SKYY

Maurice Kanbar is an American inventor whose name in the spirits world stands alongside those who created entire categories. In the early 1990s he asked himself a simple question: what exactly in vodka causes a hangover? The answer was found in organic chemistry — congeners (fusel oils, aldehydes and other by-products of distillation) are the main culprits behind the unpleasant after-effects.

Kanbar developed a patented quadruple filtration process specifically targeting congeners. In 1992 he introduced SKYY Vodka in San Francisco — a city always open to innovation and new concepts. The cobalt-blue bottle, designed specifically for the brand, immediately set SKYY apart on bar shelves and shop floors: it looked expensive, modern and utterly unlike the competition.

The brand quickly won a following in California bars, then spread across the whole of America. At the 2001 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, SKYY received a gold medal. Campari Group acquired the brand in 2012 for $792 million — a significant sum, testament to the real value Kanbar had built over two decades.

The SKYY Infusions range (natural fruit infusions) extended the brand's presence in the flavoured vodka segment, and in recent years SKYY90 at an elevated 45% ABV has broadened the assortment for lovers of a more pronounced character.

SKYY production is based on American grain spirit — a blend of wheat and other grains. The first stage is triple column distillation, which already achieves a high degree of distillate purity. However, the next stage is what distinguishes SKYY from most competitors.

Quadruple filtration — the brand's patented technology. The process involves several sequential stages: charcoal filtration removes large impurity molecules, and then a method of deep chilling is applied. At significantly reduced temperatures, fatty acids and fusel compounds precipitate out and are mechanically separated. This method is particularly effective against acetaldehyde and furfural — the compounds most closely associated with hangover symptoms.

Dilution water comes from Californian sources and undergoes additional purification. The final product is an exceptionally neutral, clean vodka with a minimal congener profile. It is precisely this neutrality that makes SKYY popular in cocktails: it does not compete with the other ingredients but serves as a clean alcoholic base.

The cobalt-blue glass of the bottle also has a practical function: it protects the contents from ultraviolet radiation, which can potentially affect the quality of the distillate. The bottle design has remained virtually unchanged since launch — a rare constancy in an industry where restyling has become the norm.