Creativity meets circularity: inside the Absolut Studio at Tales of the Cocktail

We caught up with Absolut’s Global Senior Brand Manager Advocacy Claes Ljungberg and Rico Dynan, Absolut Vodka’s Global Brand Ambassador to unpack what makes TOTC such an iconic industry moment, how Absolut’s vision is evolving, and why this years’ experience is a celebration of creativity, community, and of course, unforgettable cocktails.

Why does TOTC remain such a strategic priority for Absolut?

Claes: Absolut has been at TOTC for many years now, and there really isn’t another event like it. It’s not like a trade show where you present products in exhibition halls, it’s designed to be an immersive experience. For us, TOTC is an opportunity to invite people into the heart of Absolut, creating tangible experiences of who the brand is and what it stands for. 

But more than that, it’s about collaboration, connection, and being inspired by your peers. It’s one of the few times a year where the global community comes together in one place, creating a real sense of belonging. And in a city like New Orleans with a great history of cocktails, it becomes something really special.

As a seasoned bartender and mixologist, what does TOTC mean to you personally and professionally?

Rico: Tales is magical. It’s this amazing celebration of what it means to be in the hospitality industry, created by the trade, for the trade. For bartenders, it’s a bucket list event where you get to mingle with your peers, experience brands like never before, and make long lasting connections, both personally and professionally.

This year’s theme is all about creative circularity. What does that mean in the context of the Absolut Studio?

Claes: The idea started with a conversation with the Tales team about our shared passion points – creativity and sustainability. Their Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP) came up – specifically the question of what happens to the leftover fruit waste created during prep for the event.

That question sparked a bigger idea: what if we used those by-products to create a more sustainable cocktail menu? From there, the concept of creative circularity started to take shape, influencing not just the drinks, but everything from the space design and merchandise to the partnerships involved.

A key part of the approach was making it feel relatable and fun. It had to be Absolut. We’re not here to say, ‘Look at how sustainable we are’, it’s about inspiring, sparking ideas and conversations. 

There’s also a practical side to it too. A lot of the hospitality industry is facing financial pressure. If we can find ways to repurpose ingredients creatively, it’s not just good for the planet – it can also help their bottom line.

The Absolut Studio isn’t fully circular – this is year one of a long-term commitment – but it’s an invitation to start learning, sharing, and evolving together.

Walk us through the Absolut Studio. What can guests expect?

Claes: Guests can expect to be inspired in a way that is quintessentially Absolut – where we’re not taking ourselves too seriously, while still talking about a very serious topic. 

The heart of the experience is, of course, the cocktails, where Like Minded Creatures – some of the most creative minds in bartending – create drinks using repurposed ingredients in thoughtful and inventive ways. It’s an amazing showcase of the creative potential of waste – this duality between waste and luxury – where the drinks are highly luxurious but rooted in sustainability.

Guests will find this concept of creative circularity everywhere in the Absolut Studio. The space itself uses scaffolding and other materials we can rent or donate after the event. Much of the furniture is made from repurposed materials too.

We’ve partnered with local artists to upcycle old merch t-shirts into custom fashion pieces on-site, and with the New Orleans parks department to select greenery for the space that will be replanted in the local community after the event. 

Even the empty Absolut bottles used during cocktail batching will have a second life, first as a giant chandelier, then later recycled into sandbags for hurricane relief. There’s even a tongue in cheek art gallery featuring props from past activations, reframed through a creative lens.

The cocktail menu focuses on repurposed ingredients from the CAP program and local hospitality scene. What’s the creative challenge in that?

Rico: The challenge is that you don’t know what your ingredients are, but that’s also the opportunity. It’s a creative minefield. But we have some of the world’s best bartenders – Like Minded Creatures – working with us. It’s like watching a rapper spit bars off the dome, creating something brilliant on the spot. 

The key is to be real and avoid greenwashing. We’re not saying every single drop is from a repurposed ingredient, but we do know exactly where each element – whether it’s waste from CAP and local restaurants, or fresh produce – comes from. It’s about being authentic and true, not just doing something for the sake of it.

Claes: Because of this fluid menu, we’re also showcasing each drink as a piece of art. A local artist is painting a portrait of each cocktail, and when one runs out, its artwork is replaced by the next. It’s a living gallery and dynamic menu all in one, something we can even repurpose into an installation next year.

