100 proof vodka? Absolut-ly

Absolut 100 vodka stands tall, dark and glistening, like a young, hip Darth Vader, back in the day when he dazzled all the chicks at the bar.

Inside the sleek black bottle is the same quality drink we've come to expect from Absolut, with something extra. Perhaps that pleasant warmth at the back of the throat has something to do with a fact that this latest member of the family is 50 percent alcohol, instead of the usual 40 percent. Expect to pay about $27 for a 750 ml bottle.

Crafted from Swedish wheat, Absolut is clean and clear. The company has lots of intriguing cocktail recipes you can try on its Web site, http://www.absolut.com/ But I'd savor this elixir straight up, plucked from the freezer and poured neat into an Old-Fashioned glass. Or on the rocks, if that's your druthers.

The ideal setting: a group of friends in a beach house or a mountain get-away, where everyone is settled in for the evening and no one is getting behind the wheel. Think of it as a super-premium end to a super evening.