweetness of lesser flavoured vodkas. Clean, gently citrusy finish.
How to Enjoy
It is built for highballs: mandarin vodka and soda with an orange wheel is about as refreshing as vodka gets. It also brightens a screwdriver, works in a mandarin cosmopolitan, and plays well with cranberry juice — the sweetness needs very little help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Absolut Mandarin made from?
Absolut’s winter-wheat vodka from Åhus, Sweden, flavoured with natural mandarin — no added sugar.
Is Absolut Mandarin sweet?
It tastes sweet from the mandarin flavour itself, but contains no added sugar — the citrus reads as natural fruit, not candy.
What mixes well with Absolut Mandarin?
Soda water, orange juice, cranberry juice, and tonic — plus citrus-forward cocktails like the mandarin cosmo.
Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA ships Absolut Mandarin fast — order this 750mL citrus classic online, and browse the full Absolut collection.