Crystal Head Vodka

Last updated
Crystal Head Vodka
Crystal Head Vodka (logo).svg
CHV Original.tif
Crystal Head Vodka
Type Vodka
ManufacturerGlobefill Inc.
Country of origin Canada
Introduced Southern California, 2008
Alcohol by volume  40%
Proof (US) 80
ColorColorless
Variants
  • Original
  • Aurora
  • Onyx
Website crystalheadvodka.com

Crystal Head Vodka is a brand of vodkas manufactured by Globefill Inc. in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was conceived and founded by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander in September 2008. The vodkas are quadruple-distilled, filtered seven times and packaged in a Crystal Skull bottle.

Contents

History

Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander Dan and John (2).jpg
Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander

Actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander conceived Crystal Head Vodka in 2008. Due to the lack of additive-free vodka on the market, Aykroyd decided to make one himself. Alexander designed the bottle based on the pair's shared fascination with the legend of the thirteen crystal skulls. [1]

In 2010, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario refused to carry Crystal Head Vodka in its stores, saying that people might find the bottle offensive. [2] They reversed their decision after a change was made to the box design. [3]

In May 2011, 21,000 bottles of the vodka were stolen from a warehouse in Southern California. Aykroyd joked that he was "happy that some consumers will be afforded the opportunity of tasting it at significantly lower than retail price". [4] [5]

As of 2013, Aykroyd was spending over 90 days a year on the road promoting the vodka through signings and appearances. [6] The brand was the official vodka of the Rolling Stones' 50th Anniversary Tour in 2013. [7]

Varieties

As of November 2020, three varieties of the vodka are for sale. The original formula, which comes in a colorless bottle, is made from Canadian “Peaches and Cream” sweet corn.

The second formula, known as Aurora, is made from English wheat and has a flavor described as drier and spicier than the original. The Aurora bottle has an opalescent finish that is meant to evoke the aurora borealis.

The most recent addition to the line, introduced in October 2020, is a blue agave based vodka branded as "Crystal Head Onyx" and comes in a black bottle. [8]   The blue agave is grown in Mexico's Jalisco region, and is one of the first agave-based vodkas available commercially. [9] All three varieties are made with Newfoundland water. [10]

Bottle design

In 2014, forensic artist Nigel Cockerton used clay to make a muscle, skin and hair construction on one of the skull bottles to see what it would look like if the bottle had been an actual person. The result resembled a laughing man. [11] Dan Aykroyd was pleased with the face, although he had previously thought of the bottle as being feminine due to its size, and had nicknamed the bottle Joy due to the joy it brought him. He said he was relieved that the face didn't turn out to look like him. [12]

In 2018, the limited edition John Alexander artist series was created, in commemoration of the tenth year of business. Only 25,000 bottles were produced. They are hand decorated with John Alexander's expressive painting “Dancing on the waterlilies of life”. [13]

In 2020, Crystal Head Vodka released its limited-edition rainbow-hued Pride bottle in celebration of diversity, equality and to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. [14]

Production

The three quartz filters used in Crystal Head Vodka's filtering process Crystal Head Vodka - Herkimer Diamonds.jpg
The three quartz filters used in Crystal Head Vodka's filtering process

Crystal Head Vodka is manufactured by Globefill Incorporated at the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation distillery called Rock Spirits in Newfoundland, Canada. Ontario sweet corn grown in the Chatham-Kent region of Ontario is processed and distilled four times and not aged, to produce a neutral grain spirit at 95% alcohol by volume. The raw spirit is then reduced with Newfoundland water to 40% alcohol by volume. The liquid is then filtered seven times with the final three filtrations through Herkimer diamond crystals, which are actually a type of double-terminated quartz rather than diamond. [15] Crystal Head does not use any additives in the production of their vodka. [16] The factory and product is certified kosher, [17] as well as gluten-free. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vodka</span> Clear distilled alcoholic beverage

Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains, and potatoes since introduced in Europe in the 1700s. Some modern brands use corn, sugar cane, fruits, honey, and maple sap as the base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tequila</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage from Mexico

Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Aykroyd</span> Canadian actor (born 1952)

Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolut Vodka</span> Swedish brand of vodka

Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 from the Swedish state. Absolut is one of the largest brands of spirits in the world and is sold in 126 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cristal (wine)</span> Champagne

Cristal is the flagship cuvée of Champagne Louis Roederer, created in 1876 for Alexander II, tsar of Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cîroc</span> Brand of French alcoholic beverages

Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and owned by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since 2007, the marketing and promotion for Cîroc in the United States has been handled by Sean Combs in an "equal-share venture" with profits from the brand being split between Combs and Diageo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tito's Vodka</span> Brand of vodka

Tito's Handmade Vodka is a vodka brand made by Fifth Generation, founded by Tito Beveridge in 1997 in Austin, Texas – specializing in vodka made from yellow corn, rather than potatoes or wheat. It is distilled 6 times and unaged.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation is a provincial crown corporation of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is responsible for managing the importation, sale and distribution of beverage alcohol within the province. The name is officially abbreviated NLC, although "Labrador" was added to the official full company name after the abbreviation was established.

