Harold Varner III opens up a can of Cutwater's vodka Transfusion
San Diego-based distiller Cutwater Spirits has more canned cocktails in its product portfolio than there are holes on a golf course. The company offers a lineup of over 20 premixed and ready-to-drink beverages, including a boozy Horchata cold brew, a spicy Bloody Mary and a peach margarita—all made using the company’s bottled spirits.
Cutwater Spirits got its start as a division of Ballast Point before being spun off into its own entity and rebranded in the aftermath of Constellation Brands’
On the occasion of adding a Transfusion, a clubhouse tipple consisting of grape juice, ginger beer, grape soda and vodka, they’ve signed a partnership deal with PGA Tour star Harold Varner III, who has six top-25 finishes this season.
“I never forget when I first started getting them, I’d ask for one somewhere, and they’d be like, ‘What’s that?’ And I’d be like, ‘That’s a good question; I don’t know what’s in it,’” Varner admits.
Now in his sixth season on golf’s top-shelf tour, Varner has become a Transfusion aficionado. He explains that what separate a merely passable Transfusion from a truly spectacular one is a ratio of vodka to soda that leaves just the right amount of fruitiness coupled with on point effervescence. He describes Cutwater’s version of the popular golf cocktail as, “pretty freaking awesome.”
“It’s a little more bubbly than a normal Transfusion. I’m a super big fan,” Varner adds.
“Some folks think it’s easy to make a great Transfusion because it’s made with just a few ingredients,” Cutwater Spirits co-founder and master distiller Yuseff Cherney said in a statement.
“In fact, it’s a pretty complex cocktail, because the proportions of each component have to be just right for it to taste great. By using our high-quality ingredients and a precisely proportioned recipe, we’ve created a canned Transfusion that’s consistently delicious, and can be enjoyed anywhere on or off the course.”
Cutwater Spirits’ Vodka Transfusion will be available nationwide in 4-packs at the end of the month.
Like most professional golfers, Varner will not drink during tournament rounds. But when he’s playing for hits and giggles in contests with friends, that’s when he’ll pop open a Transfusion or two.
“I will definitely have some this weekend, just in a round for fun up in the mountains with a couple of my teammates from college and an older gentleman that likes to have a good time. We’re going to be gambling and they’re pretty good golfers but the only way they can beat me is to have 10 transfusions,” jokes Varner.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 18: Harold Varner III of the United States reacts on the ... [+]
Overplayed Animosity
Speaking of phenomena creating buzz, Varner dubs the boiling over Brooks Koepka/Bryson DeChambeau feud: “the greatest thing in golf ever.”
He’s tickled by the amount of attention the grudge fest has been getting but feels the supposed love lost between the two has been greatly exaggerated.
“They’re both harmless. Everyone’s sucked into it and it’s really good. No one’s really going to fight. Get outta here, bro! If it was a real sport, they would already be busting each other heads and the tour would optically look worse,” Varner says.
“We play golf. When you think of golf, what do you think about? Two old men playing golf, shaking hands, and then going to have a beer,” Varner adds.
Aside from Cutwater, HV3’s sponsorships include Handley Watches and a cap-to-kicks deal with Jordan Brand, and he’s the first national ambassador for Youth on Course. Terms of his contract with Cutwater have not been disclosed.
Varner has one European Tour win under his belt but he is still hunting for his first PGA Tour title. He came close this past April with clutch putting leading to a T2 finish at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head this past April. He credits his work with Ramon Bescansa, inventor of the Perfect Putter training aid, for leveling up his flatstick stroke.
“The stroke is so small so you’re just trying to get the face really lined up. I’m really working hard on lining it up and trusting what I see and just do it,” Varner says.
He does wish he was more accurate on his approaches so he wouldn’t have to rely as heavily on his short game prowess.
“I’d rather putt a little bit worse, hit more greens and have way more opportunities,” Varner adds.
