Small-Batch Sips
Rachel Davis builds margarita mix business
When Rachel Davis started bottling fresh juice blends during the early days of the pandemic, it wasn’t part of a long-term business plan. It was just her way of offering something comforting and celebratory at a time when people couldn’t gather for drinks.
Using a manual citrus press in her home kitchen, she began mixing small batches of lime, orange and grapefruit juices with light agave, pouring them into mason jars and selling them off her front porch.
“I just wanted people to be able to enjoy a really good cocktail at home,” Davis recalled. “And I love the balance of sweet and tart in a margarita.”
That stopgap gesture quickly turned into For the Love of Margaritas, one of Wilmington’s fastest-growing, small-batch beverage brands.
“Word of mouth just kind of spread, and I played around with a couple of different flavors to see what worked best for me and my customers,” Davis said.
By the end of 2020, what began as a small side hustle had grown into a business built on fresh, preservative-free cocktail mixes.
For nearly three and a half years, Davis produced every jar by hand, sourcing citrus, pressing juice, blending flavors, bottling, labeling and delivering. Her focus from the beginning was on clean, simple ingredients with no artificial flavors, no cane sugar or additives.
The original mix – orange and lime juice with light agave – has remained a staple, but Davis expanded her flavors to include other mixes like the Skinny Paloma, with grapefruit and lime, Mango Habanero, Pineapple Ginger and Pomegranate Lime. Seasonal flavors, including Cranberry Orange and Apple Cider, rotate in during the holidays.
Despite the “margarita mix” label, the blends are more versatile than the name implies.
“They can be used for mimosas or mixed with vodka, gin or bourbon,” Davis said.
As demand grew and Davis began expanding her wholesale accounts, so did the challenges surrounding production. She now works with a trusted North Carolina production partner who helps bring her mixes to life at scale, using the same fresh and organic ingredients she built her business on.
Davis also partners with local event companies such as Epic Excursions to create margarita tasting bars on the beach or boat deck, and she offers cocktail service for private parties and special events.
Davis, who was born and raised in Wilmington and graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, continues to sell directly to her customers at three local farmers markets. Her products are also carried locally at Biggers Market, The Veggie Wagon and Lighthouse Beer & Wine, along with other retailers across the region.
Davis is currently working to expand distribution beyond Wilmington, with hopes to reach markets such as Raleigh and Charlotte soon. She’s also exploring new flavors, particularly in the spicy category, where her mango habanero mix has become a customer favorite.
When it comes to tequila pairings, Davis said one of her favorites is the female-owned La Gritona Reposado. She also enjoys using locally produced End of Days blue agave spirits with her mixes.
“I think one of the reasons why I’ve stayed in business this long is that margaritas are celebratory, they make people happy,” Davis said. “So, it kind of feels like the perfect coastal beverage … a little salty, a little sweet, a little tangy.”
To view more of photographer Matt Ray’s work, go to mattrayphotography.com.
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