Canada is known for its hockey fervor, but not far behind is its unbridled enthusiasm for curling.

Played since at least the early 16^th century in Scotland, the sport has grown immensely across the Canadian provinces since the 1800s, thanks to Scottish immigrants. After gaining in global popularity, curling became an official Winter Olympics sport at Nagano in 1998.

Today, it has a presence seemingly everywhere across Canada – from big cities to small towns. Many rec centers have space for curlers to play, and it’s become a time-honored tradition in Canadian families.

Chilly Moose (asi/44821) branded its stainless-steel Brent tumbler/insulator for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts women’s curling event in Calgary.

Find on ESP Find on ESP+

“In Canada, we have curling teams at every level,” says Kristi Greco, co-founder of Chilly Moose (asi/44821) in Schomberg, ON. “You either tried it as a kid and/or your parents were curlers. The curling club is the town rec center in many places.”

Greco, along with her husband, Paul – both lovers of travel and the outdoors – established Chilly Moose in 2018 as the independent, Canadian version of major (often American) drinkware and cooler brands.

The stainless-steel insulated Whitney bottle has a lid made from sustainably forested bamboo. This style features branding for the upcoming BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship in Nova Scotia.

Find on ESP Find on ESP+

“We had nothing to call our own as Canadians,” says Kristi Greco, “so we wanted to develop drinkware and coolers that spoke to Canadians, have a Canadian flair and offer good quality at an affordable cost.”

In the past few weeks, Chilly Moose took its brand cachet to the next level by finalizing an agreement with Curling Canada, the national sanctioning body for curling in the Great White North. As part of the three-year partnership, Chilly Moose will offer official licensed drinkware at retail and at major tournaments across the country, many of them launch-points for the Olympics.

Chilly Moose released a special launch video announcing the partnership.

For Chilly Moose, as a proud Canadian company, it just made sense.

“It was a big investment for us because we’re independent and small,” says Greco, who employs just 10 people; the team spent about six months customizing the items with Curling Canada. “But it was a good fit. Our target audiences are very similar. We also have 350 independent dealers across the country that are usually very close to their local curling centers. The partnership gives us further authenticity.”

The Killarney tumbler with flip-top, spill-resistant lid has Team Canada branding.

Find on ESP Find on ESP+

Currently, Chilly Moose is selling licensed drinkware at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, an annual women’s competition, in Calgary from Feb. 16 through 25, and will do the same at the BKT Tires World Women’s Curling Championship in Sydney, NS, from March 16 through 24. Chilly Moose is also an official advertising sponsor for the Montana’s Brier, an annual men’s tournament, from March 1 through 10 in Regina.