The vodka is being launched in the UK to coincide with the release of biographical film Tom of Finland, directed by award-winning Finnish director Dome Karukoski. The film tells the story of the artist’s extraordinary life and features Niklas Hogner, Tom of Finland Organic Vodka’s brand ambassador, who plays Kake.

Touko Valio Laaksonen (8 May 1920 – 7 November 1991), best known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, was a Finnish artist known for his stylized highly masculinized homoerotic fetish art, and his influence on late twentieth century gay culture. Touko Valio Laaksonen The brand ambassador for the vodka is Niklas Hogner, a Swedish celebrity who was previously a world championship figure skater and competed in Sweden’s Dancing on Ice show on TV. He appears in the new Tom of Finland film in the role of Kake – the idealised gay character that appeared in many of the illustrations.The vodka, which is made from organically grown wheat, rye and pure arctic water; is 100% organic and has no added sugar. A percentage of each bottle will be donated to the Tom of Finland Foundation, a charity dedicated to promoting tolerant attitudes towards sexuality and the reservation of erotic art. Or you could just buy it for yourself as it will look great in the drinks cabinet and no doubt be a talking point. My suggestion would be to drink it first, refill it with water, and if someone asks to sample it come up with an excuse as to why they can’t. And you’ll just have to learn how to pronounce Touko Valio Laaksonen.

Tom’s pictures are iconic and part of today’s cultural fabric. His work has rippled through gay as well as straight culture worldwide. The drawings are synonymous with freedom of expression, influencing the aesthetic of cultural icons such as Freddie Mercury and trends including modern civil rights movements. The pictures offer a genuine message of acceptance and love that is and will always be relevant. Olli Hietalahti, CEO of brand owner Spirit of Tom, said: “We wanted to create a super-premium Finnish vodka that truly embodies Tom of Finland – something bold, daring, flirtatious and playful, just like the artist’s renowned work.” Right, well that explains the bottle, which shows one of Tom of Finland’s drawings. It’s impressive work, photographic-like in its detail. I’d never come across the artist before, and it’s beautifully done. To me it looks like someone resembling what Freddie Mercury might have looked like if he’d joined Village People, though Tom of Finland is someone who influenced this kind of look. Tom of Finland Organic Vodka takes its name from Touko Laaksonen who created distinctive drawings of gay men, often mustachioed, muscular and clad in leather, from the 1950s until his death in 1991.

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The guy on the bottle is a handsome guy and it’s a handsome bottle too, solid and square, designed to be masculine, though only containing 50cl. I’ll forgive them that, though, because of the quality of the contents. More on that in a moment. Tom of Finland Organic Vodka is inspired by pioneering Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen whose work made an important contribution to 21 st century gay culture. Tom of Finland Organic Vodka™ is a super-premium vodka artistically crafted in Finland from the finest organically grown wheat, rye and pure arctic water. It is 100% organic and contains no sugar Super-premium vodka, artistically crafted in Finland, Tom of Finland Vodka comes from only the finest organically grown wheat, rye and pure arctic water. Bold yet smooth, it’s full of character, where the spiciness of the rye is balanced by the softness of wheat and arctic water. This they’ve achieved. On the nose it is incredibly smooth, with just a hint of spiciness. Tasting it, though, is where the wow factor comes in. It’s deliciously smooth and rounded. It’s robust yet beautifully-rounded, like drinking silk. It seems to coat the mouth completely, with a pleasing oily feel to it, and with still those spicy hints. Swallowing, it’s still amazingly smooth, none of that harsh slightly burning feel you sometimes get. The company describes it as having a mellow finish, and I wouldn’t argue with that.

So who makes this gorgeous vodka? The distillers are Lignell & Pilspanen, who have been making vodka in Finland since 1852, which makes it the second-oldest family-run company in the country. Tom of Finland Foundation The mention of Tom of Finland produces smiles, ears at attention. He is the man we all wish we could be, the kind of man all women wish they could meet. Tom of Finland is the embodiment of all things favorable in life. His work is part of the fabric of Western culture.” The vodka itself is described as “old but smooth, where the spiciness of the rye is balanced by the softness of wheat and arctic water,” and it is 100 per cent organic. His creations were caricatural homosexual men possessing an exaggerated amount of masculinity, ranging from fetishised sailors to policemen in often compromising positions. A percentage of profits from each bottle will be donated to the Tom of Finland Foundation, a charity dedicated to promoting tolerant attitudes towards sexuality and the preservation of erotic art.Or you could just buy it for yourself as it will look great in the drinks cabinet and no doubt be a talking point. My suggestion would be to drink it first, refill it with water, and if someone asks to sample it come up with an excuse as to why they can’t. And you’ll just have to learn how to pronounce Touko Valio Laaksonen. Tom of Finland Vodka Tom of Finland Vodka Review But what of the vodka itself? Without a good product, all this would just be of novelty value. Thankfully, the vodka is not only good it is excellent. The makers said their aim was to reflect the character of Tom of Finland – bold, smooth, full of character and a little spicy.

The guy on the bottle is a handsome guy and it’s a handsome bottle too, solid and square, designed to be masculine, though only containing 50cl. I’ll forgive them that, though, because of the quality of the contents. More on that in a moment. Tom of Finland Vodka The vodka’s organic and made using organically grown wheat, rye and pure arctic water. It’s interesting they’ve used two grains to produce the vodka, as most use only one. There’s also no added sugar. Christmas Vodka Gift

AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, WA, WI. Tasting Notes A percentage of profit from each bottle will be donated to Tom of Finland Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Tom of Finland and Durk Dehner and dedicated to promoting tolerant attitudes towards sexuality and the preservation of erotic art. Tom of Finland Vodka co-founder Olli Hietalahti on the spirit, the brand and the legacy of the infamous illustrations.