#IBuiltThis: The Secret to Hard Frescos (Alcohol + Agua Fresca) Success

What do you get when you blend aguas frescas with beer? (Actually, with cider, to be more precise.) That’s what the people behind Hard Frescos, a new’ish bottled and canned beverage company, wondered when they came up with the idea to combine the fresh pressed juices that are part of Mexico’s much-lauded street food culture with traditional batch-fermented alcohol. 

The answer, it turns out, is a premium brewed alcoholic hard soda. And in the case of Hard Frescos, that soda is also gluten-free, all-natural, and an ideal cocktail mixer for the amateur bartender. Says co-founder Grace Stearns, “[Hard Frescos let you] pretend you’re a super experienced mixologist when you are really just mixing two things and throwing a garnish on a drink.” 

We asked Stearns about her inspiration for the brand, her love of all things Mexican, and how Hard Frescos is giving back to both the environment and the Latino community. Here’s what she had to say. [pagebreak]

The Latin Kitchen: I read that your brother described Hard Frescos as somewhere between Jarritos and Corona. Can you explain that?

Grace Stearns: We have found that a good “quick and dirty” way to describe Hard Frescos to someone who is familiar with Latin-inspired products is that they are like a “Jarritos” with alcohol… If someone stares back at us blankly with that description we try “fermented aguas frescas” or “brewed like a cider but with all natural and Mexican inspired ingredients and real fruit.” It’s a mouthful. 

TLK: You do a lot of events and in-store promotions at places like Costco and other outlets. How do people react to the flavor combination of fresh juice and beer? 

GS: I think that people are somewhere between intrigued and confused at first. The easiest events and demos are the ones where people can actually taste the product. This product tends to speak for itself. All of the preconceived ideas of fruity alcoholic products or wine coolers or malt beverages tend to go away once you explain the craft process and the quality ingredients. The reference to beer is made, but we prefer cider because we don’t have the malt/wheat consistency of a beer… When you open a bottle of Hard Frescos you get a ‘bam’ ‘pow’ of fresh fruit to the senses. Sometimes people aren’t familiar with tamarind fruit or hibiscus, so it can be a fun educational process. The colorful design of the packaging helps to get people interested also.  

TLK: Speaking of the packaging, everything from the logo to the bottle caps with the picture of the Mexican Axolotl is fun and young. I imagine it makes a good “BYOB” for summer barbecues and pool parties. How did you come up with the design? 

GS: The design of the packaging was very much a collaboration between a few of us. The blue bottle cap idea was inspired by the colors of “Loteria,” which is a widely recognized Mexican game. I did the concept for the labels, inspired by the colors and animals that you find in Mexico. Then we turned over the final label and four-pack design to our friend Dominic Mondavi, who is an amazing designer who also loves Mexico City and totally understood where we were going with the product. We like to say that our packaging embodies the “high/low” nature of both Mexico City and Hard Frescos. They are great with a street taco but you can also mix them into a delicious and well-crafted cocktail. [pagebreak]

TLK: You’ve lived and worked in Mexico City for almost ten years, right? When did you have your “We should make alcoholic aguas frescas” a-ha moment? 

GS: I moved to Mexico City in 2007 with the idea of staying for a year or two. Needless to say, I fell in love with Mexico and Mexico City and will probably be here for the rest of my life. One of the things that struck me about the amazing food culture here is that everything is fresh and delicious and affordable. In the US, and especially California, we tend to think of fresh, healthy food as a luxury. I am constantly amazed by how many delicious things you can drink and eat in Mexico for under five dollars. 

The aguas frescas idea happened almost by accident. We knew that we wanted to make a product that was inspired by the amazing food culture of Mexico and  by what Mexicans actually drink in Mexico, as opposed to trying to make a margarita or some variation that is more geared towards tourists. I think that Mexico City and Mexico are finally getting the recognition they deserve in terms of culinary excellence, but I could literally talk for hours about how many amazing places to eat and drink there are within five miles of my house. It’s amazing.

TLK: You’re an eco-conscious brand. Can you explain how the production of Hard Frescos differs from other canned and bottled beverages?

[Pete and I] were raised to be socially and environmentally conscious from day one. We avoid plastic at all costs. We know that 95% of the trash from the consumer packaged goods industry ends up in our oceans. One of the reasons Pete decided to brew in Washington State was because of the drought in California. We responsibly source our ingredients, and we use biodegradable cups and products when we do events. There are literally a million projects we would like to get involved with if Hard Frescos continues to be successful, including the preservation of the habitat of the Axolotl (Mexican salamander) that is indigenous to the Xochimilco region of Mexico City and working with community based health, education, and environmental awareness organizations that work within Latino communities.  

TLK: The cocktail recipes you created on your website have fabulous names. I’m particularly fond of the Citrico Man-Mosa. Who does the naming?

We all pitch in for brainstorming names of cocktails. I think the Citrico Man-Mosa was named by either Pete or one of our bartender friends. We try not to take ourselves too seriously and want our brand to be approachable and fun. One of the fun things about Hard Frescos is that guys will say “my girlfriend will like these” before they try it, and then they come back for a refill. I think the “Man-Mosa” is a play on that concept; like, guys can drink these and have a sense of humor about gender stereotypes associated with drinks. We feel like, if it tastes good, you should drink it, no matter what color it is.