I've been a bit focused on cocktails lately. Okay, for a while now. It's been a heck of a year you know. I've gone through some great canned cocktails, tried some amazing tequila, tasted a lot of rum recently, and I can't even tell you how much wine I've gone through. All for the sake of *ahem* research. It seems the only thing I haven't had was vodka, until now.

I recently obtained a Crystal Head Vodka Pride bottle and I haven't opened it yet. If you've never heard of Crystal Head, then let me tell you! I haven't opened the bottle yet because one, it's beautiful and shiny. Two, because it literally looks like the Crystal Skulls from an ancient legend but without the mystical powers (I think). Who knows, maybe it does. I'll let you know when I finally open it.

Full disclosure, they sent me a sample but only AFTER they told me they weren't doing any marketing or advertising in my area. Which is fine, they were nice enough to send me a sample anyway. They sent me a nice packaged bottle. Inside the box was the Crystal Head Vodka itself, a vodka fan, a Made with Pride t-shirt, and some literature on their product.

LGBTQ+ Community Support

When I was reading the flyer in the box I was surprised to see that they support the LGBTQ+ community every day. Every month and year-round. They don't just tout the Pride Month support, they have ongoing programs across the country that they are involved in.

They work regularly with Stonewall Sports Program, The Test Positive Awareness Network, Kaleidoscope Trust, and Lurie Children's Hospital Transgender Youth Program. This year they have also partnered with Gay Pride Apparel which is a Mexican-American and LGBTQ+ owned brand that focuses on empowerment, pride, and authenticity for year-round pride. For every bottle of Crystal Head Vodka and Gay Pride Apparel t-shirt sold, they are donating a portion of the proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign.

All of this made me think so I did a little digging. What other brands were supporting us year-round? I found an article about 11 brands that support the LGBTQ+ community year-round, and another 12 companies that support LGBTQ+ families year-round. It's great there are so many companies now supporting our community more and more. It makes me feel better about supporting them too.

What is Crystal Head Vodka

Crystal Head Vodka is a premium vodka made from Canadian corn and owned by Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander The vodka is distilled four times and blended with water from Newfoundland then filtered through Herkimer diamond crystals. The spirits are also free of any additives such as glycerol, citrus oil, or sugar and their factory is certified kosher. Currently, you can purchase the bottles in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

You can purchase three varieties of vodka:

1. The original vodka comes in a clear bottle and is made from Canadian Peaches and Cream sweet corn.
2. The second vodka is called Aurora and is made from English wheat. The flavor is drier and spicier than the original and the bottle is opalescent to represent the Aurora Borealis.
3. The third vodka is called Crystal Head Onyx and is made from blue agave from the Jalisco Mexico region. Onyx is the first agave-based vodka.

Vodka Recipes

Sugar Daddy

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Crystal Head Vodka
• 4 ounces Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• ½ ounces Simple Syrup
• Muddled Raspberries
• ½ ounces Cointreau
• ½ ounces Fresh Lime Juice

Instructions

1. Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add ice, shake and double strain into a chilled martini glass with pink sugar rim.

Red On The Runway

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce Crystal Head Vodka
• ¼ ounce Campari
• ¼ ounce St. Germain
• ½ ounce Tart Cranberry Juice
• ½ ounce Fresh Lime Juice
• ½ ounce Simple Syrup
• Top with Soda

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass with ice. Top with soda.

Tropic Like It's Hot

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce Crystal Head Vodka
• ½ ounce Campari
• ½ ounce Apricot Liqueur
• ½ ounce Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 ½ ounce Fresh Pineapple Juice
• Pinch of Salt
• ½ ounce Simple Syrup
• Morello Cherry

Instructions

1. Build ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple leaf, cherry, and pineapple slice.

Pineapple In Your Pocket

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Crystal Head Vodka
• 2 ounces Fresh Pineapple Juice
• ½ ounce Falernum Syrup
• ¼ ounce Lime Juice
• 5-6 Mint Leaves, muddled

Instructions

1. Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker, muddle, and shake on ice. Double strain into a highball glass with ice. Garnish with mint crown and dehydrated pineapple ring. Add a colourful yellow straw.

Green Drama Queen

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce Crystal Head Vodka
• 4 ounce Thai Basil Lemonade

Instructions

1. Using a blender, add lemonade and 250g Thai basil with the stems removed. Blend together for 1-2 minutes until liquid. Strain basil from the lemonade and discard. Fill a highball glass with ice and add Crystal Head Vodka and Thai basil lemonade. Garnish with a cucumber wheel.

Blued Up

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce Crystal Head Vodka
• ¾ ounce St. Germain
• ¾ ounce Blue Curacao
• ½ ounce Lemon Juice
• ½ ounce Pineapple Juice

Instructions

1. Hard shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

Lady Lavender

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce Crystal Head Vodka
• 1 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¾ ounce Lavender Syrup
• Muddled Blueberries
• Top with Sparkling Wine

Instructions

1. Muddle ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake on ice. Double strain into a wine glass with regular ice. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a blueberry skewer.

What's The T?

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce Crystal Head Vodka
• ½ ounce Honey Simple Syrup
• ¼ ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ ounce Cointreau
• Top with Black Tea

Instructions

1. Build ingredients in a Collins glass and stir. Garnish with lemon.

Black Magic

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Crystal Head Vodka
• ¾ ounce Blue Curacao
• ½ ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¾ ounce Crème de Briottet

Instructions

1. Build ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass and garnish with dehydrated lemon or lime.