Iceberg Vodka is a vodka produced by the Canadian Iceberg Vodka Corporation. The vodka is produced using water from icebergs harvested off the coast of Newfoundland blended with neutral grain alcohol from peaches and cream corn from Ontario. Iceberg's product line includes vodka, gin, rum, and flavoured vodka. It is the only national premium vodka brand that is fully owned and produced in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renat vodka</span>

Renat Brännvin is a Swedish brännvin (vodka) with 37.5% alcohol content produced by Vin & Sprit and made from wheat grown in Västergötland in Sweden.

Glen's Vodka is a brand of vodka, owned and produced by the Loch Lomond Group, a Scottish company. It is produced from sugar beet at the Catrine Distillery in Ayrshire, Scotland, and is sold by drinks retailers across the UK. It is available in 50 mL, 200 mL, 350 mL, 700 mL, and 1-litre bottles.

Double Cross Vodka is a brand of distilled spirit produced in the Slovak Republic. The distillery that produces Double Cross is situated in the town of Stará Ľubovňa, which is located in the Tatra Mountains in northeastern Slovakia.

Stolichnaya is a vodka made of wheat and rye grain. It originated in the Soviet Union in 1938. There are two versions of the vodka: the version found outside Russia is made in Latvia, while the version found inside Russia is made there. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union the ownership of Stolichnaya has been disputed between the Russian state-owned company FKP Soyuzplodoimport and SPI Group, a private company chartered in Luxembourg. SPI Group have sold their version as Stoli since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1800 Tequila</span>

1800 Tequila is a Mexican brand of tequila owned by the Beckmann family, who also own the Jose Cuervo tequila brand. The 100% blue agave tequila is bottled in Jalisco, Mexico. 1800 is named after the year tequila was first aged in oak casks, and is sold throughout the world. In the United States, the brand is owned by the Beckmann family's company, Proximo Spirits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bong Spirit Vodka</span> Vodka brand

Bong Spirit Vodka is a vodka brand, sold in a bottle shaped like a bong. It is made from European grain, distilled six times and filtered through four processes, using reverse osmosis and charcoal filtering. It is distributed in the United States by Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, and Republic National.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Alexander (artist)</span> American painter

John Alexander is an American painter. Alexander studied art at Lamar University in Beaumont and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. After teaching at the University of Houston from 1971 to 1978, he moved to New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pemberton Distillery</span> Distillery in British Columbia, Canada

Pemberton Distillery is a craft distillery located in Pemberton, British Columbia. The Pemberton Valley, which has sometimes been referred to as "Spud Valley", is known in the potato industry for its seed potatoes. Pemberton Distillery uses potatoes to make some of its distilled beverages. Its product brand names include Schramm Vodka, Schramm Gin, Pemberton Distillery Single Malt Whisky and Pemberton Distillery Bourbon Barrel Aged Apple Brandy.

Marco Cedano is a Mexican master distiller and tequila entrepreneur. He is known for being the co-inventor of Tequila Tromba.

Rock Spirits is the manufacturing division of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, a provincial crown corporation of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the only remaining Canadian Liquor Board to have a manufacturing division. It has been in operation in St. John's for over 65 years.

References

  1. Kleinman, Geoff (2010-09-23). "Dan Aykroyd Talks About Crystal Head Vodka". Drink Spirits. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  2. Beppi Crosariol (18 May 2010). "Ontario bans Dan Aykroyd's skull-shaped vodka". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  3. Beppi Crosariol (18 October 2011). "How Dan Aykroyd finally got his skull vodka unbanned from the LCBO". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  4. "Dan Aykroyd - 21,000 BOTTLES of Vodka ... STOLEN". TMZ.com. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  5. "Dan Aykroyd has 21,000 bottles of vodka stolen | CTV News". Ctvnews.ca. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  6. Leong, Melissa (2013-03-18). "Dan Ackroyd's Crystal Head Vodka: Celebrity builds brand awareness | Financial Post". Financial Post. Business.financialpost.com. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  7. "Crystal Head vodka joins forces with The Rolling Stones-Stockhouse news". Stockhouse.com. 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  8. "Crystal Head unveils agave-based vodka Onyx". October 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  9. "INTRODUCING CRYSTAL HEAD ONYX, AN AGAVE-BASED VODKA". Food & Beverage Magazine. 2020-10-01. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  10. Crosariol, Beppi (2016-09-20). "Crystal Head Aurora Vodka, Canada". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  11. Estes, Adam Clark (18 February 2014). "Forensic Artist Reveals the Face of That Skull-Shaped Vodka Bottle". Gizmodo . Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  12. "Dan Aykroyd loves new 'face' of Crystal Head Vodka". CBC News . 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  13. Bellwood, Owen (2018-04-10). "Crystal Head Vodka launches TR-exclusive bottling". The Spirits Business . Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  14. "Crystal Head Vodka Launches Limited-Edition Pride Bottle #MadeWithPride". 14 May 2020.
  15. Curtis, Wayne (20 October 2020). "Are Diamonds Vodka's Best Friend?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  16. Childers, Linda (2011-05-09). "Celebrities' secret businesses". CNN Money . Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  17. "Crystal Head Vodka Awarded OU Kosher Certification". Ou.org. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  18. "Crystal Head Vodka". Crystal Head Vodka. Retrieved 2014-01-05.