Aykroyd pitches in on vodka campaign

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Film star Dan Aykroyd has joined forces with U.S. landscape artist and sculptor John Alexander to market Crystal Head Vodka, the makers of the drink announced.

The name of the beverage is a nod to the 13 mythical crystal skulls allegedly found in various locations around the world.

"Unlike most vodkas in today's marketplace that use additives, glycol, citrus and sugar to improve smoothness and flavor, Crystal Head Vodka is a pure spirit with no additives. It is quadrupled distilled and filtered three times through charcoal followed by triple filtration over Herkimer crystals from one of the planet's rarest deposits of close concentrated semi-precious stones," Aykroyd said in a statement.

The brand, which will be available initially in California, Texas, Nevada, Louisiana and Florida, will retail for $49.95 per 750 milliliter bottle.

Aykroyd will be performing at various House of Blues locations during the product's roll-out. The actor also commissioned his friend Alexander to design and create an anatomically correct rendering of a human skull, which was then manufactured into a container by master artisans in Milano's Bruni Glass Co.

Aykroyd's interests in spirits and brand promotion originated with his co-founding of House of Blues Entertainment Inc., now a division of Live Nation Inc., the vodka company said.