Woman-owned, this new Boise canned cocktail brand promises ‘hand-mixed’ taste
Canned cocktails are a mixed drinking experience — literally and figuratively.
They’re killer for convenience. But taste-wise? Not up to bartender standards. At least not normally.
A new Boise-area brand hopes to elevate the game, though.
Lead Hammer Cocktails, created by the family behind Meriwether Cider Co., blends “bar-quality flavor with Idaho’s adventurous spirit,” a press release promises. Lead Hammer will be unveiled over the next 10 days at tasting events at Meriwether’s Boise and Garden City locations.
“We have been making craft beverages in Idaho for nearly a decade,” said Molly Leadbetter, who runs Lead Hammer’s day-to-day operations and owns the brand with her mother, Ann, and father, Gig. “We know two things: Idahoans appreciate products made with care, and they value adventures.
“Lead Hammer Cocktails proudly offer that convenience without compromise,” she continued in a prepared statement. “They taste like they were hand-mixed by a bartender, but it fits into a pack or cooler on your next adventure.”
Notice a recurring theme? Much like Boise-based Payette Brewing and its ready-to-drink AnyTimers cocktails, Lead Hammer emphasizes outdoor recreation in marketing.
But even for a Idaho couch potatoes, quality and flavor are what will stir consumers’ drinks.
On its website, Lead Hammer points out that it is “women-owned,” “gluten-free,” “plant-based” and contains “nothing artificial.” You will not find a Lead Hammer Jack and Coke. Or Long Island Iced Tea. The brand enters the market with two small-batch, “Idaho-inspired takes” on classic mixed drinks. Both are packaged in a 12-ounce can labeled “wine cocktail.” Reflecting Lead Hammer’s Meriwether ties, both involve apples and hard cider.
Lead Hammer’s Cosmonaut is “a bright, tart take on the Cosmopolitan,” according to the press release, created with apple spirits, hard cider, cranberry, lime, orange and cane sugar.
The Cutthroat 75 — named after cutthroat trout, Idaho’s official state fish — is a twist on a French 75 made with apple spirits, hard cider, lemon juice and gin botanicals.
At 12% ABV, both truly do bring the Hammer. A single Lead Hammer can contains nearly as much alcohol as 2 1/2 cans of standard beer. (In comparison, Payette’s AnyTimers are 10%.)
The tasting events are from 4 to 9 p.m. Sept. 4 (during First Thursday) at Meriwether Cider House, 224 N. 9th St. in Boise, and from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Meriwether Cider Company, 5242 W. Chinden Blvd in Garden City.
The plan is for Lead Hammer Cocktails to be sold soon at area restaurants and bars, along with retail outlets.
Can these cans live up to the hype? “Always made with real whole ingredients for cocktails that taste like they’re straight out of the shaker,” the website brags.
Sip and see. Maybe autumn in Idaho will be the start of Hammer time.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 4:00 AM.