Skyy Vodka USA Premium vodka 70 cl 40%

San Francisco, 1992. An inventor with not a single day of drinks trade behind him decided a vodka ought to be distilled until there was almost nothing left to strip away. The cobalt blue bottle that came out of the experiment still sits on back bars all over the world.

Expert description

Skyy Vodka is an American Vodka from San Francisco, distilled four times from American grain and bottled at 40%.

The man behind it was Maurice Kanbar, an inventor and businessman long before he was a vodka producer. When he put Skyy Vodka on the market in 1992 it arrived as the first quadruple-distilled and triple-filtered vodka in the United States. The thinking was simple: every extra pass through the column leaves less of the heavier compounds that otherwise show up in the nose as harshness.

The grain is grown in the United States, the filtration happens three times, and the water comes from the west coast. The brand now belongs to Gruppo Campari, the Italian house behind Campari and Aperol, so a vodka born in San Francisco has ended up in an Italian portfolio.

The character is neutral in the best sense of the word. There are no edges, no bitterness, and only a faint grain note holds on once the vodka meets ice and citrus. That is exactly why it has survived three decades of shifting cocktail fashion: it lets the other ingredients do the talking.

Tasting notes

Nose

Cool and almost tight-lipped. A pale grain note sits there with a faint sweetness, and no alcohol prickle at all.

Palate

Smooth and lightly oily. The grain gives a discreet sweetness, and halfway across the mouth a saline, mineral pull appears before a mild pepper edge rounds things off.

Finish

Short and dry. It lets go quickly and leaves behind neither bitterness nor burn.

Specifications

Name: Skyy Vodka
Producer: Skyy Vodka
Region/Country: San Francisco, USA
Type: American Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Quadruple distilled, triple filtered
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass, or as the base of a Cosmopolitan or Moscow Mule where lime and ginger get room to work.

Flavour profile

Neutral · Smooth · Lightly mineral · Discreetly grain-sweet

Did you know?

In 2021 Skyy Vodka was relaunched with water enriched with Pacific Minerals, drawn from the coastal waters around San Francisco. That is an unusual move in a trade where most producers head the other way and take as much out of the water as they possibly can.

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Frequently asked questions about Skyy Vodka

What does quadruple distilled mean?

It means the spirit has been through the purification four times. Each pass removes more of the heavier alcohols and esters that carry harshness and lingering aftertaste. Some of the raw material's own character disappears with them, and hitting that balance is the whole job.

What is Skyy Vodka made from?

American grain and west coast water. The grain supplies the light sweetness you meet mid-palate, while the water is responsible for the cool, faintly saline sensation. Nothing is added in the way of sugar or flavouring, so what you taste comes from distillation and dilution.

How is it best served?

Properly cold, but not frozen solid. Twenty minutes in the freezer tightens it without shutting the aroma down. If you want it neat, use a small glass with a gathered rim so the little aroma there is actually reaches your nose.

Which cocktails work best?

The clear, tart ones. A Cosmopolitan, a Moscow Mule or a plain Vodka Tonic suit it because it never fights lime, ginger or cranberry. In an Espresso Martini it turns into a blank canvas behind the coffee.

Who is behind the brand?

Maurice Kanbar founded it in San Francisco in 1992, and it has since landed with Gruppo Campari. Kanbar was an inventor by trade and approached vodka as a technical problem to be solved with more distillations than the competition ran.

How long does an opened bottle keep?

Several years, provided the closure seals tightly. The strength is far too high for anything to grow, but the aroma dulls steadily once a lot of air sits in the bottle. Keep it dark and cool and that happens slowly.

What characterises American Vodka?

A focus on purity rather than raw material character. Where Polish and Russian houses often cultivate the rye or potato note, American brands typically work with grain and many distillations to reach a neutral profile built for cocktails. Compare it with the other Vodka brands.