After 90 years in state hands, Absolut vodka is about to be offered up for sale with its parent company V & S Vin & Sprit, along with five other companies in which the state holds significant stakes. The government is to seek parliamentary approval for the V & S sale on Friday. With an estimated price tag of $5.7 billion, potential buyers include market leader Diageo , Pernod Ricard and Fortune Brands, which already has a distribution deal with V & S.