Daily Inspiration: Meet Rachel D’Acquisto

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel D’Acquisto.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
Ray Ray’s Sonoran is a quality craft beverage company. We brew in Tucson and sell to all of Arizona. We are woman-owned and family-operated. My recipes are inspired by my signature spiked tea, when I was a bartender and the natural ingredients of our region.

My favorite part about bartending was making memories with folks and being part of the good times. I became obsessed with doing that on a larger scale, and Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit Tea was born! My dad came up with the idea because my work family nick-named me Ray Ray.

As most folks know, we may spend more time with our work family than our actual family. That is a huge reason why a family-operated business is so important to us. To have my parents, husband, kids, siblings, and friends part of this crazy biz, is proving to be one of my life’s great joys.

We wholesale to bars, restaurants, resorts, and retailers. We have been operating for almost two years and we are humbled by the support of our community. We can’t wait to make Ray Ray’s a trusted household name in the craft booze world because it all comes back to good friends and good spirits.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My background was not in wholesale beverage production. I have been almost as dedicated to finding mentors as I was determined to apply the information I learned from them.

Most folks are willing to help connect the dots when they see my passion and joy! I quickly learned that there are no checklists to owning a successful business, but there are tons of resources to help. Building has been a slow and strategic process.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m what they call a “Hospitality Lifer.” I know the hospitality industry very well through years of vast experience. I’m proud to apply the knowledge I’ve gained professionally to provide effective business consulting and help other business owners.

Brewing and wholesaling a product I’ve created for the same industry brings me so much joy. I am grateful to celebrate my strengths and understand my weak points, but more importantly, to share with other people and create the support and community I want to be a part of.

How do you think about luck?
I am lucky to have such a supportive family and community, and I have worked hard to earn their trust. If a worldwide pandemic is considered bad luck, I have been lucky in the years following to have been afforded the space to evaluate my goals and have clarity in knowing what I’m good at and what brings me joy.

I have learned to integrate my professional and personal life. In the past, as a professional woman in a position of leadership and a mom, I worked hard to keep them separate. I no longer feel the same need to be two women.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.RayRaysSonoran.com
• Instagram: @RayRaysSonoran
• Facebook: Ray Ray’s Sonoran

Image Credits
Gino Calles
Beecher Howard