Blake’s Beverage Company is betting that the next big thing in the cooler aisle isn’t a seltzer, isn’t a cocktail, and isn’t another cider. It’s a punch.
The company announced today the nationwide launch of Giddy Up, a new line under its Austin Eastciders brand. At 11% ABV, Giddy Up is a wine-based punch sold in 19.2 ounce single-serve cans – gluten free, lightly carbonated and available at convenience stores launching in two flavors: Blue Raspberry and Tropical Blast, with a target retail price of $3.49.
Blake’s Beverage Company built its reputation on craft cider, and Austin Eastciders has become synonymous with fruit-forward innovation in the category – from its best-selling Original Dry to last year’s Spiked Agua Fresca lineup. But Giddy Up isn’t an extension of the cider line. It’s a new product for a different moment entirely.
“We kept hearing the same thing from consumers and retailers: people want something with real flavor that they can just grab and go,” said Andrew Blake, founder and CEO of Blake’s Beverage Company. “Not something they need to mix, not something that takes five minutes to order at a bar. Giddy Up is what happens when you take everything people love about a great punch and put it in a format that fits the way people actually live – fast, spontaneous and usually on the way somewhere.”
The future is fruit-forward
The launch reflects a broader shift in the alcohol industry. Fruit-forward beverages are driving outsized growth and the convenience channel has emerged as a battleground for higher-ABV, ready-to-drink options as consumers increasingly seek out single-serve formats that deliver on both flavor and occasion. Giddy Up is positioned squarely at that intersection, a product designed less for quiet nights in and more for the concerts, tailgates and late-night detours where a 19.2 ounce can is the right call.
The branding leans into that energy. Each flavor features its own illustrated character – cowboy hats, oversized sunglasses and enough color to cut through any cooler door. It’s playful and loud by design, built to catch your eye at the same speed the product is meant to be purchased: quickly and with zero deliberation.
First Pouring in Austin, Texas
Already making its Austin debut, Giddy Up will be featured at SXSW and the legendary Luck Ranch, Willie Nelson’s famed property, for the Todd Snider Rules! tribute on March 20. The high-ABV punch is set to fuel the 3,000 daily attendees at Luck’s exclusive outlaw artist retreat. These appearances cement the brand’s place at the heart of Texas festival culture just as nationwide distribution begins.
For Blake’s Beverage Company, Giddy Up signals where the Austin Eastciders brand is headed, further into the fourth-category space, following the culturally inspired approach that drove the Spiked Agua Fresca rollout and continuing to push beyond the boundaries of traditional cider.
“Austin Eastciders has always been about more than one drink,” Blake added. “It’s about a point of view. Giddy Up just turns the volume up.”
For more information on Giddy Up and to find a retailer near you, visit https://austineastciders.com/.
