New Mexico State University, Mixed

Aug 30, 2023

New Mexico State University added yet another product to its growing line of university-licensed merchandise – the Aggie-Rita, mixed and canned by Mixed-Up Cocktail Co.

Teresa Dahl-Bredine, co-owner of Little Toad Creek and Mixed-Up Cocktail Co., explained that NMSU Director of Athletics Mario Moccia reached out to the business a few months ago about canning a university branded cocktail.

After starting Little Toad Creek, Dahl-Bredine and her husband started Mixed-Up Cocktail Co., the brand they sell canned cocktails under throughout New Mexico and nationally. She said they were excited about Moccia’s call and started thinking up flavor combinations right away.

The final product is a raspberry margarita with orange peel and agave nectar. The new cocktail joins Mixed-Up Cocktail’s eight other flavors.

“Because of the color crimson (the university’s official color), we thought raspberry would be a great fit and we were already making a margarita,” Dahl-Bredine said. “We did some samples and had (Moccia) and his team taste and they loved it.”

Once the flavor was set, she explained they had to go through the process of licensing and getting the can design approved. This took much of the summer.

The company canned the first batch of cocktails Tuesday, Aug. 22 in Silver City and shipped it off to Las Cruces for the Wednesday evening launch of the product.

The cocktail will soon be available not only at Little Toad Creek, but on campus at Aggie Memorial Stadium, NMSU Golf Course, Toucan Market, Kelly Liquors, Eagle Qwik Mart, FARMesilla and Andele’s Dog House.

“It's an honor,” Dahl-Bredine said of joining this list of products. "I didn't realize when we first talked about it what a big deal it would become.”

She added that the Aggie-Rita will eventually be available statewide and in El Paso, but will likely not be available nationally due to its very specific branding. However, she said there are Aggies located all over the world, so the company will have to find the right pocket areas.

The university’s product licensing ventures started in 2017 with the release of Pistol Pete’s 1888 Ale by Bosque Brewery.

Other products include:

Pete's portfolio: How NMSU athletics benefits from growing list of licensed products

“This is where the win-win comes in,” Moccia said in a news release. “New Mexicans love to support New Mexico products and with Little Toad Creek in Las Cruces and Mixed Up Cocktail Co. in Deming and Silver City, it is definitely a southern New Mexico product.”

Revenue from the various merchandise goes right into the Aggie Athletics sports budgets. Moccia has indicated previously that additional university-licensed products are in the works.

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Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, [email protected] or @rromero_leah on Twitter.