The vodka category has long been crowded and competitive, but several of the mainstream vodka brands have suffered lately as brown spirits are enjoying the lion's share of consumer and media attention. As a result, vodka brands have come up with a variety of ways to overcome the difficult situation. Pernod Ricard, for example, debuted the Absolut Elyx extension, a super premium, handcrafted vodka, in the US market in 2013.