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Contestant's Case to Win

My great Aunt Gladys and her mother, Lily, had a pitcher of these Bloody Marys ready to serve at all times in their Garden District Home in New Orleans. They were sassy but classy ladies - serving drinks and laughter but in fine crystal, fully garnished. My own mother requested the recipe. And both she and I became known for them. But even in college, I knew to keep it secret.
Instead I went into advertising...a copywriter then Creative Director, for agencies and interactive startups. While attending a Graduate Marketing Certificate class at SMU and raising a then 2 yr old boy, the marketing concept hit me. One month later, in the midst of a recession, I left my well-paying Marketing Director position to pursue the launch full time. It took 2.5 years to finally launch. The recipe conversion alone took 1.5 years. Every sample tasted fine until vodka was added. Then it tasted bitter. Turns out there is a chemical reaction that occurs with about 8 ingredients in a Bloody Mary. Mine is the ONLY mix to have overcome that.
Then, everyone told me bottling in the carafe was impossible. To me, it was crucial for my gifting and environmental strategy. And I stubbornly persisted.
Finally, against all the odds, the mix launched, in its beautiful glass carafe, in late October, 2011. Sassy original art for "Queen Mary" graces both the reusable carafe and the witty seasonal gift tags like "Have a Bloody Mary Christmasâ„¢," "Congrats on getting Bloody Mary'd," "Let's Drink and get Bloody Mary, " etc. Every detail contains thought - The neck has enough room to fill with spirits, shake and serve, The back label is a clean peel, the lid reseals.
So, the packaging rocks, the mix itself is the best ever, I get to honor the strong women of my family, and I work in between raising a child with both sensory integration issues and ADHD. BUT there are goals behind this are quite large. The decisions we make as a company must consider the next seven generations. 1. We strive to be/use local resources (all elements are made in US except the tamperproof seal and many come from Louisiana or Texas). 2. Be environmentally friendly (Reusable is the first R and glass can not only be recycled, but is made of 60% recycled materials naturally). 3. Hire a series of Part Time Mommas. There is an incredible talented work force that left to raise children, yet want to work part time. Right now, there are very few opportunities for them. I want to help create those for other moms like myself.