Conversations with Maureen Schaffer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maureen Schaffer and Randy Zwetzig. They share their story with us below:

Most people are surprised to learn Coyote Gold® Margaritas was an accidental business. It came about because co-founders, Maureen “Mo” Schaffer and Randy Zwetzig, two electrical engineers from Fort Collins, Colorado, share a passion for great-tasting margaritas. Tired of artificial, chemically-flavored bottled margaritas, they developed Coyote Gold in their kitchens 20 years ago using authentic, all-natural ingredients and Rocky Mountain water.

Coyote Gold Margaritas are still handcrafted today using premium tequila imported from Mexico, Mo & Randy’s proprietary orange liqueur, pure fruit juice, pure sugar, and all-natural citrus flavors. No artificial colors. No gluten.

Coyote Gold offers the most complete line of Ready-to-Drink Margaritas with alcohol content ranging from 7.5% to 18.5% ABV. They are packaged in 1.75L bottles, 12-oz. cans and 100mL frozen tubes.

Our 1.75L bottled margaritas are the only Authentic, ALL NATURAL Ready-To-Serve margaritas on the market and have 50-85% more alcohol than leading competitors. Just Open, Pour, Enjoy!
* Original lime – a perfectly balanced margarita that stands up to ice.
* Pineapple Coconut – a fruity tropical refreshment we call a beach in a bottle!
* Jalapeno – handcrafted for those who prefer spicy food. The margarita that howls and bites back!

Our 12-oz Original margarita cans contain more than two drinks per can and are great-tasting alternatives to seltzers and high-cost restaurant margaritas. In June we are introducing two new mouthwatering canned margaritas – Peach and Grapefruit. Peach and grapefruit nicely complement our original margarita recipe creating great-tasting premium options. And millennials love options! Our Lite & Lively Margarita is a low-carb margarita with NO ADDED SUGAR, naturally sweetened with monk fruit, and packaged in a sleek 12-oz can. Just Chill and Enjoy!

Finally, Coyote Gold Frozen Margarita Pouches are 100mL of fun packaged in tubes to simply toss in the freezer. Consume them right from the pouch. Just Freeze, Squeeze. Enjoy!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The masks have come off at the factory, but supply chain issues continue. Costs are increasing. Lead time for tequila grows with trucks lined up at the border. We refuse to compromise quality or taste to cut costs, so we’re working to find new efficiencies and grow sales.

We market our margaritas at events and festivals – which were canceled the last two years just as we launched our first canned products. With events and festivals now returning, we’re putting our Coyote Gold ambassadors back to work building awareness of our new canned products:

Government Over-Regulation is always a challenge. If we had known how tough it would be to start and run this business, we probably wouldn’t have. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Federal and state excise taxes double the retail price of spirits products. Processes for obtaining liquor licensing at all levels and government approval of formulas and labels are archaic and could be automated. Countless regulations and reporting requirements help no one in terms of personnel safety, consumer safety, or product quality. Many serve as barriers to entry for small businesses. These regulations waste time, drive up the costs, reduce wages, raise the price of products, stifle innovation, and severely limit the flexibility of businesses to respond to problems or adapt to changes in the market.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Coyote Gold® Margaritas, are handcrafted in Fort Collins where, as the company owners, Mo and Randy, focus on creating high-quality products through personal attention and the use of authentic, pure, and natural ingredients. Each blend is approved by Randy and Mo before it can be bottled, pouched, or canned.

We (Mo and Randy) develop all products ourselves and won’t produce anything we don’t love! As engineers, high attention to detail is our nature. We test our products on ourselves and lots of friends – consuming them in the same manner as a typical consumer would. The big companies conduct room temperature sip tests of their new products. We have our testers try the products over ice with chips and salsa in a social setting. We take careful notes of their opinions of the products and the “margarita experience,” and incorporate their feedback into perfecting our products for broad consumer appeal. We test our packaging in a similar manner – by taking prototypes to the liquor store and placing them on the shelf next to competing products. We get feedback from liquor store staff, passersby, etc.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Two points:

1) Consumers should read labels carefully to ensure cocktails contain the authentic distilled spirits they expect. Don’t be fooled by “fake-aritas” made with seltzer (fermented sugar), beer (malt beverage) or wine! Insist upon authentic margaritas made with tequila and orange liqueur.

2) The Coyote Gold family believes in giving to our local community by supporting charities and nonprofit organizations. Our “Margaritas with a Mission” program has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for these organizations. If you are involved with a charity or nonprofit and want to turn your next fundraiser into a FUN-raiser with Coyote Gold Margaritas, please see EVENTS AND GIVING on our webpage (www.CoyoteGold.com)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CoyoteGold.com
• Instagram: coyote_gold
• Facebook: Coyote Gold
• Twitter: @CoyoteGold