What if the biggest opportunity in your industry is something no one else recognizes? In this episode, Eric Tecosky, the founder of pioneering cocktail ingredient brand Dirty Sue, unpacks how a simple gap behind the bar became a first-to-market product, a profitable niche, and a lesson in disciplined focus. From navigating skeptical buyers to scaling a single SKU for 20 years, ET breaks down the strategy, timing, and execution behind building a sustainable, category-creating brand. Show notes: 0:25: Eric "ET" Tecosky, Founder & CEO, Dirty Sue – ET talks about the origin of his Instagram handle before he reveals how the idea for Dirty Sue emerged from a bartending pain point: running out of olive brine during a rush. He explains his vision for a brand of premium olive brine but was stymied early on because bars still operated in a pre-premium cocktail era. He shares his path to grassroots sampling and convincing bartenders and managers of the operational efficiencies of a bottled product. ET discusses Dirty Sue's gradual expansion across the West Coast and how he tapped into a growing home-cocktail market. He emphasizes a disciplined focus strategy and notes that he has taken only one round of investment at the company's founding. Brands in this episode: Dirty Sue, Jack Daniel's
From "Taste Radio"
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