Hello, world.

It's hard to believe that it's already March 2024.

The past few months have been action-packed for Team Cheeky, and we picked our heads up this weekend and realized it's been....gulp....four months since our last blog. Sorry about that- we will do better! 😬

There's a lot of new faces around this here blog (and mailing list) so our first order of business is to reintroduce ourselves.

We're including a few paragraphs on the Cheeky story—skip down to "Why Cheeky" or "What Makes Cheeky Cocktails Unique" if you want to get straight to the facts and don't give a rat's patootie about the story. 

Lastly, don't get it twisted. This is April (Cheeky's Founder) writing this blog post, and yes, I refer to myself multiple times in the third person below. 😆 As a small business owner and small brand owner sometimes there's no distinction between the person and the business. Striking the right balance between "keeping it real" and assuring customers that there is a system and a team and a process behind a small company isn't an exact science. It feels meta (and very cheeky) to own up to humor of the situation all while living it;)

In any case, expect more Cheeky updates, and more content in general on how to make great full-proof and non-alcoholic cocktails, and please holler if you have something you'd like to learn or like us to cover in blogs/video/other. :)

What is the story behind Cheeky?

In 2015, craft cocktails were all the rage. Fancy cocktail bars were popping up left and right in every corner of the globe, serving up drinks you’d previously only dream of.

April Wachtel, a seasoned booze veteran and Bacardi brand ambassador, had a front-row seat to the cocktail revolution. As she taught cocktail classes at Astor Center, ICE, and others in New York City, she noticed something. Her students wanted to recreate those fancy drinks at home.

But there was a problem. The ingredients used in fancy bars, like freshly squeezed citrus juices and house-made bar syrups, were nowhere to be found for home bartenders. The pros made everything from scratch, but that wasn't practical for the everyday cocktail drinker. It was too much work, too expensive, and too time-consuming.

April saw an opportunity to bridge the gap and bring the magic of craft cocktails into people's homes. She started Swig + Swallow, a cocktail batching and delivery service, in 2015. Fast forward to 2020, during the chaos of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Swig + Swallow transformed into the Cheeky Cocktails you know and love today.

Cheeky quickly became a hit among consumers and professional bartenders alike. Our premium syrups and juices are now sold in over 500 stores in 44 states, plus Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and Australia, and are used in four-star hotels, stadiums, and resorts across the US. We're launching into our first National Accounts- Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and HomeGoods in the next month, over doubling our store count. Worldwide domination, here we come!

Why Cheeky?

At Cheeky Cocktails, we believe that everyone should have access to top-notch ingredients for their home bar. That's why we offer a range of premium syrups and juices that are shelf-stable for up to two years WITHOUT the use of preservatives, “natural” or artificial flavors….there’s no crap in our mixers! So you can always have the essentials on hand to whip up killer cocktails whenever the mood strikes.

Our lineup includes flavors that will take your drinks to the next level. From zesty, unadulterated, 100% Lemon and Lime Juice (never from concentrate) to essential syrups like Simple Syrup, Agave Syrup, Honey Syrup, Honey Ginger Syrup, Cranberry Syrup, Espresso Syrup, and Mint Syrup. These aren't just any old syrups and juices; they're essential "backbone" ingredients used in over 20 of the top 50 most popular cocktails in the world.

What makes Cheeky Cocktails Unique?

Our commitment to quality, authenticity, AND convenience. We use real bar recipes to make our syrups and juices so you can recreate the flavors you love from your favorite cocktail spots. No more settling for subpar ingredients or watering down your drinks. With Cheeky Cocktails, you can make classics like the Margarita, Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Espresso Martini, Old Fashioned, Penicillin, Last Word, Ward 8, French 75, Old Cuban, and many more without all the work.

But here's the best part: our products aren't just easy to use; they're also super versatile. Whether you're an experienced mixologist, a cocktail lover, or a casual drinker, our syrups and juices will let you unleash your creativity and experiment with all kinds of drinks. From refreshing summer sippers to cozy winter tipples, you'll never run out of ways to enjoy Cheeky Cocktails.

So come join us and elevate your home bar experience. With Cheeky Cocktails, you can tap into your inner bartender and impress your friends and family with delicious, professional-quality cocktails 😌