What kind of vodka is Crystal Head?

Crystal Head Vodka

What kind of vodka is Crystal Head?
What kind of vodka is Crystal Head?

Crystal Head Vodka

TypeVodka
ManufacturerGlobefill Inc.
Country of originCanada
IntroducedSouthern California, 2008
Alcohol by volume40%
Proof (US)80
ColorColorless
Variants

  • Original
  • Aurora
  • Onyx

Websitecrystalheadvodka.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.

History[edit]

What kind of vodka is Crystal Head?

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[edit]

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[edit]

The defect rate on the bottle production is about 40% on the 750 ml bottle.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13]

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”.[14]

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.[15]

Production[edit]

What kind of vodka is Crystal Head?

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.[16] Crystal Head does not use any additives in the production of their vodka.[17] The factory and product is certified kosher,[18] as well as gluten-free.[19]

References[edit]

  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. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  10. ^ Crosariol, Beppi (2016-09-20). "Crystal Head Aurora Vodka, Canada". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  11. ^ "The Price of Vodka". www.simple.com.au/blog. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  12. ^ Estes, Adam Clark (2014-02-18). "Forensic Artist Reveals the Face of That Skull-Shaped Vodka Bottle". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  13. ^ "Dan Aykroyd loves new 'face' of Crystal Head Vodka". CBC News. 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  14. ^ Bellwood, Owen (2018-04-10). "Crystal Head Vodka launches TR-exclusive bottling". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  15. ^ "Crystal Head Vodka Launches Limited-Edition Pride Bottle #MadeWithPride". 14 May 2020.
  16. ^ Curtis, Wayne (20 October 2020). "Are Diamonds Vodka's Best Friend?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  17. ^ Childers, Linda (2011-05-09). "Celebrities' secret businesses". CNN Money. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  18. ^ "Crystal Head Vodka Awarded OU Kosher Certification". Ou.org. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  19. ^ "Crystal Head Vodka". Crystal Head Vodka. Retrieved 2014-01-05.

  • Official website
  • Interview with Aykroyd about the product

What kind of alcohol is Crystal Head?

It is why we craft the purest, smoothest vodka with one of a kind packaging and imaginative thinking. Crystal Head uses only the highest-quality ingredients to create unique expressions of ultra-premium vodka that are completely additive-free.

What is Crystal Head Vodka made from?

Our original Crystal Head Vodka is crafted from locally sourced, Canadian corn. It is distilled four times into a neutral grain spirit and blended with pristine water from Newfoundland, Canada. The vodka is filtered seven times, of which three are through layers of semi-precious crystals known as Herkimer diamonds.

What does Crystal Head Vodka taste like?

Nose: Vanilla and soft spices. A little rye and wheat. Palate: Grainy, sweet palate with pepper and spice. Finish: Soft, warming finish.

Is Crystal Head Vodka made from potatoes?

Crystal Head vodka is a high-shelf vodka distilled from a blend of peaches and cream corn instead of wheat—so it contains zero traces of the pesky grain. One of the beverage industry's biggest vodka brands, Ciroc, counts itself among the gluten-free certified because it is made from distilled grapes.