Tell us about this partnership between Crystal Head Vodka and The Rolling Stones:
DA: It is a huge honour and recognition of our high quality product to have Crystal Head designated as the officially authorized vodka for the Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Worldwide celebration. Together with Bravado, the band’s licensing company, we have created the ultimate gift package for Stones fans and their families. There has never been a greater Father’s Day gift, Halloween decoration or Christmas present. Anybody who loves the Stones or great vodka—and pretty much everyone I know loves both—will be all over this. Crystal Head honoring the Stones in this way makes perfect sense: The Stones make great music with passion and creativity—and Crystal Head makes great vodka the same way.
Included in this highly collectible gift set:
- Stunning handcrafted display case featuring a real zipper—recalling the legendary Sticky Fingers album cover
- 2-CD compilation of live Rolling Stones hits spanning 5 decades and is not available for sale anywhere else
- Crystal bottle decanter top—engraved with The Rolling Stones iconic lip-and-tongue logo
- Bottle tattoo—featuring the 50th anniversary logo
You are an iconic Canadian actor, comedian and musician. What enticed you to become involved in the adult beverage industry?
DA: I feel a sense of true accomplishment with this project. I can measure it by past things in my creative and professional life that have worked. On television I was able to... deliver an excellent, solicited reaction from the human diaphragm. I caused a lot of laughter there. Then we went on to our record recordings with releasing the Blues Brother’s Brief Case Full of Blues, the soundtrack to the movie, the Made in America record and the best of. I was able to deliver to the consuming public first class aural stimulation. And then when we went into the motion picture industry where we were able to actually have the facility which manufactures the lachrymose quality in humankind. We drew tears from the eyes. So I have hit the diaphragm, the ears and the eyes and now I’m hitting the tongue! The vodka lives right up to the quality of my past work and I truly do feel a sense of accomplishment with it.
How is Crystal Head Vodka different from other vodkas?
DA: We use only the highest quality Canadian grains from southern Ontario. This gives us a natural sweetness.
The water we use is from the pristine and unspoiled water of Newfoundland, Canada.
There are absolutely no additives like glycol, citrus oil or raw sugars.
Our vodka is also kosher certified and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy.
It is quadruple distilled, the perfect number without stripping away all the flavour and It is filtered 7 times. Three of those involve the vodka passing through semi-precious Herkimer Diamonds. The result, a crystal clear, smooth, crisp taste of pure vodka.
What was the inspiration behind the Crystal Head bottle?
DA: We needed to devise an absolutely crystal clean bottle to put this remarkable product in. So what better vessel than one that is associated with the legend of the 13 Crystal Heads that have been found in regions around the world from the American Southwest to Tibet. The heads are thought to offer spiritual power and enlightenment to those who possess them, and as such stand not as symbols of death, but of life. Positive enlightenment, cleanliness, wellness; you can see the connection to Crystal Head Vodka. Of course this would not have been possible if not for my long-time friend and artist John Alexander, who shares the same passion for the legend. It was our combined visions and his artistic talent that brought to life the perfect vessel for this vodka.
What has been the biggest challenge with Crystal Head Vodka?
DA: Getting people to open the bottle. Often I have heard that people buy Crystal Head Vodka for the bottle - that’s great but please crack the skull open.
How has Crystal Head Vodka been received in the Spirits World?
DA: When you produce such a quality product it will get noticed.
In 2011, Crystal Head Vodka was awarded a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This year we were awarded a Gold Medal for “Excellent Taste” at the 2013 PRODEXPO in Moscow, Russia. As I said before, if Russians don’t know their vodka, who does?!
Is there anything else you would like to add about Crystal Head?
DA: Crystal Head makes great mixed drinks. With zero additives it is the mixologists’ perfect blank canvas.
I am a simple guy when it comes to cocktails. I enjoy Crystal Head with freshly squeezed tangerine juice. I like keeping my ingredients pure, just like the vodka.