They’ve Sued Over Their Unique Bottle Design
Though Aykroyd comes off as a laid-back kind of guy, even he won’t stand by while someone steals his product design. In 2019, Crystal Head’s parent company, Globefill, sued a Mexican tequila maker for trademark infringement, according to the Chicago Tribune. The tequila bottle design was described as a “crystal bottle with the stylized form of a masked human head that resembles a masked man.” If that sounds familiar, well, that’s what Aykroyd thought. The lawsuit Aykroyd’s company filed stated that “confusion is almost certain if Defendants’ continue with their nascent market entry,” stating that there were only two skull-shaped liquor bottles on the market and only one should remain.
In 2017, a similar lawsuit was filed, a battle Crystal Head Vodka easily won, according to McHattie Law. The trial featured consumers making claims about whether or not the two skull bottles were confusingly similar. Based on the verdict, it appears they were.
Crystal Head: The Story Behind The Brand
Crystal Head vodka is the rather quirky brainchild of Hollywood actor Dan Aykroyd, of Ghostbusters and Blues Brothers fame, and world-famous fine artist John Alexander. It was established with the express aim of creating the purest vodka possible.
But they didnt stop there. A vodka of this quality needed a vessel that was equally astounding. Made in the Bruni Glass factory in Milan, these bottles take inspiration from ancient legend and lore. Because who doesnt like their drinks full of mythos and mystery?
Its Release Coincided With The New Indiana Jones Movie In 2008
In 2008, Aykroyd was hard at work perfecting what would become his renowned Crystal Head Vodka. Unbeknownst to Aykroyd, Steven Spielberg was at the same time putting the finishing touches on “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” See the connection?
“I didn’t want him to think that I was ripping him off,” Aykroyd told Empire Australia. In an effort to avoid any awkwardness , he called Spielberg to explain that it was mere coincidence that caused their similar ideas great minds think alike, etc. According to Aykroyd, Spielberg wasn’t concerned about how the actor-made-vodka-producer got his idea.
“He said, ‘Had I known you were working on this, I would have had it at the premier of our movie!'” . Unfortunately, Indiana Jones didn’t have much of a premier, and it was too late to market the two products together. Still, Aykroyd was relieved to have Spielberg’s support.
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What Makes Crystal Head So Special
Aside from the skull-shaped bottle, Crystal Head vodka is special thanks to two things: filtration and flavor.
The vodka is most notable for its puritya result of being distilled four times and filtered seven times. It also contains no artificial additives, no glycerol, oils or sugars. Nothing extra is added. What you see is what you get: a vodka that is distinctly clean and very refreshing.
The purity of the crystal head means that it tastes quite neutralmaking it a great base for cocktails. If sampling neat, it has a sharp taste with some vanilla-like tones and a slight pepperinessall of which add to its drinkability.
How Is Crystal Head Vodka Made
The makers of Crystal Head vodka deal only in superlatives. By which we mean, only the best and highest quality ingredients and materials are used at every stage of the process.
Crystal Head vodka begins with the highest quality peaches and cream corn. This is distilled four times to produce a neutral grain spirit. This spirit is blended with pristine water sourced from a deep glacial aquifer in Newfoundland, Canada, where the distillery is located.
This liquid is then filtered seven times. Three of those times its passed through layers of Herkimer diamonds. These 500-million-year-old crystals are some of rarest semi-precious stones found on Earth. So when drinking Crystal Head, youre sipping vodka thats rubbed shoulders with some serious luxury.
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Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Onyx Vodka Is Made With This Unusual Ingredient
Crystal Head Onyx marks Dan Aykroyd’s latest venture into the craft vodka market with a trademark skull bottle in a stunning new black, but it’s not the visual that makes this particular option stand out. Aykroyd’s brand is known for its unique filtration method which refines the vodka seven times and uses semi-precious crystals known as Herkimer diamonds. While using the same standards and high-quality ingredients as other varieties of this skull-shaped vodka brand, Onyx adds a new and interesting twist to the crafting of this spirit agave.
