Celebrate the Season with 23 Custom Holiday Beverages and Original Short Stories Across West Volusia County
DeLand, FL – November 4, 2026 – Every drink has a story to tell this holiday season as Visit West Volusia (WVTAA) announces the return of its award-winning CoolCraft Christmas Beverage Trail. Themed this year as CoolCraft Christmas Stories, from November 6 to December 31, 2026, 23 local craft beverage makers will serve exclusive seasonal drinks alongside short stories, each inspired by a beloved holiday book or movie.
This winter, the campaign is anchored by the historic Athens Theatre and its stage production of A Christmas Story. To bring the greatest holiday tales to life across the county, participating CoolCrafters have designed custom beverages paired with bite-sized short stories written by WVTAA. Patrons can grab a drink, settle in, and read an original narrative that ties a classic holiday tale directly to the beverage in their hand and the West Volusia community.
“We wanted to give a handcrafted feel to everything we created this year,” said Georgia Turner, Executive Director of Visit West Volusia. “We made the deliberate choice to build this year’s beverage trail branding around hand-painted watercolor illustrations crafted completely in-house instead of using AI generated graphics. Every beverage has a story, and every creative decision was thoughtfully made to bring these classic tales to life in a way that complements the craftsmanship of our local beverage community.”
The CoolCraft Christmas Card & Kick Off Event
To embark on the beverage trail, guests can pick up the official CoolCraft Christmas Card at the West Volusia Visitor Center, the Athens Theatre, or any participating location. This year’s card features a beautiful watercolor illustration of the Athens Theatre façade on the cover. The inside includes interactive activities, like a Mad Libs and a custom holiday word scramble, while the back explains the promotion and lists all the participants.
Patrons who sample the featured drinks and collect 6 signatures on their card can bring it to the West Volusia Visitor Center at 116 W New York Ave to redeem a free commemorative CoolCraft Christmas ornament!
The season officially launches with the 5th Annual CoolCraft Christmas Kick Off on Friday, November 6. Set up behind Artworks DeLand, the celebration will feature family friendly crafts, live music by Adam Hull, and the very first chance to try some of this year’s exclusive CoolCraft beverages.
Highlights of This Year’s Trail Beverages Include:
- Whit’s Frozen Custard DeLand’s The Past, Present and Future Flight: A festive frozen custard flight featuring consecutive scoops of Gingersnap Cookie, Cherry Cordial, and Blackberry Bourbon Bramble.
- Chapel Tap’s The Nakatomi: A refreshing event special featuring a crisp pour of Kirin Beer blended with a warm spice infused chai tea and a sweet crystalized ginger float.
- DeLand Cocktail Company’s Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins: A bold rye cocktail layered with rich maple syrup, thick coffee cold foam, and a crushed candy cane garnish.
- Hunters & Gatherers’ Clause & Effect: A bright holiday spritz combining Apelos, cranberry, fresh lemon, and rosemary cinnamon syrup beneath sparkling water and a fresh evergreen garnish.
- the salted goat’s Feed Me After Midnight: A bold loaded bloody Mary famously topped with a piece of crispy fried chicken.
- Athens Theatre’s The Triple Dog Dare: A bright cranberry pomegranate mule blending vodka, fresh lime, and spicy ginger beer beneath a festive garnish of dried lime, fresh mint, and plump cranberries.
For a complete list of participating locations, featured beverages, and to read the custom stories, please visit coolcrafttrail.com/christmas.