Startup
Lotza aims to elevate the drinking experience
Laura Markewicz founded Lotza in 2023 because she wanted more from her time.
The Marquette graduate still likes to gather with her friends for a night on the town, but things have changed since she was a student.
These days, the serial entrepreneur and mom of three no longer has the time to spend on the treadmill working off the extra calories from sugary cocktails or nursing the physical effects of overindulging the night before.
She realized many women find themselves in the same situation, so she decided to create a mixer to meet women where they are and give them the opportunity to enjoy social drinking in a new way.
MKEStartup.News (MSUN) spoke with CEO Markewicz (LM) to talk about her emerging business and the company’s line of Lotza Carbonated Mocktail & Mixer.
How do you describe Lotza Carbonated Mocktail & Mixer?
LM: “I call it a ‘feel-good tonic’ because it enhances what we enjoy about drinking. You enjoy feeling social and you enjoy feeling stress relief and a mood boost with the adaptogen. We do that naturally with plants … adaptogens are essentially like probiotics for your brain. They are going to balance your mood and really make you feel good.”
“When I say I ‘feel good tonic,’ it helps you feel good in the moment, and it helps you feel good the next day.”
How did you determine the ingredients that would go into each of the drink flavors?
LM: ‘I have two medical advisors… They picked out two adaptogens that really mimic the things that we like about alcohol without the negative effects that alcohol has in our body.”
“My goal with that is for people that don’t drink so they can get those mood boosting benefits without partaking. For people that do drink, you’ll have to drink less to get the perks that you usually seek from alcohol alone. The goal is to put the power in the consumer’s hand.”
What feedback are you getting from those who have tried Lotza?
LM: “I realized that people who drink alcohol care about their health. That is something I think a lot of people in the liquor industry are sleeping on. The proof is what’s happened over the past six years with the growth of hard seltzers. It shows that people do care about what they’re putting into their bodies, even if they are drinking alcohol.”
“But what I also realized is they don’t care as much about their overall health while they’re drinking. They just care that they’re having a good time and they’re not going to have a horrible time the next day. People don’t want to feel like they’re overloaded with empty calories and sugar.”
“Everything (in the Lotza line) is under 7 grams of sugar and 50 calories. These are not empty calories. These are all whole plants and whole fruits, all with the purpose of making it taste delicious and to help you feel amazing.”
What makes Lotza different from other adaptogen-infused mixers on the market?
LM: “Although the benefits are major, the flavor is what really is going to set it apart in the marketplace because at the end of the day, no one is going to drink it if it doesn’t taste absolutely amazing.”
“I saw there was a flavor gap in the industry. When you look at traditional cocktail mixers… they are based on normal cocktail recipes that we’re all familiar with, and I wanted to take a nod from the hard seltzer industry where they’re really leaning into these fun, unique flavors. Our flavors are Wild Berry Mint, Lemon Hibiscus and Watermelon Cucumber. They have something that we’re familiar with, like lemon and berry, but then we have that unique spin that gives it a level of maturity and a level of uniqueness that other mixers and other cocktail beverages do not have that I think is really fun.”
“It’s great because we are a ready-to-drink mocktail, or just pour it in whatever liquor you like. It’s super simple.”
How can people try Lotza?
“This year we will be ready to sell on Amazon as well as in some specific locations in Wisconsin.”
It is also available on the Lotza website.
To learn more about Lotza, connect with the emerging company here.
