Cutwater Heaters Look To Warm Up Your Winter Spirits

We’ve said it here so many times and yet it still bears repeating: Bottled and canned cocktails are all the rage these days. Explosive growth—specifically—amongst the liquor-based ready-to-drink category has been instrumental in helping distilled spirits chip away at beer’s market share dominance. Tracking the prevailing winds is the latest data from the Distilled Spirits Council, showing that 2021 was the 12th consecutive year in which spirits have made such gains. The trade group predicts that spirit is on pace to overtake beer as the most popular segment of US alcohol sales within a few short years.

For consumers this shift in behavior has as much to do with innovation as it does with convenience. And the sustained success of Cutwater Spirits is making that plainly clear. The San Diego-based producer has held onto pole position in the space by continually offering a massive array of flavors. It’s a stable of varieties some two-dozen strong. And it’s continually being added to, demonstrating the flexibility to adapt to the prevailing taste trends of the day.

The company’s latest innovation is one that sings of the season: Cutwater Heaters. These 40-proof, pre-batched drinks are bottled in a 375ml format. Cocktail fans can easily arrange them into warmed beverages at home with the addition of hot water. You honestly don’t need anything more than a cup to pour it into and perhaps a straw for a light stir. They come to market this month in three flavors, including Whiskey Hot Toddy, Vodka Apple Pie and Hot Buttered Rum (the first two feature spirits which took home double golds at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition).

“At Cutwater, we never stop innovating—we’re always looking for new ways to bring bar-quality cocktails to our fans in new, easy-to-enjoy forms,” says co-founder and master distiller, Yuseff Cherney. “Cutwater Heaters are a new but natural expansion of our cocktail line made with real spirits. These classic warm, comfort cocktails are perfect for sipping after a long day on the ski slopes or at home in front of a fire.”

Of course, it doesn’t matter how simple they are to prepare…If they don’t taste good they don’t really stand a chance on shelves. Thankfully for Cherney, he’s put to bottle another solid series of products. Each one holds true to its advertised flavors, with the Hot Buttered Rum standing out as a true confectionary gem. Cutwater Heaters are now available in California, Colorado and Massachusetts, with additional distribution promised throughout the winter months. 375ml bottles are set to retail at $14 per unit.