Anheuser-Busch Invests $1.5 Million in Cutwater’s San Diego Production Facility, Expanding Innovation and Production Capabilities

Anheuser-Busch Cutwater Investment: $1.5 Million San Diego Expansion

Anheuser-Busch is putting another $1.5 million behind Cutwater, and this time the money is going directly into the brand’s San Diego home, where the company is expanding production capacity, adding manufacturing jobs and making room for the next wave of ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Cutwater has grown well beyond its Southern California roots, but San Diego remains the center of the operation, and this latest Anheuser-Busch investment says plenty about where the company sees future growth coming from.

This is more than another production announcement. Cutwater has become a major player in the spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktail business, with a national distribution footprint and a portfolio that continues to push beyond traditional beer offerings. The new $1.5 million investment will specifically expand cream-based cocktail production at the San Diego facility, which is the exclusive production location for Cutwater’s cream-based cocktail portfolio. That’s an important distinction because new flavors and seasonal products are only part of the story. Having the manufacturing capacity to actually produce them at scale is where the business gets interesting.

And the numbers coming out of San Diego are hard to ignore. Cutwater’s Tasting Room & Kitchen has reportedly seen foot traffic increase 29% year over year, while net revenue climbed 36%, giving the company another reason to keep investing in its hometown operation. The facility already employs more than 200 people and functions as the brand’s headquarters, distillery, production center and innovation hub, where new cocktail concepts can be tested with consumers before they make their way onto store shelves. A growing production operation, more jobs and a tasting room that’s attracting more visitors. Not a bad combination.

Anheuser-Busch says this latest project builds on more than $5 million in recent investments across Cutwater’s manufacturing network, including production enhancements in Los Angeles and Baldwinsville, New York, as the company prepares for continued national growth and a busy holiday season featuring Gingerbread White Russian, Tiki Nog and a new Martini Variety Pack.

Anheuser-Busch Expands Cutwater Production in San Diego

The November 12, 2026 announcement puts a specific number behind Anheuser-Busch’s continued commitment to Cutwater: $1.5 million for its flagship San Diego production facility. The investment is intended to increase manufacturing capacity, create additional jobs and strengthen the operation responsible for producing some of the brand’s most recognizable ready-to-drink spirits-based cocktails.

Founded in San Diego in 2016, Cutwater has developed from a local distillery into a nationally distributed cocktail brand. According to Anheuser-Busch, Cutwater is now more than 4.5 times larger than its nearest competitor, holds nine of the top 10 positions in spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails and accounts for approximately 75% of category dollar sales growth. Those figures help explain why the company is directing additional capital toward the brand rather than simply relying on its existing manufacturing footprint.

Jake Kirsch, President of Beyond Beer at Anheuser-Busch, said the investment will help meet growing consumer demand while creating additional manufacturing opportunities in Southern California. The company sees San Diego as central to Cutwater’s identity and future development, particularly as its spirits-based canned cocktail portfolio continues expanding across the United States.

San Diego Remains Cutwater’s Production and Innovation Center

The San Diego campus serves several purposes under one roof. It houses Cutwater’s headquarters, production facility, innovation center and Tasting Room & Kitchen, making it considerably more than a manufacturing operation.

The facility currently employs more than 200 people and welcomes visitors throughout the year. Guests can experience Cutwater cocktails, food offerings, special events and distillery experiences, giving the brand a direct connection with consumers beyond traditional retail distribution.

That consumer connection also plays a role in product development. New cocktail recipes and flavor concepts can be introduced to visitors, tested and refined before the company commits to broader production and national distribution. The tasting room’s reported 29% increase in foot traffic and 36% increase in net revenue demonstrate that the hospitality side of the operation is growing alongside the packaged cocktail business.

Cream-Based Cocktail Production Gets a Major Boost

One of the most interesting details in the announcement is exactly where the $1.5 million will go. Anheuser-Busch is expanding cream-based cocktail production capabilities at the San Diego facility, which serves as the exclusive production location for Cutwater’s cream-based cocktail portfolio.

This investment gives Cutwater additional capacity to support existing products while developing future releases. Cream-based cocktails have become an important part of the brand’s product lineup, and the company’s holiday announcements provide an immediate example of how that manufacturing capability supports seasonal innovation.

The new limited-edition Gingerbread White Russian leads the holiday collection. Made with Cutwater Vodka and the brand’s signature coffee cream liqueur, the cocktail combines gingerbread notes and holiday spices with a familiar White Russian-inspired profile. It takes a recognizable cocktail and gives it a seasonal variation in a convenient ready-to-drink format.

