Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/126443
UP Up Front with Dan Aykroyd by Breanne DeMore / photos by Jeremy Ball Dan Aykroyd walks in to the Foundation Room at the House of Blues and wastes no time: The actor rattles off a list of accounts where he'd like to see Crystal Head Vodka served, and it's obvious that this celebrity brand owner is much more than a figurehead. From the brand's inception, through distillation and production, even up to marketing and advertising, Aykroyd has his hands firmly on the Crystal Head brand, going so far as to casually mentioning the chemical composition of the liquid. While his passion and energy are obvious, the root is mysterious and spiritual for Aykroyd, who references the ancient legend of the 13 crystal skulls discovered in various cultures and countries around the world as an integral part of the brand's impetus. "We are selling enlightened drinking, positive thinking and the spirit of positive energy," he announces with incomparable liveliness, every inch the enigmatic character we've grown to love over the course of nearly 40 years and countless television and film appearances. Founding Friends Aykroyd tells the Crystal Head story as if it were destiny. He recalls that over the course of conversation one cold Manhattan afternoon with Crystal Head co-founder and landscape artist John Alexander, Alexander confessed he'd always wanted to do a skull-shaped bottle for a beverage. Intrigued, Aykroyd, who'd already had success introducing Patrón in Canada, asked Alexander to write up a proposal, 6 / the tasting panel / may 2013 Dan Aykroyd puts the magic in Crystal Head Vodka.