Crystal Head Vodka

Crystal Head was created by actor and musician Dan Aykroyd alongside artist John Alexander, taking its name and its skull-shaped bottle from the legend of the thirteen crystal skulls. The spirit inside is made in Canada from grain and clear local water, distilled four times for a clean base. What sets it apart is the filtration: the vodka is passed through layers of Herkimer diamonds, a naturally faceted form of quartz, which the brand uses in place of the more common charcoal. With no sugar, glycerine or flavouring added, nothing is hiding the raw character of the spirit.

The nose is subtle, with light cereal and a hint of citrus freshness. The palate is smooth and balanced, almost creamy in texture, with a fine sweetness and a delicate pepper note, before a long, mild finish with a clean edge of spice. A vodka this pure rewards being tasted on its own terms, so keep the bottle in the freezer and pour it neat into a chilled glass: the cold thickens the texture and lets that quartz-clean structure and faint pepper show without distraction.