The holiday lineup also includes Tiki Nog, a tropical interpretation of a holiday classic made with Bali Hai Tiki Gold Rum, cream and cinnamon. The Martini Variety Pack adds three familiar cocktail styles: Lemon Drop Martini, Espresso Martini and Passion Fruit Martini.

Anheuser-Busch Continues Expanding Cutwater Manufacturing

The San Diego investment is part of a broader manufacturing strategy. Anheuser-Busch says it has committed more than $5 million in recent investments supporting Cutwater’s manufacturing network, including previously announced improvements in Los Angeles and Baldwinsville, New York.

The Baldwinsville facility is particularly relevant because Anheuser-Busch announced additional Cutwater production capabilities there as part of its August 2026 investment announcement. Together, these projects give the company additional manufacturing capacity as Cutwater continues competing in the growing ready-to-drink spirits category.

Cutwater is also preparing for a much larger national marketing push. Anheuser-Busch previously announced that the brand will appear in a national commercial during the February 2027 big game, putting additional attention behind a spirits-based cocktail brand that has already established nationwide distribution.

For Anheuser-Busch, the $1.5 million San Diego expansion is a relatively targeted investment with several potential benefits: more production capacity, additional manufacturing employment, expanded cream cocktail capabilities and a stronger base for future product development. For Cutwater, it reinforces the importance of the original San Diego operation even as the brand continues growing nationally.

The announcement makes one thing clear: Anheuser-Busch is continuing to put real manufacturing resources behind its beyond-beer portfolio, and Cutwater is receiving a substantial share of that attention.

New investment will expand production capacity, create manufacturing jobs and support continued growth of America’s #1 spirits-based cocktail brand 

Key Facts

• – Anheuser-Busch is investing $1.5 million in Cutwater’s San Diego flagship production facility
• – The investment will expand production capacity and create additional manufacturing jobs in San Diego
• – The San Diego campus serves as the brand’s headquarters, production facility, innovation center, tasting room and kitchen
• – The investment builds on more than $5 million in recent investments supporting Cutwater’s broader manufacturing network
• – Cutwater’s San Diego Tasting Room & Kitchen has seen foot traffic increase 29% and net revenue grow 36% year over year
• – The facility serves as a key innovation hub where new products and flavor concepts are tested and refined before reaching consumers nationwide
• – This holiday season, Cutwater is launching the limited-edition Gingerbread White Russian, alongside Tiki Nog and the Martini Variety Pack

San Diego, California – November 12, 2026 – Today Anheuser-Busch announced a new $1.5 million investment in Cutwater’s flagship San Diego facility, expanding production capacity, creating additional manufacturing jobs, and strengthening the innovation hub behind America’s leading spirits-based cocktail brand.

Founded in San Diego in 2016, Cutwater has grown from a local distillery into the largest spirits-based cocktail brand in the United States. Today the brand is more than 4.5 times larger than its nearest competitor, has nine of the top 10 ready-to-drink spirits-based cocktails and accounts for approximately 75% of category dollar sales growth.* Cutwater continues to capture spirits occasions and fuel Anheuser-Busch’s growth in the spirits category.

Jake Kirsch, President, Beyond Beer at Anheuser-Busch said: “Cutwater was built in San Diego, and the creativity, craftsmanship and spirit that shaped the brand remain at the center of everything we do. This investment allows us to expand production to help meet rapidly growing demand for the #1 spirits-based cocktail brand in the U.S. while also creating new manufacturing opportunities in Southern California.”

This project is part of more than $5 million in investments Anheuser-Busch has made to support Cutwater’s continued growth across its manufacturing network, including previously announced enhancements at the company’s Los Angeles, California brewery, and Baldwinsville, New York brewery.

In August, Anheuser-Busch announced that Cutwater will be featured during the big game in February 2027 with a national commercial, bringing one of the fastest-growing brands in alcohol to the biggest stage in sports and entertainment.

Investing in the Home of Cocktail Creativity & Innovation

While Cutwater products are enjoyed in all 50 states, San Diego remains central to the Cutwater story.

The brand’s flagship campus serves as Cutwater’s headquarters, production facility, innovation center, tasting room and kitchen. Today, the facility employs more than 200 people and welcomes visitors year-round through the Cutwater Tasting Room & Kitchen, where guests can experience the brand firsthand through cocktails, food offerings, special events and distillery experiences.

