An Austin beverage brand is taking a niche approach with its new summery drinks — which will actually be available yes. Austin Eastciders released its Spiked Agua Fresca product line in four flavors this April: strawberry hibiscus, cucumber lime, pineapple guava, and mango chamoy.

Austinites are probably already familiar with aguas frescas, essentially water that is flavored with fruits, sugar, and other add-ins like tamarind or hibiscus. However, they're usually nonalcoholic. In this case, they're based not on water but on hard apple cider, adding fruits to the cidery's usual offerings rather than creating an entirely new recipe.

The new drinks by Austin Eastciders have a 4.5 percent ABV, about the same strength as a light beer. According to the brand's website, they're made with real fruit and sugar, and are gluten free. Although they contain sugar, three of the flavors are listed as "dry," and only the pineapple guava flavor starts to tip the scale into semi-sweet.

Hard aguas frescas aren't unheard of. In fact, in 2023 Forbes dubbed them the "next big thing." Texans may have noticed the Picadas brand at H-E-B, which are more like seltzers with fruit and alcohol from cane sugar. But Austin Eastciders is early on the uptake, and the crossover with hard apple cider creates a unique product that most people probably haven't tried.

This innovation comes after a period of uncertainty for fans of Austin Eastciders, which packed up its taproom in October 2025. It did assure customers that cider production would continue, and that the space would transition into something different, but still community-oriented. A new food truck, coffee, coffee, and beer hub called Stargazer opened just three weeks later.

Austin Eastciders' Spiked Agua Fresca can be purchased in variety 12-packs ($16.99 online). The only flavor that is available individually is strawberry hibiscus, which will be sold in six-packs of 12-ounce cans ($9.99). Retail locations and bars that carry Austin Eastciders can be found at austineastciders.com; they include Twin Liquors, Target, Sprouts, and many local small businesses. Customers can also get packs shipped online.