New packaging brings a taste of Texas to cider fans nationwide
AUSTIN, Texas, September 24, 2024 – Austin Eastciders, Texas’ favorite cider and the Southwestern team behind the country’s largest independent cider producer Blake’s Beverage Company, announces a dynamic update to their packaging, marking the first brand refresh in the company’s 11-year history.
The best cider is made in Texas, and the new on-package imagery is designed to connect consumers directly to the cidery’s vibrant hometown of Austin, Texas, with a new look that’s friendly, welcoming, charming, vibrant and funny–just like Austin. New cans and cartons are rolling out now with the same great liquid Austin Eastciders is known for.
“It was time to reimagine the brand, and our priority was sharing our love of Texas with consumers nationwide,” said Andrew Blake, CEO of Blake’s Beverage Company. “Through this idea of ‘beverage tourism,’ we think Texans and non-Texans alike will be drawn to the authenticity represented by the new packaging, characterized by a loud, lighthearted, vibrant style that promotes good times.”
The updated packaging offers a taste of Texas, featuring vibrant illustrations with colorful characters and unique patterns representative of everything Austin is and loves: food, culture, people, music and the outdoors. Texas Brut Super Dry Cider (4.2% ABV), for example, now boasts a red, white and blue can spangled with the Lone Star, which invites cider drinkers into a dynamic scene from a classic Texas rodeo. The illustrative design brings Texas cider to life through bold, colorful, energetic imagery.
A leader in the rapidly growing cider category, Austin Eastciders was recently named Austin’s Best Local Alcoholic Beverage brand by The Best of Austin awards, which celebrate the best and brightest in a city chock full of amazing brands and beverages. Austin Eastciders, which was founded in 2013 and joined the Blake’s Beverage Company team in 2023, ranks among the nation’s Top 10 selling cider brands with distribution in 22 states throughout the Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest.
Along with a strong connection to their hometown, the Austin Eastciders team is known for their fruit fermentation experimentation, evident in their newest release, Rico Tepache. Tepache, a centuries-old favorite originally made with corn and modernized to pineapple, is traditionally served in clay mugs called Cantaritos. With a modern twist, higher ABV, and a fridge-friendly format, Rico Tepache provides all the heritage of its ancestry with updated flavors that appeal to today’s bev alc consumer.
“Because Tepache is made from pineapple instead of apples, it demonstrates a foray into an exploratory “fourth category” of beverage innovation, designed to draw in—and captivate—an untapped segment of beverage consumers,” said Blake. “We’re eager to break into this category with further innovations, and the new packaging is just the beginning of a bold new chapter for Austin Eastciders.”
