SKYY vodka is an American vodka spirit produced by the
Campari America division of
Campari Group of
Milan, Italy, formerly SKYY Spirits LLC.[1] SKYY Vodka is 40%
ABV or 80
proof, except in Australia and New Zealand where it is 37.5% ABV / 75 Proof and in South Africa where it is 43% ABV / 86 Proof. Its creator,
Maurice Kanbar, claims the vodka is nearly
congener-free due to its
distillation process. That is why the popular company slogan is "Vodka so filtered - we even took the Russia out of it".[citation needed] The bottle is a
cobalt blue with a clear, adhesive label. In 2008, SKYY expanded the SKYY Vodka line with seventeen new flavors, referred to as SKYY Infusions. These SKYY Infusions are made with fruit.
Brand ownership history
SKYY vodka was originally sold by SKYY Spirits LLC, established in 1992 by
Maurice Kanbar. In 2009 SKYY Spirits LLC was acquired by
Campari Group, and in 2012 was renamed Campari America.[2] It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of
Gruppo Campari, and markets not only the
vodka line, but other Campari products as well.[3][4]
Manufacturing
Production and bottling of the product was initially outsourced to Frank-Lin Distillers Products in
San Jose, California.[5] Bulk
ethanol was delivered in
railroad tank cars to Frank-Lin's
railroad siding near the San Jose rail yards. The ethanol was mixed with filtered and
deionized water, flavoring was added, and the product was
bottled using a 42-head US Bottlers Machinery Company filling machine to ensure uniform product level.[6]
The ethanol was purchased from MGP Ingredients of
Atchison, Kansas,[7] a bulk ethanol producer for beverage, industrial, and fuel applications.[8] 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.[9]
After the acquisition of the brand by Gruppo Campari, production was moved to Campari facilities.