| Type | Vodka |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SKYY Spirits LLC |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1992 |
| Proof | 80 |
| Related products | List of vodkas |
SKYY vodka is produced by SKYY Spirits LLC in San Francisco, California. SKYY Vodka is 40% ABV or 80 proof; SKYY 90 Vodka is a 90 proof high-priced brand aimed at martini drinkers. When SKYY Spirits LLC first launched in 1992 SKYY vodka was its first product; its creator, Maurice Kanbar, claims the vodka is nearly congener-free due to its distillation process. The bottle is a cobalt blue with a plastic label. In 2008, SKYY expanded the SKYY Vodka line with five new flavors, referred to as SKYY Infusions.
Contents |
Skyy Blue is a malt beverage made by the owner of SKYY Vodka, Gruppo Campari of Milan, Italy. It is available in countries such as Mexico, Australia and Brazil.
Skyy is now the US marketing arm of Gruppo Campari, and markets not only the vodka line, but other Campari products including Wild Turkey (bourbon) and American Honey Liqueur.[1]
Actual production and bottling of the product was outsourced to Frank-Lin Distillers Products in San Jose, California.[2] Bulk ethanol is delivered in railroad tank cars to Frank-Lin's railroad siding near the San Jose rail yards. The ethanol is mixed with filtered and deionized water, flavoring is added, and the product is bottled using a 42-head US Bottlers Machinery Company filling machine to ensure uniform product level.[3]
The ethanol is purchased from MGP Ingredients of Atchison, Kansas,[4] a bulk ethanol producer for beverage, industrial, and fuel applications.[5] MGP uses wheat as a feedstock for the process. The distillation plant is in Pekin, Illinois and is currently powered by natural gas, but United States Environmental Protection Agency approval has been requested to convert the plant to burn coal.[6]
SKYY comes in a variety of flavors:[7]
SKYY vodkas have had some success at international spirit ratings competitions. The unflavored SKYY generally has had the best performance, winning silver medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Proof66 rates the SKYY unflavored vodka among the Top 20 vodkas in the world.[8]