City Orchard’s Cider Fresca line has evolved from a creative experiment into a key component of business strategy. And, it could be a product line that is poised to shape the Houston-based cidery’s future. Co-founder Patrick Kwiatkowski said the fruited cider series, which started as a nod to Mexican aguas frescas, is becoming central to the company’s bottom line.
“Cider Fresca is a growing part of our portfolio and I expect it to become over 50% of our sales soon,” Kwiatkowski said. “It’s also a natural candidate to venture outside of Texas, should we decide to expand our footprint.”
In a state where Mexican and Central American cultures deeply influence food and beverage trends, City Orchard launched its Cider Fresca brand in 2020 as a sub-line of flavored ciders. Initially, the company focused on dry, apple-forward ciders rooted in European tradition. But consumer demand for fruit-forward beverages pushed the team to innovate.
“In Texas, adding other fruits and flavors was driving growth in beverages, so we started to create fruit ciders like Cherry Red,” Kwiatkowski said. “We even developed a lavender and honey cider, which still continues to be one of our top sellers.”
The Cider Fresca name emerged as a tribute to the bright, fruit-infused non-alcoholic aguas frescas commonly found throughout Texas. By 2023, the company leaned further into that theme with flavors such as hibiscus, pineapple, mango, lime, and now strawberry. That latest release is more than a seasonal favorite; it’s the result of R&D, consumer demand, and strategic SKU control.
“We feel that strawberry has the chance of breaking out, and we will make it as long as the demand is high,” Kwiatkowski said. “We probably won’t add another SKU until the fall of 2025.”
City Orchard uses its Houston taproom as a testing ground, drawing on direct customer feedback to guide product development. Kwiatkowski pointed to the success of a strawberry basil cider as a clear indicator of consumer appetite. That trial helped refine this strawberry release, now without basil, for a broader appeal.
“We decided that strawberry without basil would resonate more widely and be just as popular but over a larger geographic area,” he said.
Developing each Cider Fresca flavor is a balance of innovation and restraint. The team experiments with various purees and natural flavoring sources to find a profile that complements, rather than overwhelms, the base cider.
“We don’t like to overpower the apple cider, and we also want to taste the added fruit; it is a delicate balance,” Kwiatkowski said. “We tried over five different sources for strawberry. They were all so different.”
The visual appeal of the line is also key to its marketing strategy. With brightly designed cans and culturally resonant flavors, City Orchard leans on colorful photography, social media, and live events to spread awareness.
The company is expanding video production and continuing outreach through festivals and nonprofit collaborations.
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“Cider Fresca, with the apples and exciting fruits that are part of the beverage, makes for a highly visual marketing opportunity,” Kwiatkowski said. “We use a lot of colorful photography, both still life and with people, to project the flavor-packed nature of the products.”
With strawberry already showing strong early performance, City Orchard is reinforcing Cider Fresca as a flagship brand, not just a sidebar. And with flavors rooted in familiar tastes and cultural crossover appeal, the line is positioned not only to dominate locally but to lead any potential regional expansion.
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