"Medase" — pronounced meh-dah-see — means thank you in Asante Twi. From the very first sip, that's exactly what you feel: gratitude for a drink that actually tastes like the real thing.

Let me be real with you. I've had my share of non-alcoholic cocktails that tasted like sparkling water with a dream and some food coloring. So when I came across MEDASE Cocktails, I went in skeptical. I came out a believer.

This is not a mocktail brand. This is a zero-proof cocktail brand — and there is a difference. One is something you drink because you're trying to be good. The other is something you reach for because you actually want it. MEDASE is the second one.

Two Friends, One Brand, One Hell of a Story

MEDASE was co-founded by Monica Cornitcher and Inga Dyer — two women who met at Howard University and bonded as members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. More than 30 years of friendship. When Inga was diagnosed with cancer, the two reconnected in California during the pandemic. They took walks. Spent time together. And kept looking for a drink they could share that still felt like a real cocktail.

They couldn't find one they loved. So they built it themselves — working with a Black female chemist using a patented heat formula that delivers the taste and feel of a traditional cocktail without the alcohol.

Monica Cornitcher & Inga Dyer — Co-Founders, MEDASE Cocktails · Howard University Alumnae · Delta Sigma Theta

MEDASE launched in 2023 with two flavors — Hello Sunshine Margarita and Goodnight Moon Moscow Mule. Self-funded. Built from scratch. Named after a word that means thank you. Monica has called it "friendship in a glass" — and when you know the full story, that hits differently.

Carrying the Vision Forward

One year into building MEDASE, Inga Dyer passed away from cancer.

Monica paused the business. Had to sit with it. Inga was her friend, her sorority sister, her co-founder. Monica had also lost both parents and her brother to cancer. The grief was layered in ways most people don't have words for.

After taking time to regroup, she made the decision to restart and carry the vision forward. Before Inga passed, the two of them had mapped out the brand's entire future in a 60-page business plan — every flavor, every direction. Monica is now building exactly what they planned together.

That is what makes every can mean something.

MEDASE Is Entering Its Next Chapter

In June 2025, MEDASE relaunched with a full lineup of six flavors, a strategic investment, and serious momentum. The brand secured capital that could support more than $20 million in annual sales. Monica was named to Inc. magazine's 2026 Female Founders 500. And the price dropped from $28 to $19.99 a four-pack — making it more accessible without compromising what makes it premium.

MEDASE is available on Amazon, TikTok Shop, their own site, and select retail — with growth markets including Chicago, Atlanta, Texas, and the D.C. area. That last one caught my attention for obvious reasons.

Why This Brand Belongs in Your Rotation

You don't have to be sober to appreciate what MEDASE is doing. You just have to appreciate quality.

MEDASE is for the friend who doesn't drink but still wants to feel included. For the host who wants something thoughtful for every guest. For anyone who loves cocktails but is taking a break — or just doesn't feel like explaining themselves at the bar anymore.

A lot of people talk about inclusion in beverage culture. MEDASE is actually building it into the product. Everyone at the table can have something that feels special. And behind all of it is a story of two Howard women, a 60-page business plan, a friendship cut short, and one founder who decided the dream was worth finishing.

Sometimes the best toast isn't about what's in the glass. It's about who you get to raise it with.