If you are planning a trip to San Diego, California and you love a delicious cocktail, then you need to experience the magic of Cutwater. And while we love the brand’s canned cocktails, there is so much more to the brand than their cans.
We here at Guilty Eats had the opportunity to visit Cutwater Distillery for ourselves and learned so much more about the company and brand. Not only that, but we got a chance to try some of their cocktails and food, and we can easily say that we would go back any time we were in town.
However, there are some cocktails that you just have to try, especially right now as they are even offering limited edition Halloween cocktails that will have you wishing they were a permanent fixture on the menu.
So what are the five cocktails we are recommending on your next visit to Cutwater? (Or that you might want to try making yourself.)
5 Cocktails to try right now at Cutwater!
First let’s look at the Halloween cocktails currently on the menu at Cutwater, as these are definitely on my must make list (we just need to get our hands on these Cutwater Spirits first).
TOIL & TROUBLE
For this cocktail you will need:
"1.5oz Cutwater Horchata Vodka.5oz black sesame-cane syrup1oz cold brew1oz oat milk.5oz creme de cacao.5oz coffee liqueur"
For the garnish they recommend a “smoke-filled bubble” which we think sounds very cool, but we will leave that one for them to make. However, to make the drink itself you will need to first make the black sesame-cane syrup, which can be made and stored for between two and three weeks. To make the syrup, “Combine 2 cups cane sugar, 1 cup water and 1oz black sesame paste in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved.”
Finally, this cocktail is as easy as combining the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake it up with ice and then pour in your cauldron mug, or whatever mug you may have on hand that brings you joy. (If you are doing the garnish, now is the time to add it.)
PHOBIA
For this cocktail you need:
"2oz Cutwater Barrel Aged Rum1oz Cutwater Bali Hai Gold Rum1oz Cutwater Bali Hai Dark Rum.75oz orgeat.75oz pineapple gum syrup.5oz orange liqueur2oz lime juice3oz milk"
The garnish for this cocktail is definitely next level and consists of “lime shell filled with lychee popping boba, plastic spider, spider web coaster.” It’s a fun one and definitely something we need to try because we already know we love the Cutwater rums, so this cocktail screams our name and the garnish is the icing on top.
To actually make this cocktail it is as easy as “Combine all ingredients except milk in a container. In a separate container, add 3oz milk. Slowly pour cocktail batch into milk. Let sit at least 2 hours. Strain first thru cheesecloth then again thru coffee filter.”
Honestly, we love both of these Halloween cocktails, although there are a few more on the menu you may want to try including the Mr. Bone Jangles, the Spellbound cocktail, and It’s Freakin’ Bats!
But for anyone looking for non-Halloween specific cocktails, they have you covered there too. Some other must try Cutwater cocktails that we highly recommend and which round out our top five (and if you want to make yourself, follow the links to the brand’s Instagram account where the recipes are posted):
- A Blackberry and Ginger Vodka Mule
- The Hyde Park (which is made with Cutwater Gin and Earl Grey Tea)
- The Burlington Sour (This is another fall cocktail but it sounds next level and is made with Cutwater Rye Whiskey and maple flavors.)
For us, trying any cocktail from the brand is a next level experience and one I highly recommend. And even if you can’t get to Cutwater in San Diego, with their canned cocktails you can enjoy delicious sips any time you want. (I still need to get my hands on the Cutwater White Russian and Long Island Iced Tea, but I definitely suggest giving their canned Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Tiki Rum Punch a try.) We also highly recommend checking out their social media as they will sometimes share fun recipes that will let you enjoy delicious cocktails at home.