Crystal Head describes Onyx, launched in fall of 2020, as one of the first commercially available agave-based vodkas. So what’s special about agave in vodka you might wonder?
Fermentation, the process that makes things alcoholic, requires a sugar or starch. Agave is often the sugar of choice for tequila or mezcal, including many different spirits that don’t often make it to the United States . In Onyx, distillers at Crystal Head use Blue Weber Agave sourced from a single farm in Mexico, as opposed to the corn used in their Original variety or the wheat used in their Aurora.
The Best Crystal Head Cocktail Recipes
Crystal Head is sensational in a cocktail. Having undergone such an unimpeachable filtration process, its as smooth and pure a vodka as youre ever likely to taste. The result? Its a blank page, ready for the inner mixologist inside you to get creative and start shaking up some mind-blowing cocktails.
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A Fine Adult Beverage Plus A Collectible Skull
Describes one fan of Aurora, “If you love vodka and all the complexity of this fine liquor, then this ticks all the boxes! Lastly, and most importantly, this is just oh so smooth! The pictures don’t do it justice, better than the clear skull vodka. Makes a nice gift” . In addition to the clear glass skulls, you can choose from Aurora, a pearlescent bottle with high-quality English wheat and pristine water from Newfoundland, Canada, Onyx, a black bottle with Blue Weber Agave and sourced from a single farm in Mexico, or limited editions including a rainbow-themed Pride skull or one of just 25,000 limited edition hand-painted John Alexander bottles too .
People love not only this vodka but also the collectible skull bottles that come with it. A quick stroll through Instagram features all sorts of creative ideas by users, including using the empty skull as a vase. One even used theirs as a light . These skulls are serious holiday gifts, as many fans show their collection near the Christmas tree. In fact one even composed a short song, “On the sixth day of lockdown my true love gave to me, Six Skulls a-drinkin’ … Four Christmas mugs, Three furry friends, Two Marvel tatts, And a banjo so musically, ” .
The Best Way To Drink Crystal Head Is In A Vodka Martini
With vodka, it’s easy to make delicious cocktails with pretty much anything you have lying around. Because it’s so adaptable, vodka tastes great with all kinds of flavors and cuisines. But for Dan Aykroyd, the best way to drink Crystal Head is to let the vodka itself shine, without muddying the clear, sharp flavor with mixers or syrups.
“I’ll take 2.5 ounces of the Head, shaken, up in a Martini glass with a little shavings of ice in there,” Aykroyd told Vine Pair. “Add a twist, and prior to the pour, just a rinse of really fine white vermouth.” Though traditional , vodka martinis have risen in popularity, and once you try it with Crystal Head, you just might become a convert.
But if martinis aren’t your favorite, Aykroyd recommends sipping the vodka neat in a chilled shot glass or mixing it into a Cosmopolitan by shaking it with white cranberry juice, elderberry syrup, and an egg white.
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Aykroyd Tapped His Friend To Design The Unique Bottle
Though Dan Aykroyd started the Crystal Head Vodka business, John Alexander was the mastermind behind the acclaimed design. Alexander is a visual artist who works in a variety of mediums, predominantly painting. His work has been featured all over the world in private collections and esteemed museums like the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Corcoran, the Smithsonian, and the Houston Museum of Fine Art .
Alexander’s paintings often include political satire recognizable faces and historical scenes can be found in his work, always with a jarring twist that seeks to make a statement about the state of the United States today. “It’s always a similar cast of characters,” he told The New York Times. “Anybody I perceived as dishonest, hypocritical or just generally up to no good.”
When he turned his attention to the crystal skull, it took him two years to perfect it. Luckily, he had the help of Bruni Glass, a packaging manufacturing company originally based in Milan, Italy. According to the Crystal Head Vodka website, upon completion of the bottle, Bruni Glass said it was of “unsurpassed complexity.”
