Craftwell Cocktails is the new canned cocktail venture from 2 Towns Ciderhouse, featuring a new line of four wine-based cocktails that I originally posted about here. The company sent me cans of each flavor to sample and review.

The front of the can reads “wine cocktail” and the finer print on the side indicates that in fact these are apple wine-based, perhaps not surprising since this is a 2 Towns brand after all. Each can is 10.5% ABV (one 12 ounce can holds two six ounce servings), and that’s with the various fruit and syrups blended in, so the base wine/spirit is stronger than that. I was curious about how 2 Towns is doing this so I reached out with a couple of questions to clarify:

Can you offer up details on this apple wine base? Is it similar to Pommeau, for instance, or is it custom crafted for this cocktail blend?

It is custom crafted that we make specifically for each of the cocktails. It is a unique process for each cocktail.

Are there any other sources of alcohol in these cocktails (liqueurs/mixers/etc.) or are they all the one base?

Craftwell Cocktails are an apple wine-based cocktail and all the alcohol comes from fermented apples. Great news for Oregonians who will be able to purchase these cocktails at retail grocery stores!

Yes, so it’s a bit of marketingspeak, but it does offer some tidbits and possibilities. The Pommeau I referenced, for instance, as well as other similar offerings are made with apple eau de vie (brandy), so I’d wonder if something similar is happening with Craftwell.

Regardless, what this means is that all of these cocktails are gluten free as well.

Let’s get to my reviews! As usual with reviews like these, I don’t have my typical appearance/smell/taste/mouthfeel notes, I just freeform my thoughts as I smell and sip (I haven’t really found another format though I image there are options out there).

Sorry about the slightly blurry labels on the cans; it looks like the camera focused on the glass and liquid and I hadn’t noticed until I was processing these pictures.

Pineapple Margarita

This is the classic approach to a margarita cocktail, albeit the pineapple isn’t traditional. Pineapple Margarita has 140 calories per six-ounce service, with 10 grams of carbs. The description says:

A tropical twist on the classic style, our reimagined Pineapple Margarita cocktail is crafted with juicy-fresh Costa Rica Gold pineapple and zesty key lime, all melded together with an earthy agave nectar for a touch of sweetness.

The additions here are the pineapple (juice), key lime juice, and agave syrup, which actually sounds pretty straightforward for a margarita (substituting triple sec for pineapple).

My notes: Looks like a margarita, tinged yellow. Sweet pineapple candy aroma with a hint of lime. Bright and light on the tongue, with fresh pineapple juice and a lime tanginess you can feel in the jowls. There’s a hint of apple. It does taste to me like a margarita, so mission accomplished. I also added some ice, which tempers the overall flavors a bit, and I could go for a glass with a salted rim. Tart but tasty.

Strawberry Margarita

Strawberry Margarita is the heftiest of the bunch, with 150 calories per service and 11 grams of carbs. The description says:

A West Coast rendition, the Strawberry Margarita cocktail shines with sun-drenched strawberry sweetness, zesty key lime, and a subtle agave nectar finish.

Which means the additions are strawberries (or their juice), key lime juice, and agave syrup.

My notes: Pink and translucent, looks like watermelon juice. Smells like fresh strawberries, albeit there’s a touch of Jolly Rancher candy (is the strawberry essence enhance?). It’s sweet and punchy with a bit of booziness, mild lime zest, and berry notes that are kind of indistinct, that I can’t saw are strawberries or a medley. A little cloyingly sweet, it could use some more lime or acid maybe.

Blueberry Cosmo

A cosmopolitan is typically made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice. For this Blueberry Cosmo, the blueberries replace the triple sec and cranberry. It has 140 calories per serving, with 10 grams of carbs. The description says:

The Cosmo reimagined in the spirit of the Pacific Northwest — rich, tart PNW blueberries crushed in with a kick of fresh-squeezed California sourced Meyer lemon.

The additions are blueberries and a bit of Meyer lemon juice.

My notes: Deep purple color, which reminds me of grape juice; it’s largely opaque. Mellow blueberry nose with a slightly boozy kick. The flavor has a mix of tart, sweet, and blueberry jam with a slightly astringent berry skin character. Some alcohol heat blooms at the back of the throat. There’s a nice berry character overall and it has a mix of sweet and sour that I’d probably expect from a cosmopolitan. A bit of apple comes out as it warms.

Grapefruit Paloma

I wasn’t really familiar with the paloma cocktail before trying this, but it’s typically a tequila-based cocktail with lime juice and grapefruit-flavored soda (Fresca, Squirt, etc.). This Grapefruit Paloma has 140 calories per serving, with 10 grams of carbs. The description says:

Start your adventure with the reimagined Grapefruit Paloma cocktail, crafted with sweet and tangy ruby red grapefruit and agave nectar for a juicy and refreshing spin on this classic style.

The additions are red grapefruit juice and agave nectar (syrup).

My notes: Translucent pink-orange color of grapefruit juice. It smells like grapefruit with a hint of lime and spice… I’ve never had a paloma but this smells like its description. Bruléed grapefruit for a sweet taste but it’s relatively mellow with no bitterness; there’s a touch of lime-like tartness with a hint of what I’d swear is tequila. Good balance all around and yet it’s super sippable. This is probably my favorite of the four.