Sustainability is a big theme this year. How do you think the industry can do better in that space?

Rico: Just keep doing what you’re doing, because every single step gets us closer. Start with one small thing, make that the norm. Then change something else. Over time, those incremental shifts add up into real progress. 

But we also need to think more broadly about what sustainability really means. It’s not just about the environmental side, it’s also about business, mental health, work conditions. Is your bar sustainable as a business? Is it sustainable to be in this industry for a long period of time? We need to look at the full picture: environment, people, and business.

Local collaboration takes centre stage at this year’s activation. Why was this such an important focus and what does it add to the local experience?

Claes: New Orleans is a city with an incredibly rich hospitality scene and working with the local community has been a top priority for Absolut since day one. When we started developing the concept of creative circularity, it naturally extended into working with local talent in a bigger way, we wanted every touchpoint in the Absolut Studio to support the local community.

And this is really the essence of TOTC – and Absolut’s Born to Mix philosophy – coming to life. We reached out to our friends and contacts in the local hospitality scene and asked Who do you know? Who’s the up-and-coming DJ we could support? Who else should be part of this? We wanted to build something that supports the people already doing amazing things here, people who know the city and care about it. And that makes the whole project feel so much more authentic.

How do activations like this support the industry beyond just offering a great experience?

Rico: It’s all about connection. These events bring together thousands of people with the same mindset, sharing the same experiences, and that kind of exchange can spark real change. One conversation, one meeting, one collaboration can influence a new movement or shift an entire market.

We’ve seen it before with the Absolut Bartenders Club, where bartenders started exchanging ideas between cities like London and New York, leading to entire movements like the fresh fruit martini. And that’s just from one meeting. Now imagine 30 000 people at TOTC, sharing ideas in the same space.

The CAP program is another great example. Since 2008, TOTC has become this amazing opportunity for more than 580 up-and-coming bartenders to learn from some of the biggest names in the industry and expand their network. What makes it even more powerful is that it doesn’t stop after the event. The TOTC Foundation continues to support these apprentices with scholarships and financial aid, helping them grow and further their careers.

Activations like this give people – whether they’re just starting out or years into their careers – the inspiration and aspiration to go home and do something different. That ripple effect can reach all the way around the world. 

How does this event reflect Absolut’s evolving approach to advocacy and what it means to the brand today?

Claes: We’re reconnecting with our roots: creativity, quirkiness, inspiration. Advocacy today isn’t just about bartenders anymore; they’re drawing inspiration from the broader creative community – from visual artists to chefs. The Absolut Studio is a great example of how all these dots are being connected through a creative lens of inspiration, where we’re talking about a serious topic like circularity, but in a playful, Absolut way. 

We have a long legacy with advocacy. Absolut had the first brand ambassador back in the ‘70s and created the first modern brand academy. Now it’s about building on that legacy and doing what Absolut does best, thinking differently and making advocacy fun, relevant and creatively rich.

What is one thing you hope the trade walks away with after experiencing the Absolut Studio?

Claes: That we had the best drinks at TOTC. That’s always our number one goal, and we take it very seriously – precise prep, perfect ice, BOBO glassware – just like you’ll find in the best bars in the world.

Beyond that, we want people to have fun, walk out laughing, inspired, with great memories. We have DJs, artists, crazy merch on the fly, a full art gallery of cocktails, and old props reframed creatively. But it all starts with the cocktail. Get that right, and everything else follows.

One conversation, one meeting, one collaboration can influence a new movement or shift an entire market.

Rico

What’s one moment, feature or surprise within the Absolut Studio that you’re most excited for guests to discover?

Rico: The gallery, without a doubt. It’s a celebration of the whole industry, the wins, the losses, the culture, the people.

Claes: It started as a small idea – 14 quirky, thought-provoking items – but quickly grew into a full-blown experience with nearly 30 pieces. Some are playful, like a disco ball labelled “In case of boredom, break glass”, or a hand painted barbeque filled with deodorant as a nod to the heat of New Orleans in July. Others are more informative, like a plinth filled with wheat husks labelled “Proof of origin” or the Absolut Paper bottle called “Work in progress”.

It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek way of telling our story and educating, a mix of industry in-jokes, brand heritage, and commentary on sustainability.