AUSTIN, Texas – Fans of hard cider and hot honey have something new to say “cheers!” about, thanks to an unexpected yet refreshing collaboration between leading beverage innovator Austin Eastciders and the buzzworthy makers of Mike’s Hot Honey. Combining a cider apple base with the signature hot honey taste andfeaturing a higher 8.3% ABV, Austin Eastciders Imperial Stash: Mike’s Hot Honey Cider provides notes of sweet honey, a kick of chilis, crisp apple, and a pleasant, lingering heat for a great representation of both brands. Matching the uniqueness of the flavor within, its stylized, limited-edition can features a honey drip print around the rim and holographic honeycomb and bee motifs, developed in collaboration with long-time brand design partner, Robert Lin.
“A couple of years ago, we created a hard cider infused with smoked spicy honey to enhance the culinary experience for guests at our Barton Springs tasting room and it was a huge hit,” comments John Glick, president of Austin Eastciders. “As we considered bringing the flavor back as an Imperial Stash flavor, we realized that Mike’s Hot Honey is the real force behind the hot honey trend, so we immediately connected with Mike and his team, and the rest is history.”
“The Austin Eastciders team has launched some delicious, limited-edition flavors over the years and Mike’s Hot Honey is a unique and dynamic ingredient in beverages and cocktails, so when they reached out to create this new, limited-time release made with Mike’s Hot Honey, I had to sign up!” comments Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike’s Hot Honey. “Cider lovers will appreciate the perfectly balanced sweet heat flavor our hot honey brings to this cider. It’s got a subtle kick that lingers as you sip.”
Tasting notes for the new offering include:
· Appearance:Gold and cloudy
· Aroma: Earthy honey, hot, fresh
· Taste: Sweet honey, chilis, crisp apples, with a lingering heat
· Key Ingredients:Mikes Hot Honey (100% pure honey)
“When Austin Eastciders approached me about this new collaboration with Mike’s Hot Honey, I was pumped to be a part of it,” said Robert Lin, designer and owner of Robert Lin Design. “The combination of the two flavors was unexpected, but also perfectly matched with Austin Eastciders’ love of doing things differently. I wanted to bring something unexpected to the can design, as well, which is what inspired the Flaming Honey Bees—a special crew of honey-makers bringing their secret ingredient to an unexpected new cider. I’m pumped for people to try it.”
Austin Eastciders Imperial Stash: Mike’s Hot Honey Cider pairs well with cult favorite foods, from pizza (of course!) to Nashville-style hot chicken, charcuterie and cheeseboards to vanilla ice cream, as well as brunch foods—including chicken and waffles, breakfast sandwiches and more.
Beginning in September, Mike’s Hot Honey Cider will roll out in six-packs (SRP $13.99) and draft to Austin-area retailers and other markets in Texas, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, as well as New York City and Greater Washington, D.C/Baltimore, while supplies last.
Fans in Austin are invited to visit Austin Eastciders tasting rooms, Barton Springs (1530 Barton Springs Road) and/or The Collaboratory (979 Springdale Rd Ste. 130) for the official Mike’s Hot Honey Cider release party on Saturday, Sept. 17. Attendees may enjoy this delicious new hot honey cider on draft and in cans, in addition to live music, menu specials and more!
Stay tuned and follow @eastciders and @mikeshothoney on social for more information in the coming weeks about another launch party to be held in New York City, in October.
About Mike’s Hot Honey
Mike’s Hot Honey is America’s leading brand of hot honey. Founded in 2010 by Mike Kurtz, the brand was born from a desire to create and share the highest quality honey infused with chili peppers. Mike began drizzling his signature hot honey on pizzas at the Brooklyn pizzeria where he worked and customers started to ask if they could buy bottles to take home. Mike’s Hot Honey became a word-of-mouth sensation, sparking the creation of a new category of honey. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, Mike’s Hot Honey has become a fixture in restaurants throughout the US, can be found in more than 30,000 retail locations and growing, and has an expanding list of foodservice distributors in the US, Canada, and around the globe.
About Austin Eastciders
Austin Eastciders was born on the east side of Austin, TX in 2013 with the commitment to make people fall in love with cider all over again. Influenced by tradition and fueled by ATX creativity, Austin Eastciders crafts ciders from a blend of bittersweet cider apples, dessert apples, and real fresh fruit, and doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or sweeteners! Austin Eastciders offers a year-round, core collection of ciders including their Original Dry, Blood Orange, and Pineapple as well as their NEW 100 calorie, low sugar lineup of Light Cider. The cidery also produces a rotation of limited release ciders ranging from Spiced Peach to the summer-ready Passion Fruit Cider. Austin Eastciders is available in retailers like HEB, Kroger, Target, and Whole Foods and in bars and restaurants across 22 states including TX, OK, NM, AZ, NY, NJ, CT, MD, VA, NC, SC, OH, MI, GA, and TN. Austin Eastciders is available in 6-pack and 12-pack 12oz cans, 19.2 oz Super Tall Boy cans, and draft.
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