Chilly Water didn’t start as a trend or a marketing idea.
It started with family, water, and a legacy built over generations.
For more than 42 years, our family has operated Carolina Ice Company in Kinston, North Carolina. Long before Chilly Water existed, we were pulling clean water from a protected Black Creek aquifer on our own property and turning it into ice for our community.
That water source mattered. It still does.
Over time, we realized something most people don’t think about: no one questions the purity of the ice they consume every day. Knowing how clean our water was, the idea of canning it kept coming up—but for years, it stayed just an idea.
The Name Chilly Water Chose Us. We didn’t choose it.
My brother, Lee Edwards, was an outdoorsman through and through. If he wasn’t on the water fishing offshore or standing in a duck blind, he was probably at a live show. His favorite band was Widespread Panic, and his favorite song was Chilly Water.
That song stuck with us. So did Lee.
After he passed away in 2020, the idea of turning our water into something more took on new meaning. Chilly Water became a way to honor him not with something flashy, but with something real.
In 2024, we decided to finally bring the idea to life.
Using the same aquifer our family has relied on for decades, we began canning our water in 16oz aluminum cans. The goal was simple: deliver exceptionally clean water in packaging that made sense for people and the planet.
Just water, the way it should be.
Chilly Water isn’t about overcomplicating hydration. It’s about keeping things honest.
Every decision is intentional, from the aluminum can to the clean design, because we believe good products don’t need gimmicks.
Chilly Water is a continuation of something bigger than us. It represents the people who built this company, the water that made it possible, and the memories that shaped why we’re here.
Every can carries that story forward.
Founder, Chilly Water
