Boozy aguas frescas in 3 flavors are available at H-E-B

If you love the fruity flavor of aguas frescas but want something with a little more kick, look no further. The Mexicanmade line of Picadas hard aguas frescas is now available in H-E-B stores across Texas.

Founded in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2021 by entrepreneur and Stanford Business School graduate Hugo Martinez, Picadas is made with real fruit juices blended with alcohol distilled from cane sugar and sweetened with agave. The beverage is available in three flavors including limonada made with tart key lime juice, mango and guava.

“The popularity of hard seltzers was skyrocketing, but I quickly realized that they didn’t have the same flavors I was used to,” Martinez said in a media release. “I craved the agua fresca flavors I grew up with ... that none of the American ready-to-drink options

really 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.” At the heart of Picadas lies a piece of Martinez’s family history. When he first started tinkering with the drink’s formula, he began with a recipe for agua fresca passed down from his grandmother.

“It was my favorite from when I was a kid and is now the base for every agua fresca we make,” Martinez says. “The fruit and flavor varied with what was in season, but the drink always had the perfect balance of sour, sweet and tang. Plus, the recipe was simple and easy to replicate.”

Picadas beverages clock in at a quaffable 4.5 percent alcohol by volume and 130 calories or less per can. Each can comes with a packet of chile lime salt to zest up the rim. Look for Picadas priced at $10.99 for a six-pack in H-E-B stores. More at drinkpicadas.com.

Picadas Hugo Martinez founded the Picadas line of hard aguas frescas in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2021.

Picadas Picadas hard aguas frescas are now available at H-E-B.