As consumer enthusiasm for the brand continues to grow, Cutwater’s San Diego Tasting Room & Kitchen is also experiencing record momentum, with foot traffic rising 29% and net revenue growing 36% compared to the prior year. More than a hospitality destination, the tasting room serves as a direct connection to consumers and a real-world testing ground for the brand’s innovation pipeline. It is where new cocktails and flavor concepts are sampled, refined and validated with consumers before many make their way to shelves nationwide. This unique feedback loop helps inform future innovation while bringing the Cutwater brand to life for visitors from across Southern California and beyond.

Holiday Innovation Born in San Diego

The new investment will specifically expand cream-based cocktail production capabilities at the facility, which serves as the exclusive production location for Cutwater’s cream-based cocktail portfolio. The additional capacity will support continued growth while enabling future innovation, including this year’s lineup of seasonal innovations inspired by evolving consumer tastes and holiday entertaining occasions.

Leading the holiday collection is the new limited-edition Gingerbread White Russian, a festive twist on one of Cutwater’s most beloved cocktails. Crafted with Cutwater Vodka and the brand’s signature coffee cream liqueur, the ready-to-drink cocktail blends notes of gingerbread and holiday spice to deliver a rich, bar-quality take on a seasonal favorite.

The launch highlights the cream liqueur expertise that resides exclusively in San Diego and underscores the role the facility plays in bringing new innovations to market.

Additional seasonal offerings include:

• – Martini Variety Pack, featuring Lemon Drop Martini, Espresso Martini and Passion Fruit Martini
• – Tiki Nog, a tropical take on a holiday classic made with Bali Hai Tiki Gold Rum, cream and cinnamon

Together, these products reflect Cutwater’s commitment to delivering perfectly mixed, bar-quality cocktails inspired by consumer trends and developed by the team behind the brand’s continued success.

Related news from mybeerbuzz.com:
MyBeerBuzz has followed Cutwater’s growth and Anheuser-Busch’s expanding spirits portfolio through several related announcements. Readers can also check out our coverage of Anheuser-Busch Acquires Cutwater Spirits, which looks back at the company’s original move into the Cutwater business, Cutwater and Parker Posey Launch The Longest Island, covering the brand’s national cocktail marketing campaign, PGA TOUR Taps Cutwater as Official Canned Cocktail, detailing its expanding national partnerships, and Anheuser-Busch Invests $13 Million in Baldwinsville, NY Brewery, which includes additional Cutwater manufacturing capabilities.

These stories provide a broader look at Cutwater’s growth, Anheuser-Busch’s manufacturing investments and the continuing expansion of the ready-to-drink cocktail category.

About Anheuser-Busch

At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a future with more cheers. For more than 165 years as a leading American manufacturer, we have delivered a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. As the nation’s top brewer, one of the fastest growing spirits companies, and an insurgent force in energy drinks, we drive economic prosperity nationwide through investments in our people, facilities, and communities. We are the only alcohol company that invests in the U.S. at this scale.

We are home to the nation’s most iconic beers, ready-to-drink spirits and beyond beer brands, including Michelob ULTRA – America’s #1 top-selling and fastest-growing beer – Busch Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois, Cutwater Spirits, NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer, industry-leading craft beers and non-alcohol beers like Michelob ULTRA Zero. We are guided by our commitment to the communities we call home and to the 65,000 hardworking Americans who bring our products to life. That’s who we are. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Cutwater

Cutwater, the most awarded canned cocktail brand in the U.S., is a San Diego-based distillery known for its lineup of 20+ canned cocktail classics made from its portfolio of bottled spirits that span nearly every spirits category. A key part of Anheuser-Busch’s iconic line-up of brands, Cutwater operates from a 50,000-square-foot distillery and production facility, which includes a world-class tasting room and restaurant. To date, Cutwater has earned over 3,500 awards across its portfolio of products and is distributed in 50 states. Learn more at www.CutwaterSpirits.com or follow @cutwaterspirits on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Cutwater Spirits is a San Diego-based distillery and ready-to-drink cocktail company that has grown into one of the leading names in America’s spirits-based canned cocktail business. Founded in San Diego in 2016, Cutwater began with a straightforward idea: take the quality and character of traditional spirits and classic cocktails and make them available in convenient, ready-to-enjoy formats. The company has since developed a national presence through its expanding lineup of canned cocktails, bottled spirits and seasonal beverage innovations.

Now part of Anheuser-Busch’s growing beyond-beer portfolio, Cutwater represents a significant piece of the company’s expansion into spirits and ready-to-drink beverages. While Anheuser-Busch is best known for iconic beer brands including Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch Light and Michelob ULTRA, Cutwater gives the company an established presence in a different part of the beverage alcohol market. Its growth reflects the increasing consumer interest in convenient canned cocktails that offer familiar bar-style drinks without requiring customers to purchase multiple bottles, mixers and ingredients.

