Both the first-ever and the most recent canned cocktails I’ve consumed were at Petco Park. In 2024, they’re now a fact of life. A ballpark necessity, even. Eight years ago, a Cutwater Vodka Mule was a novelty revelation.
Back in the day, I stood at a ballpark concession counter ready to buy yet another draft beer. The row of cans caught my eye.
“Is that really a mixed drink in a can?” I asked, pointing incredulously at the cooler.
The concessionaire shrugged. My light-bulb moment was just another point-of-sale for him. Unlike me, he apparently didn’t hear the angel choir singing.
Since that day, Cutwater canned cocktails have become my go-to at San Diego Padres home games. The cans stay cool longer. The contents taste better than beer. And the beverages deliver a buzz while generating far fewer restroom breaks.
Imagine my delight in receiving an out-of-the-blue invitation from Cutwater Spirits to a June press gathering. The itinerary: a tour of its Miramar distillery, lunch in the Gaslamp Quarter and a special club ticket to a Padres game.
I RSVP-ed while silently vowing to pace myself.
Some history: This canned cocktail operation was originally founded in 2007 as part of the local Ballast Point beer dynasty. Recall that Ballast Point was sold for a billion dollars to Constellation Brands in 2015. The next year, Cutwater Spirits was spun off as its own company.
Now owned by Anheuser-Busch, Cutwater has a 50,000-square-foot distillery on aptly named Distribution Road. The quasi-boat-shaped Miramar headquarters also houses an airy restaurant and a hip tasting room. Tours are available.
Cutwater has an award-winning lineup of more than 20 canned cocktails and bottled spirits. The company makes its own liquor onsite, including vodka, rum, gin and whiskey. During my visit, recently fermented rum was being distilled in huge vertical tanks.
Our group had hummus and chips at the onsite restaurant (which receives tourists from all over the world). We were saving our palates for a late, downtown San Diego lunch at the lively, new Hasta Manana Cantina in the Gaslamp Quarter.
You betcha they serve special Cutwater-based cocktails at Hasta Manana. (Cutwater is available in nearly all 50 United States.)
To start, a selection of hearty appetizers (mole wings, skillet elote, etc.) were paired with “Ranch Water,” Cutwater Tequila Blanco in tajin-rimmed glasses.
I got the savory, oversized oyster-mushroom tacos, which came with a Cutwater Mezcal Joven cocktail (mixed with lemon, watermelon, mint agave and chile de arbol).
A foursome of sorbet mexicanos came as dessert, paired with a hyper-delicious Cutwater Tequila Reposado with DropKick Cold Brew and Licor 43.
I’m getting tipsy just rereading the menu. Good thing there was two hours to walk off lunch before it was time to enter the gates at Petco Park.
The Cutwater Agave Club is located on the ballpark’s Terrace Level down the third baseline. It abuts the Western Metals Building. This space has been a sushi restaurant. Until just recently it was called The Still, a restaurant area open to all fans.
Starting at the beginning of the 2024 season, it became the Cutwater Agave Club and switched to become a private space. This premium seating area, and the food and beverages, are only available to ticket holders with a Platinum Membership. Game tickets in the club area are not sold individually. (Here’s a link to more details.)
The layout of the club area is relatively the same as it’s been since Petco was built 20 years ago. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, with tables interspersed throughout.
Our group sat outdoors, next to the the brick exterior of the Western Metals Building. Cans of Cutwater were omnipresent. I went with my tried-and-true: the mule.
In late June the Padres were streaking, putting together several wins in a row. I sipped from my vodka cocktail in a can, chatted with other journalists and kept an eye on the game.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, with the score tied and two outs, the Padres had Jake Cronenworth at the plate. The crowd was hushed–most likely because the home team had just blown a three-run lead.
In the blink of an eye, the tide turned again. Cronenworth jacked a walk-off homer into the right field stands. The stadium erupted with cheers. Fireworks exploded over the outfield.
The last thing I did before exiting the Cutwater Agave Club was hold my mule can aloft in a silent toast. To America’s pastime, I nodded. To the constancy of sameness sprinkled with inevitable change. And to the spirits of baseball. SDSun
