ChristaCotton2020PressKit

christa cotton

A native of Leesburg, Georgia, Christa worked in the family business during college, ultimately helping
establish 13th Colony Distilleries — Georgia’s first distillery.

After graduating from the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University in 2010, she moved to New
Orleans, finding work at a local ad agency specializing in hospitality, tourism and entertainment. After years
working alongside chefs, restaurants, hotels and events, she founded the New Orleans Beverage Group in
2017; acquiring the El Guapo trademark and re-joining the craft spirits industry she’s passionate about.

As CEO, Christa is responsible for all things bitters. She leads overall strategy and recipe development while
keeping projects and initiatives on time and under budget. She’s a sommelier and makes a killer cocktail,
but spends most days negotiating contracts and managing the business. She’s known for fostering strong
relationships, forging partnerships with Neiman Marcus, Whole Foods and Costco, among others.

Christa is the 2020 recipient of the Les Dames d’Escoffier Legacy Award for Fine
Spirits, sponsored by the Julia Child Foundation and Jose Cuervo. She is a 2019
graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and the all-time
winningest crafter in the Elixirs category of the annual Good Food Awards,
a prestigious food and beverage competition managed by the Good Food Foundation,
of which she is an active member. She also serves as a liquor judge for the awards.

She’s a member of the James Beard Foundation and a volunteer/occasional dog foster parent for the
LASPCA and Animal Rescue New Orleans. Christa volunteers her time to mentor women looking to break
into the consumer packaged goods industry and to moderate the Women In Hospitality United Facebook
group dedicated to building connections and empowering women in the industry, as facilitated by the non-
profit with which she’s also involved.

She’s a passionate advocate for New Orleans culture, history and architecture. In her spare time, Christa
enjoys traveling, cooking and exploring New Orleans with her daughter, Flora, as well as studying for her
next Sommelier exam and loving on her Bernese Mountain Dog, Archie Manning.

new orleans beverage group & el guapo

New Orleans Beverage Group is based in New Orleans, LA. The company holds the
trademark to El Guapo, a line of cocktail bitters, syrups and mixers. The entire
product line is non-GMO, vegetarian, paleo-friendly, soy free, gluten free, responsibly
sourced, high fructose corn syrup free, and zero proof. The bitters are even No Sugar
Added and vegan, too.

To our knowledge, New Orleans Beverage Group is the only female owned acidified foods manufacturer
in the State of Louisiana. The entire line is manufactured and distributed from the company’s facility in
Uptown, New Orleans. No co-packers have ever been utilized.

Impeccable sourcing of quality ingredients and strong customer service are of paramount importance to the
company. Their efforts have paid off with four Good Food Awards and counting as well as partnerships with
retail companies like Whole Foods, Neiman Marcus and Costco. In 2019, the company completed its WBENC
Woman Owned Business certification and moved into a larger facility to expand production capabilities.
They are currently a Top 100 Finalist in the 2020 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest and hope to purchase
a new steam kettle and invest in additional employee training should they win a grant from the program.

Thus far during COVID19, the company has launched a campaign to ship 100 free cocktail kits to front line
workers around the country (because they could really use a drink after this, don’t you think?) and donated
500 meals to New Orleans school children in need. Additionally, they are partnering with Dirty Coast
on a grassroots fundraising campaign. The companies have co-designed porch flags that will be sold and
distributed with the culturally appropriate theme, “Frontline ’til we Secondline”, with the proceeds going to
Krewe Of Red Beans, an innovative 501(c)(3) operating a progressive program in New Orleans where out of
work musicians deliver meals to front line workers that are prepared by restaurants that have been closed
due to the pandemic.

non-gmo

vegetarian

paleo friendly

soy free

gluten free

responsibly
sourced

no high fructose
corn syrup

zero proof

so much

THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE

product offerings

el guapo el guapo el guapo

BITTERS SYRUPS MIXERS

chicory pecan rose cordial bloody mary
tricentennial sweet potato lemon drop
barrel aged coffee tonic mojito
polynesian kiss lime cordial hurricane
love potion no. 9 lemon cordial salted paloma
cucumber lavender spiced pecan
summer berries orgeat
cuban ginger
fuego candy cane
crawfish boil
gumbo
holiday pie

awards

4x Good Food Award Winner

rose cordial
sweet potato syrup
chicory pecan bitters
tricentennial bitters

All time winning-est company in the elixirs category.

Southern Living Food Awards Coastal Living Food Awards

rose cordial chicory pecan bitters

“This Greek-style, naturally pink syrup tastes like “Instantly upgrade any rum or bourbon cocktail with
a breezy walk through a rose garden. a few drops of this addictive elixir”
Mix it with gin and lemon juice.”

kind words

The Rolls Royce of Tonic.

The best gift for any home bartender.

I’ll never buy another tonic syrup again.

— marie c.

When I see this behind a bar, I know, THEY know, what they’re doing.

— brian a.