I sat down with Monica Cornitcher, CEO and co-founder of Medase Cocktails, a premium non-alcoholic beverage brand redefining what it means to drink without alcohol. What started as a simple desire for a real cocktail experience without the after-effects turned into a six-figure investment and a fast-growing brand that’s now catching the attention of major retailers.

Monica shares how she and her co-founder Inga Dyer went from Zoom conversations during the pandemic to building a fully developed beverage company. Instead of rushing the process, they leaned into research, worked with a food scientist, and built a five-year strategy before launching. Their focus was clear: create authentic, full-flavor cocktails that people actually recognize and crave.

In this episode, Monica opens up about the real cost of building a physical product, navigating grief after losing her co-founder, and the strategy behind growing through direct-to-consumer before entering retail. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, intentional growth, and building a brand rooted in purpose and community.

Main Takeaways

Why taking time to validate your idea and build a strategy can save you costly mistakes
How to approach launching a physical product without cutting corners on quality
The importance of direct-to-consumer growth before entering retail
How resilience, grief, and purpose shaped the future of Medase Cocktails

Highlights Include

00:00 – Introduction to Medase Cocktails
03:00 – Monica’s first business and corporate background
06:00 – The idea sparked during COVID and building with intention
08:00 – Why they worked with a food scientist instead of DIY
10:00 – Creating a 5-year business strategy before launch
13:00 – Identifying their target consumer and product positioning
21:00 – Funding the business with $100K+ of personal investment
26:00 – Attending Expo West and attracting investors
29:00 – Navigating grief after losing her co-founder
30:00 – Growth on Amazon and direct-to-consumer success
33:00 – Why retail is expensive and how to prepare for it
45:00 – Lessons from production mistakes and product quality control
47:00 – Competing in a growing non-alcoholic beverage market
50:00 – Lightning round insights and tools

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Save the Date: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan (Friday, May 15)

Watch & Listen

Watch this episode on YouTube and listen on all podcast platforms:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sidehustlepro

Announcements

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Social Media

Instagram: @medasecocktails

TikTok: @medasecocktails

Facebook: Medase Cocktails

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511: Monica Cornitcher’s Journey From Personal Loss to Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Success