Dan Aykroyd has a surprising love for the supernatural. Interested in the archeological mystery of 13 crystal skulls unearthed across the globe, Aykroyd has taken this interest and created from it a profitable business.

The inspiration for the vodka is definitively Aykroyd’s interest in the mysterious crystal skulls. Discovered in areas ranging from the American southwest to Tibet, the skulls have been dated between 5,000 and 35,000 years old. Made of solid quartz rock, archeologists estimate that the skulls were created over several hundred years. Even more surprising, Hewlett Packard engineers found no proof of tool marks when analyzing the skulls, leaving it a mystery as to how the skulls were created.  This archeological mystery, even featured in popular entertainment, specifically Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has led many to speculate on how the skulls came into existence on earth, with those that believe in the supernatural leaning toward extraterrestrial influence. A legend that surrounds the crystal skulls suggests that those who come to possess the skulls will be provided with spiritual power and enlightenment.  

A believer in what he calls the “invisible world,” Dan Aykroyd’s entrepreneurialism was inspired by the crystal skull mystery. Researching the legend of the 13 crystal skulls with business partner John Alexander led to the launch of their business, Crystal Head Vodka.

The Bottle

John Alexander, a veteran fine artist that has exhibited work within the US and around the world, and Aykroyd got their start with the two year development of the Crystal Head bottle. Designed as a tribute to the skull mystery, the glass depiction of the crystal skull was manufactured by Milan-based Bruni Glass who declared the bottle to be of “unsurpassed complexity and quality.”

From there  Aykroyd and Alexander decided on Vodka as the spirit of choice, but wanted to take it to the next level, to provide vodka that was “enlightened and different.”

The Vodka

The Crystal Head Vodka creation process starts with glacial aquifer water of Newfoundland, Canada. Aykroyd and Alexander appreciate the pristine and untouched landmass that Newfoundland embodies, providing a mystery that resembles the mysterious questions that surround the legend of the crystal skulls.

Next the vodka is distilled four times, making the libation as pure as vodka can be. To add even more to the purity process, Crystal Head Vodka is filtered through 500 million year old crystals, the Herkimer diamonds. These quartz crystals are utilized in the process because of their rarity and the fact that they are also thought to have similar spiritual qualities to the crystal skulls.

The production process for Crystal Head Vodka results in a spirit with “absolutely no additives,” and is created without glycol,  citrus oil or raw sugar, promising a vodka that is as pure as possible.