How To Drink Crystal Head Vodka
The best way to drink Crystal Head vodka is as a shot.Pick up a bottle online, leave to chill in the freezer, and, when youre ready, pour a shot glass and knock it back.
Or sip it. Youre the boss. Just know that it was designed to be enjoyed neat. Because a drink this pure and clean is best sampled straight.
That said, vodka, by definition, is meant to be flavorless, and so you may want to add a little mixer. Mixing vodka with soda is a classicjust add some lime for additional flavor. Tonic water is another option and orange juice is also popular.
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Crystal Skulls: Legends And Myth From Mesoamerica
The idea behind Crystal Head vodka was born from an ancient legend of 13 skulls made from crystal and belonging to the ancient Mayans, who instilled all their knowledge of the world into these quartz heads.
The skulls are purported to bring supernatural powers and spiritual enlightenment to those who possess them. 12 represent the various planets. The 13th represents human consciousness. Over 35,000 years old, these heads are believed to impart healing and psychic abilities to those in their presence.
True or not, its a pretty cool idea. No surprise, then, that it also caught the attention of director Steven Spielberg. It just so happened that at the same time Crystal Head vodka was being developed, Spielberg was filming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Aykroyd contacted Spielberg, and the director said hed be happy to serve Crystal Head vodka at the premier.
So if youre looking for a blockbuster-worthy vodka with ties to ancient legend, as well as the potential power to evoke spiritual transcendence , then Crystal Head has you covered.
The Vodka Is Infused With Diamonds
The intricate process behind Crystal Head vodka starts with one simple ingredient: peaches and cream corn . From there, the product is distilled and mixed with pure water that comes from Newfoundland, Canada. Crystal Head filters their vodka seven times to ensure their product’s purity part of this process entails the vodka mixing with Herkimer diamonds.
Herkimer diamonds are a kind of quartz crystal that have been around for some five hundred million years, according to Herkimer Diamond Mines. After World War II, vodka manufacturers began filtering vodka using charcoal instead of wood products, which was the preferred method up until then. From there, it was a short jump to diamonds, which are the compressed version of charcoal .
And diamonds, of course, sound a little more refined than charcoal, making it an excellent marketing venture for vodka distillers. But, though Carbonadi Vodka co-founder Ricky Miller III, can’t tell you exactly how, he insists that the diamonds really do make the final product purer: “I would be lying to you if I said I knew exactly what was being pulled out,” he told the Daily Beast. “But it picks up and absorbs impurities that aren’t caught in a conventional process.”
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Crystal Head Vodka Onyx
Canada- A one of a kind Agave Vodka distilled from the best Blue Webber Agave, then shipped to Newfoundland, Canada to use the pristine waters there. Created by actor, musician and screenwriter Dan Aykroyd. Additive-Free & Gluten-Free. Earthy nose, ultra smooth with a hint of sweeness.
3 oz. cranberry juice
Fresh blueberries
Pour vodka over ice into glass. Add club soda and cranberry juice. Stir well. Garnish with fresh blueberries.
Vodka is the most-consumed spirit in the world. In 2012, according to The Economist, global vodka consumption reached 4.4 billion liters. The definitive neutral spirit, vodka is an essential ingredient to be enjoyed in any number of , and sippable straight in upscale, premium versions.
Just about any fermentable material can be used to make vodka. Most common bases are grains, like barley, rye and wheat, but , grapes and corn are also used. Despite the varying ingredients, the finished product is almost universally pure, clear and neutral. Vodkas slight aromas and clean flavors are subtle, but can be distinctive.
Crystal Head Vodka Is An Award
Despite its focus on aesthetics, Crystal Head is more than meets the eye. The quality and flavor of the vodka has garnered praise across the world, and Aykroyd’s diamond-infused processing techniques have received acclaim and helped the brand stand out from the crowd.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2011, over 200 vodkas competed for awards, but only a few brands including Crystal Head took home the prestigious Double Gold Medal. The next year, Crystal Head’s success continued at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards. The vodka company won two highly coveted awards: New Product of the Year and Luxury Spirits . The competition was fierce Down Under, with popular brands like Jack Daniel’s and Johnnie Walker battling for international acclaim .
