AS A CHILD, Christa Cotton soaked up her parents’ entrepreneurial experiences like some kids do fairy tales. Other people said, I’m going to be a police officer; recalls Christa, CEO of the cocktail brand El Guapo. I always wanted to be like my dad.” In college, she worked in the family business and realized that her true dream was to strike out on her own. She moved to New Orleans and, after years in advertising, decided to take the plunge. In 2017, she bought the El Guapo trademark from a local bartender and began developing her line of bitters, syrups, and mixers. Two years in, she struck gold: a 24-store deal with Costco. But then the pandemic hit, bumping her product from shelves, and Christa began studying bankruptcy websites. Almost simultaneously, her own website unexpectedly took off. As restaurants shuttered, the home bar made a comeback and El Guapo sales skyrocketed. Christa’s business is now asuccess, and she’s set to open the country’s first bitters brewery. Here, the cocktail queen talks life in the Crescent City.
WHERE I FIND INSPIRATION FOR EL GUAPO
This story is from the November 2022 edition of Southern Living.
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This story is from the November 2022 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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