Meet John Porter CEO of 2 Skinny Drunks

John Porter didn't set out to be the CEO of a company that manufactures organic cocktail mixers. His background is in commercial real estate. And he's quite successful at it.

He and his business partner/cousin Dianna Mulcahy, own commercial buildings and manage commercial properties. For years, Porter and Mulcahy, talked about starting a company. "It really was a family joke for the longest time," Porter said.

But something changed during Thanksgiving of 2011. Porter and Mulcahy stopped laughing and they got serious. Over the next three years, they inched away at putting together a plan to get down to business. "Everything that we've done has always been downplayed. We kept our expectations low. We thought maybe we'd get a beach house for the summer," he said.

They spent months working on a brand identity. Before they knew it, 2 Skinny Drunks was complete with its tongue and cheek name, image and a real business plan. These days, Porter and Mulcahy are taking their 2 Skinny Drunks brand on tour. They're launching the product around the country, allowing potential clients to put a face (or two) to their brand.

Right now, 2 Skinny Drunks mixers are available online at 2SkinnyDrunks.com. But the company hopes they'll soon be for sale at restaurants and at organic stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market. But getting the word out is just the beginning. The company has had to work hard to stand apart from the competition.

"Everybody drinks differently. We felt like the ready-to-drink market is 'been there, done that.' What we wanted to do is really excellent mixers. It allows us to do what we do well. That means including vitamins and electrolytes in our products. We approached it by not cutting corners or thinking about our bottom line. We wanted to be the Bentley of booze," Porter said.

Porter grew up outside Louisville, Kentucky. And coincidentally, that's where most of his booze business is based. But these days, he splits his time between Miami and New York City. He's engaged to be married - but no date has been set. "We're happy. We've already made the commitment," Porter tells SFGN. He also has a 17-year old son that he adopted with a previous partner.

One might think all that would be enough to keep Porter busy, but that's not the case. He's also an up and coming author with "The Road to Success is Paved in Hangovers: Entrepreneurship on a Budget" due in stores this fall.

"We represent what the American dream is all about. We found a passion about something and built a dream around it. It's not easy to do, but it's possible. You don't need an Ivy League education or a million dollars. I want to convey to people that it's possible," Porter said.