Aykroyd was excited about the success of his products, telling the Kingston Herald that he was “pleased that all our hard work developing this clean pure spirit is being recognized as the genuine article by expert authorities in the industry.”
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Crystal Head Aurora: Spirit Meets Stars
The Crystal Head Aurora was created as a tribute to one of the worlds most incredible natural phenomena: the Aurora Borealis. This mysterious and magical aerial display, which takes place in the skies of polar regions, is the inspiration behind this intriguing alternative to Crystal Head Original.
So what makes Crystal Head Aurora different from the Original?
Firstly, its distilled five timesbecause four just isnt quite enough when youre aiming for perfection. It also tastes different because its made using high-quality English wheat. The flavor is bolder, drier, a little bit grassy, a little bit spicy, with notes of lavender.
Then theres the bottle. Dont worry, you still get that iconic skull bottle. But this time with an iridescent finish that evokes the Northern Lights themselves. Have a look for yourself and take a moment to imagine that cheeky face grinning out from the top of your home bar.
Fancy something with fine art credentials? As well as Crystal Head Original and Crystal Head Aurora, theres a limited-edition John Alexander Crystal Head bottle, designed for the brands 10th anniversary. Inspired by Alexanders painting, Dancing on the Water Lilies of Life, only 25,000 bottles have been produced.
Review: Crystal Head Vodka
Weve been looking at some celebrity backed spirits over the last few weeks, and one were often referenced but never actually reviewed was Dan Aykroyds Crystal Head Vodka. I figured it wasnt fair to talk about it unless we put the time into actually cracking open a bottle and finding out whats inside, so thats exactly what we are doing today.
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Crystal Head Today: Awards Acclaim And A
Crystal Head vodka has received huge acclaim since it first appeared on the market back in 2008. Fans include Keith Richards and Johnny Depp, further cementing the rock n roll status of this vodka. In fact, it was the official vodka of the Rolling Stones Anniversary Tour in 2013.
The spirit has also been a winner at the highly respected and world-renowned San Francisco World Spirit Competitionnot once, but twice.
Crystal Head Vodka Review Is Dan Aykroyds Vodka Good
Crystal Head vodka is a spirit that is undoubtedly good because it is so pure.
The famous Dan Aykroyd vodka first launched in 2008 and is produced using pristine waters that come from the glacial aquifers.
Its crafted from only the best Canadian peaches and cream corn.
In this review, well get to know just how good this vodka is by discussing its pros and cons.
Well also take a look at its quality of taste, the nose, and the finish of this drink.
So, without further ado, lets get started.
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Review: Crystal Head Aurora Vodka
Remember Crystal Head Vodka, the Dan Aykroyd-conceived spirit that wrapped UFOs, ectoplasm, and other planes of existence into the mythology of a bottle of 80-proof booze? Well, 10 years later, Crystal Head is back with a new, special edition called Aurora, complete with an updated skull bottle, and a revamped spirit inside.
Heres how Aurora is different, in a nutshell, starting with the inventive showpiece of a bottle:
Distilled in Newfoundland, Canada, Crystal Head AURORA comes in a beautifully crafted bottle, which is an accurate rendering of the human skull. With an iridescent finish, the bottle was designed in celebration of the most vivid aerial phenomenon in the world the Northern Lights. To create the aesthetic of the lights mysterious visual properties, the skull shaped bottle is first placed into a sealed chamber and electrically charged. Two metals in powder form are activated seven times and released in the pressurized chamber. The powder is drawn to the electrically charged bottle completely coating it. Then heated at high temperature, the powder melts, creating a uniquely iridescent metallized finish in which no two bottles are alike.
Inside, the spirit has also seen some changes.
Some how I missed that the original Crystal Head was made out of peaches and cream corn, but anyway, lets taste Aurora and see how it acquits itself.
80 proof.