While kombuchas used to be the epicenter of trending beverages, we’re seeing a new leader take over the American market. The floral, subtly sweet tastes stay intact, but this new beverage has roots in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Indigenous to these regions, agua fresca is a crisp drink made from fruits and water.
Picadas is the first ready-to-drink, Mexican-made hard agua fresca to arrive in the U.S. market. Hugo Martinez founded Picadas after he noticed a need for authentic Mexican beverages in the RTD space. Using his grandmother’s recipe to brew his first batch of Picadas, he concocted a genuine hard agua fresca and launched in Mexico in November 2020. In 2023, he partnered with Austin-based Redbud Brands to bring Picadas to Texas.
“The popularity of hard seltzers was skyrocketing, but I quickly realized that they didn’t have the same flavors I was used to,” said Martinez, “I craved the agua fresca flavors I grew up with—limonada, guava, and mango—that none of the American ready-to-drink options captured. I realized there was a gap in the market that only a Mexican-made hard agua fresca could fill because Mexicans never sacrifice flavor. The idea for Picadas was born.”
The brand worked with artist David Gutierrez to create the original branding, and then Mexico-based Tango Creative Studio adapted it into the packaging system. The result is aluminum cans bursting with irreverent illustrations. Each flavor profile is canned in an individual color palette, with a recognizable mouth chomping down on the flavor’s delicious ingredients.
And while the brand is different from a typical spiked seltzer found on the market, with its unique flavors and deeply rooted Mexican heritage, some elements of the design are reflective of classic spiked seltzer packaging, including the white background at the bottom of the can, and the vibrant, flavor-inspired colors. Yet, the brand’s personality shines through with the quirky illustrations and playfully robotic typography style.
Picadas has masterfully blended a new perspective with design elements American consumers are used to seeing to create a sense of familiarity while pushing something entirely new. The balance is intriguing, and consumers are bound to want to learn more about this brand.
