Love At First Sip: Northbrook Couple Launches Tequila Seltzer

Northbrook IL

08 October, 2021

12:51 PM

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NORTHBROOK, IL — For many, a hangover can be counterproductive. For North Shore couple Paige and Ryne Iseminger, one led to the creation of a new business. During a visit to Mexico in 2016, and after a week of consuming sugary margaritas, Paige needed a cure for her hangover. Looking to help out his future wife, Ryne opened up the refrigerator and concocted a "hair of the dog" cocktail on the spot. The ingredients were simple — limes, tequila, agave and sparkling water. For Paige, it was love at first sip. "He brought it to me and it literally revived me. It was so light and refreshing. I could barely even taste the tequila in it," said Paige, who has been visiting Puerto Vallarta with family her whole life. "After I had one or two of those, I was back at it and feeling great." Soon after, Paige's family was asking for a taste of Ryne's creation, as they were all done with the beers and margaritas they had been drinking thus far on the trip. Fast-forward to the summer following the vacation, and the couple's friends wanted to try the drink. So Ryne would return to the kitchen and make them for everyone. "It really became a staple in our backyard at parties and barbecues," Paige said. The next year in 2017, the couple got married in Mexico, and the reception included a bar featuring Ryne's drink. He even arrived at the venue in his wedding tuxedo to show the bartenders how to make it. With the drink's popularity soaring among friends and family, the Isemingers realized they wanted to bring it to the masses, and Freshie was born. Freshie is billed as the first — and only — organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, sparkling tequila seltzer, sustainably farmed and distilled. Freshie was launched in Chicago and its surrounding markets in December 2020. Despite the company starting during the pandemic, the Isemingers said it is thriving. It is currently found extensively in Illinois, Georgia and Nashville, with national expansion plans set for 2022. Each 12-ounce can contains only 99 calories, an important component for the health-conscious couple. A Freshie is made up of 4.7 percent alcohol. Freshie is currently available in lime, with plans to add new flavors in 2022. (Eric DeGrechie/Patch) LIVING IN THE NORTH SHORE Though they didn't meet until after high school while freshmen at the University of Kansas, Paige and Ryne were within shouting distance of one another on the North Shore for a time. Paige was born and raised in Northbrook, graduating from Glenbrook North High School. Meanwhile, Ryne moved to Chicago after growing up in Indiana and graduated from Loyola Academy. "Both schools are great schools and gave us a foundation. It's amazing to see old friends from high school or people at Ravinia. I'm getting texts from [local] people saying they were at a family barbecue and they had Freshie," Ryne said. "They see the billboard and they're going out and buying it to support us. It definitely has been a super positive experience for us." Paige added that her perception of the North Shore prior to launching Freshie was that it is a larger community, but with the connections the couple has made promoting their business, it feels much more tight-knit. Freshie isn't the first business venture for the couple. Following college, they created Festy Besty in 2014, a fashion company "inspired by music festivals." The online e-commerce company specializes in clothing and footwear. MAKING FRESHIE STAND OUT AMONG TEQUILA MISCONCEPTIONS With the enormous success of seltzer-based alcoholic drinks like White Claw and Vizzy recently, the Isemingers understand marketing Freshie and making it stand out has its challenges. Another area of concern involves people's misconceptions about tequila in general. "When people tell us that tequila doesn't work for them, they're thinking of the mixto tequilla or the tequilas back when they were younger with the worm in the bottle," Ryne Iseminger said. "They get that thing drilled in their head that tequila is for a crazy night or the crazy shot where you drink too much and you blame it all on the tequila." Ryne believes the perception of tequila has rounded the corner in recent years and compares connoisseurs to those that consume bourbon or wine. He said people treat it as a spirit and not just an alcohol, with a deeper appreciation of the tasting profiles. "Luckily for us, people are not just looking for a brand, but they want a story. They want to see faces behind a brand that are real people versus the celebrity-driven world of tequilas," Ryne said. As it becomes more mainstream, consumers desire higher quality tequila. Freshie is made with silver tequila that takes seven years to mature before it is sustainably farmed and distilled, according to the Isemingers. Using 100 percent solar energy, the tequila is then lightly sweetened with 100 percent blue Weber agave nectar from the fields of the Jalisco Highlands in Mexico, known for the most "superior agave in the world." The result is a "superior" ready-to-go canned organic seltzer featuring citrus notes, sparkling water, lime, tequila and agave nectar. The tequila is distilled in a family-run, organic, sustainable and zero-waste distillery in Mexico, according to the makers of Freshie. "It's really the story of two families coming together. They [the distillery] invented Patron. They didn't get the best deal when Patron went mainstream," Ryne said. "They were weary about working with Americans again." A visit by the Isemingers to the distillery included meeting the family behind it and getting a tour of the facility where the tequila is made. The two parties connected on a number of things and the distillery soon signed on to help make Freshie a reality. Freshie was launched in Chicago and its surrounding markets in December 2020. (Ripple Public Relations) NEXT UP FOR FRESHIE The Isemingers started out by hitting up mom-and-pop grocery stores about selling their product. Trader Joe's began selling Freshie statewide in Illinois beginning in July. Mariano's also sells it throughout the state. Freshie can currently be found in more than 600 locations, with expansion plans scheduled for 2022. "We are so blessed at the position we're in with Freshie. Never in a million years did I think we would get this much of an amazing response from consumers being in such a crowded category," Paige Iseminger said. Two new flavors of Freshie are planned in the new year, with blood orange habanero and grapefruit guava joining lime on shelves. The Isemingers said the flavor choices were made to stay true to Mexico and ingredients found in the country. A spirit line called Authentico By Freshie, featuring blanco tequila (silver), will also be launching in 2022. For more information about Freshie, visit www.getfreshie.com and follow them at https://www.facebook.com/FreshieTequila/, https://www.instagram.com/freshietequila/, https://twitter.com/freshietequila and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5q_96TklCI7t7dKqGL4RFA.