The PGA Masters Tournament Kicks Off Golf (and Vodka Cocktail) Season

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of stepping onto the golf course. The air is heavy with the scent of freshly-cut grass. The sun rises in the sky and you can see the morning dew dancing on the greens. There’s a buzz of excitement in the air but barely a breeze. And you hear that distinctive and repetitive thwack – the musical sound of parking lot pros and their $700 drivers sending golf balls flying down the fairways (or more often into the woods). But we digress.

The PGA Masters Tournament marks the unofficial start of golf season for many, so it’s time to dust off your clubs and hit the links with your friends! The Masters Tournament is steeped in tradition with some of the greatest golfers of all time competing to earn their title as legends and the coveted green jacket that goes with it. And many vodka cocktails, too, have a deep tradition rooted in golf. So while you may not own a prestigious green blazer like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods (Yes, Tiger’s back!!!), or Hideki Matsuyama, you can still be a champion in your group when it comes to your choice of beverages.

As you and your foursome prepare to chase that little white ball down the fairways and onto lush, manicured greens, don’t forget about the refreshments. Those cold and tasty refreshments that reinforce the camaraderie which makes this already great game even more enjoyable. But this season, skip the costly trips to the beverage cart and expensive 19th hole clubhouse cocktails. Ready your cooler and pack these vodka-inspired cocktails instead!

Day Chaser Cocktails

Avoid the drink cart and stock up on Day Chaser Canned Cocktails. Not only does this brand have deep ties to the golf community, but they’re also on the cusp of releasing two new vodka soda flavors. Day Chaser initially launched with two vodka and sparkling water offerings, Lime Vodka + Soda and Cranberry Vodka + Soda, their refreshing versions of classic vodka soda cocktails. Ahead of the Spring, Day Chaser will launch two more offerings, Vodka Buda Berry and Vodka Cucumber. All of Day Chasers’ products are made with real fruit juice and sparkling water.

Day Chaser Canned Cocktails have 100 calories, only 2g carbs, 1 gram of sugar, and no artificial ingredients – perfect for enjoying during a round or afterwards. They’re also gluten free! In addition to the vodka sodas, Day Chaser will soon introduce various tequila and sparkling water offerings including Tequila Lime, Tequila Grapefruit, Tequila Pineapple and Tequila Spicy Mango. This is a canned cocktail ready to join you for any adventure, on or off the course.

Fore Craft Cocktails

The idea for Fore Craft Cocktails came during an annual golf trip when entrepreneur Turner Lewis and his buddies were out on the course. The group grew frustrated when they had to slow down their round to wait for the drink cart attendant to mix their cocktails. Even after the cocktails were ready, the golfers had to deal with their cups.  Turner saw an opportunity to create a golf inspired brand that might speed up the beverage cart wait time while also making cocktails sales a bit easier for golf courses.

Fore Craft Cocktails currently offers the Transfusion, a 5% ABV classic golf cocktail featuring vodka, ginger, grape, and lime, using all natural and gluten free ingredients. They will soon be launching the Bloody Mary which consists of traditional Bloody Mary mix and real vodka and “Fore Tea” with lemonade, tea, and real vodka at 7% ABV. And if you’re drinking Fore’s 7% ABV cocktails, we say anything inside 10 feet is a gimme (go ahead, you can pick it up)!

CANTEEN Vodka Sodas

CANTEEN Spirits is an Austin-based, ready-to-drink cocktail brand specializing in refreshing, low-calorie, spirits-based canned cocktails. The brand advertises to sports-minded athletes, saying that its drinks are “packable and portable refreshment(s)”. Their website features bikers, campers, surfers, and, yes, golfers. And, the brand proudly proclaims, “Because all who wander get thirsty.” While this brand is not golf-specific, it tailors to the sports-person, offering small, portable cans that are perfect for packing in your golf bag or cooler.

CANTEEN spirits has three lines of canned cocktails, including CANTEEN Vodka Soda, CANTINA Tequila Soda, and CANTEEN Gin Spritz. CANTEEN Vodka Soda has a big, fruit forward taste. Crafted with real vodka and sweetened with monk fruit, it is gluten free, non-GMO, vegan, contains zero carbs, sugar or sodium, and it’s only 99 calories. Flavors include pineapple, cucumber mint, black cherry, ruby red grapefruit, strawberry, lime, and watermelon. Whether you’re making the turn or drinking at the 19th hole, CANTEEN Spirits is always a great choice.

Big Storm Vodka Sodas

Big Storm Vodka Soda comes in four flavors: blackberry, peach, lemon-lime, and grapefruit. These sparkling vodka cocktails have a 4.5% alcohol by volume to go with zero sugars and carbs (except lemon-lime which has two carbs), and just 90 to 95 calories. The drinks come in short, 12 oz cans that are portable and easy to store in your golf bag. Each of these canned vodka sodas are made from vodka, real fruit juice, sparkling water, and natural flavors. Their flavors are subtle and not overwhelming, and they have a perfect level of carbonation. These are great, refreshing beverages to enjoy slowly. The lower than average alcohol content means that you can relax with a couple of these on the golf course without hampering your short game (or foot wedge, as we like to call it).

High Noon Vodka & Soda

High Noon Hard Seltzer is another brand of vodka sodas that is available nationally. They offer a wide array of flavors, including lemon, kiwi, guava, passionfruit, mango, peach, lime, pineapple, watermelon, grapefruit, and black cherry. Similar to Big Storm, High Noon’s ingredients are vodka, real fruit juice, natural flavors, and sparkling water. And, they have a lower ABV of 4.5%. These ready-to-drink vodka seltzers come in a little higher on the calories, carbs, and sugars, but they’re still on the average side for vodka sodas. Each product has 100 calories and 2.6 carbs, and 2.3 – 2.6 grams of sugar. High Noon is sweet, natural, and not whatsoever boozy, making it perfect for sipping while golfing on a warm afternoon. Overall, it’s another great choice for your golf cooler.

Cutwater Spirits Vodka Sodas

Cutwater Spirits is an award-winning spirits canned cocktail brand out of California. They have a wide array of vodka soda and vodka spritz flavors ranging from classic cocktails to cucumber. Their beverages range in alcohol content from an average 5% ABV to a very high content of 10% ABV (aka swing juice). So, make sure you check your can before drinking! If you don’t want to wait for the drink cart attendant to mix you up a drink but are looking for that classic cocktail taste, Cutwater Spirits offers vodka mules, lime ranch waters, white Russians, long island iced teas, vodka transfusions, a spicy bloody Mary, and a mild bloody Mary. Their fruit flavors are grapefruit, lime, watermelon, huckleberry, cucumber, and orange. Cutwater Spirits has a range of flavors with other spirits as well, including rum, tequila, gin, and whisky.