Austin Eastciders, the home of Texas’ favorite ciders and the Southwestern team behind the country’s second largest cider producer Blake’s Beverage Company, announces the release of Rico Tepache (6.8% ABV). This delicious fermented flavor fusion is inspired by the deep-rooted traditions of pre-Hispanic Mexico and is loaded with refreshing pineapple, piloncillo (brown sugar), cinnamon, and ginger.
Austin Eastciders’ Texas take on this beloved Mexican beverage is now available on draft, in 6-packs of 12. oz cans, and in 19.2 oz. cans across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma. With bold flavors and distinctive, colorful packaging designed by Mexico City-based illustrator Raúl Urias, Rico Tepache’s Tex-Mex fusion comes to life through the superlative cider-making craftsmanship that Austin Eastciders is known for.
“Tepache is a special drink to many people, so our team has worked diligently on honoring its long tradition in every aspect, from flavor R&D to packaging and everything in between,” said Kim Oakley, Sr. VP of Marketing at Blake’s Beverage Company. “Often low-alc and home-made from pineapple rinds in Mexico City, our Texas take on Tepache is a modern twist that ferments the fruit instead of the rind, promising a clean finish and a higher ABV.”
Tepache, a centuries-old favorite originally made with corn and modernized to pineapple, is traditionally served in clay mugs called Cantaritos. You can still find the wildly popular beverage in Mexico as a low-alcohol, spontaneously fermented pineapple drink sold by street vendors. 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.
Austin Eastciders, which was founded in 2013 and joined the Blake’s Beverage Company team in 2023, earned its position as Texas’ top selling cidery last year. With distribution in 22 states throughout the Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest, the cidery also ranks among the nation’s Top 10 selling cider brands.
“Fruit Fermentation Experimentation is at the core of what we do at Blake’s Bev. Co. And we pull authentic inspiration from the world around us. Austin – and Texas, in general – is very culturally diverse – from the food, to the beverages enjoyed. One of those is Tepache; but it’s not made with apples. That said, we utilized our core competency of fermenting fruit (this time, pineapples) to create a new-to-market “fourth category” concept. We’re blending consumer groups as well, by bringing the culturally beloved flavors and rich heritage of Tepache to more accessible formats, thereby introducing the traditional cider category to new audiences,” said Andrew Blake, CEO Blake’s Beverage Company.
Blake’s Beverage Company, which debuted in 2023 as the collaborative voice of three leading cider brands, Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders, and AVID Cider Co., is on a mission to rekindle America’s passion for cider and fruit-forward beverages. For more information on Blake’s Beverage Company, visit blakesbevco.com.
With the inclusive rallying-cry, “Cider Y’all,” Austin Eastciders produces craft ciders in Austin, Texas, using real ingredients and bittersweet apples to create traditionally inspired ciders. Founded in 2013, Austin Eastciders offers a robust core collection including the best-selling Original Dry, Blood Orange, Pineapple and Imperial Tropical Punch available across 22 states including the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. The cidery also produces a rotating line of limited release ciders ranging from Piña Colada to Hatch Green Chile – and everything in between – available in small batches in Texas and at their Collaboratory location, open daily on the East Side of Austin. For the latest on Austin Eastciders, follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@eastciders) or visit austineastciders.com.
Terry Bunch