Cutwater operates from a 50,000-square-foot distillery and production facility in San Diego, California. The campus serves as the company’s headquarters and manufacturing center while also housing its tasting room, restaurant and product innovation operation. The San Diego facility is particularly important to the brand’s cream-based cocktail portfolio, which is produced exclusively at this location. Anheuser-Busch’s November 2026 announcement of a $1.5 million investment will expand these production capabilities, allowing Cutwater to increase manufacturing capacity, support new products and create additional local manufacturing jobs.

The Cutwater Tasting Room & Kitchen provides visitors with an opportunity to experience the brand beyond its retail products. Guests can enjoy cocktails, food, special events and distillery experiences while getting a closer look at the company’s approach to spirits and cocktail production. The tasting room also provides an important connection between the brand and its customers, allowing the company to introduce new flavors and gather feedback on potential products. Recent company figures show that foot traffic at the San Diego destination increased 29% year over year, while net revenue grew 36%, demonstrating continued interest in the Cutwater experience.

The company’s beverage lineup includes more than 20 canned cocktail varieties built around traditional cocktail recipes and different spirits categories. Cutwater’s portfolio includes familiar favorites such as margaritas, vodka-based cocktails, rum drinks, whiskey cocktails and martinis, along with seasonal releases designed around changing consumer tastes and entertaining occasions. The brand also produces bottled spirits that provide the foundation for many of its canned cocktail offerings.

Product innovation remains a major part of Cutwater’s business. Its San Diego operation serves as a testing ground for new cocktail recipes, flavor combinations and limited-edition releases before products reach retailers nationwide. The holiday collection featuring Gingerbread White Russian, Tiki Nog and the Martini Variety Pack illustrates the company’s approach to adapting established cocktail styles for seasonal occasions while maintaining the convenience of ready-to-drink packaging.

Cutwater has also developed a substantial national retail and marketing presence. Its products are distributed in all 50 states, giving the brand access to consumers across the country. Anheuser-Busch has continued supporting that expansion through manufacturing investments and national marketing partnerships, including the brand’s announced national commercial appearance during the February 2027 big game.

According to the company, Cutwater has earned more than 3,500 awards across its product portfolio, making it one of the most recognized and awarded canned cocktail brands in the United States. Its combination of bottled spirits, canned cocktail classics, national distribution and continued product development has helped establish Cutwater as a major competitor in the ready-to-drink spirits category.

As Anheuser-Busch continues investing in its manufacturing network, Cutwater’s San Diego distillery remains central to the brand’s future. The company’s investment in additional cream-based cocktail production capacity reinforces the importance of its hometown operation while providing more room for the next generation of canned cocktails and spirits-based beverage innovations.

For more information, visit CutwaterSpirits.com or follow Cutwater Spirits on Instagram, Facebook and X.

FAQs

1. Why is Anheuser-Busch making this investment? Anheuser-Busch is investing $1.5 million in Cutwater’s San Diego headquarters to expand cream-based cocktailproduction capacity, create manufacturing jobs and support the continued growth of America’s #1 spirits-based cocktail brand. The project will help meet growing consumer demand while supporting future innovation.
2. What will the investment fund? The investment will expand cream-based cocktail production capabilities at Cutwater’s flagship San Diego facility, which serves as the exclusive production location for the brand’s cream liqueur portfolio. It will also support continued innovation and manufacturing growth at the site.
3. Why is San Diego important to Cutwater? San Diego is Cutwater’s hometown and remains the heart of the brand. The brand’s headquarters, production facility, innovation center, tasting room and kitchen are all located in San Diego, where many of the brand’s new products and seasonal innovations are developed.
4. Will this create jobs? Yes. The investment creates additional manufacturing jobs at Cutwater’s San Diego facility, which currently employs more than 200 people.
5. How is the Cutwater Tasting Room & Kitchen performing? Consumer demand continues to grow both on and off premise. Over the past year, foot traffic at the Cutwater Tasting Room & Kitchen increased 29% and net revenue grew 36% compared to the prior year.
6. How does this fit into Anheuser-Busch’s broader investment strategy? The San Diego project is part of more than $5 million in investments Anheuser-Busch has made to support Cutwater’s growth, including previously announced projects in Los Angeles and Baldwinsville, New York. Together, these investments strengthen Cutwater’s manufacturing footprint and support rising consumer demand nationwide.
7. What role does Gingerbread White Russian play in the story? The new limited-edition Gingerbread White Russian is one example of the innovation that the facility supports and helps bring to consumers nationwide.

Sources

Circana Dollar Sales TUS HB GEO w/e 10.26.26

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