CRYSTAL HEAD HITS THE 1,OOO,OOO BOTTLE MARK

Dan Akroyd certainly has reason to celebrate. His Crystal Head Vodka brand recently produced its on one-millionth bottle. Created by Aykroyd and American landscape artist and portraitist John Alexander, this vodka is quadruple-distilled and triple-filtered through Herkimer diamond crystals. Made from water from a deep aquifer in Newfoundland, Canada, it is free of any additives such as sugar, glycerin or citrus oil. “Crystal Head Vodka began as a 5OOO case project and sold 46,OOO cases in our first year,” said Aykroyd. In recognition of the brand’s performance in its first 18 months, Crystal Head Vodka was named a “Rising Star” by the Beverage Information Group, publishers of cheers. According to 2OO8 data compiled from impact, Crystal Head Vodka reached the one-million bottle mark faster than Grey Goose, Belvedere and Chopin. The skull-shaped bottle celebrates the mystical legend of the 13 Crystal Heads possessed by tribal cultures such as the Aztec, the Mayan and the Navajo and recalls the celebration of the Mexican Day of The Dead tradition. Crystal Head Vodka, rated 91 by the tasting panel magazine, is launching a 1.75L followed by a 5Oml size by the end of the summer. Additional expansion to Europe and the Pacific Rim, as well as key markets in Central and South America, is underway. As a result, Crystal Head has entered into a new 5-year production agreement with the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation that will ensure that future demands are met.