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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/511-monica-cornitcher-s-journey-from-personal-loss-to-non-alcoholic-cocktail-success
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/511-monica-cornitcher-s-journey-from-personal-loss-to-non-alcoholic-cocktail-success.md
Podcast: [Side Hustle Pro](https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020)
Published: 2026-04-24T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/side-hustle-pro/episodes/monica-cornitchers-journey-from-personal-loss-to
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/659c22ccb31581001651ebcd/e/69ead2d7abe143da5bd36060/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/side-hustle-pro-219020/episodes/511-monica-cornitcher-s-journey-from-personal-loss-to-non-alcoholic-cocktail-success
Duration seconds: 2622

## Resource

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 – Fu…

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