Mocktails have long had a bad reputation. Either they’re cloyingly sweet, painfully flat, or they taste like carbonated vitamins trying too hard to be cool. That’s the problem Stursi is here to fix—and they’re doing it with zero apologies.
The Black woman-owned, sister-founded brand is turning heads with its debut line of zero-proof cocktails, expertly crafted to match the complexity of what you’d expect from a high-end bar. These are not the mocktails you sip out of politeness. Stursi tastes so good, you’ll forget there’s no alcohol.
The brand’s first three flavors—Reign (lush pineapple and warm autumn spices), Revvl (purple papaya-berry with ginger), and Debauchery (blood orange with cardamom and chili)—are now available during their public pre-sale running June 25 through July 25 at stursi.com. Each one is bold, sophisticated, and designed to hit like the real thing. And that’s no accident.
Co-founder Livv Mills, a Certified Specialist of Spirits with over a decade behind the bar, spent more than a year dialing in the formulations. “What’s in the can is exactly what I used to make at the bar,” she says. “Same balance, same depth, same satisfaction. Just without the alcohol.”
A lot of non-alc brands take different routes—some focus on functional ingredients that promise a calming buzz, while others lean on carbonation. Stursi leads with what matters most: flavor that can hold its own in any glass.
“Many people aren’t looking to replace the buzz of alcohol,” says CEO and co-founder Lexx Mills. “They want something that actually tastes good—something that feels elevated and intentional. That’s what we’re giving them.”
The sisters launched Stursi after Livv gave up alcohol for health reasons and couldn’t find any mocktails that hit the spot. Almost everything on the market felt like a watered-down compromise. The flavors were either overly botanical or stripped of personality. The two sisters knew they could fill the gap—and that their community deserved more.
So they built Stursi from the ground up: no outside investors, no contract formulators, no bland templates. Instead, they leaned on Livv’s flavor expertise and Lexx’s background in business strategy to create something that stands on its own.
The result is a brand that doesn’t try to mimic the experience of drinking—it redefines it. Every can is a celebration of craft, culture, and belonging. The design? Sleek, textured, made to feel like it belongs on a dinner table or at a rooftop party. The vibe? Joyful, bold, rooted in legacy and forward-thinking in taste.
Representation isn’t a side note—it’s the point. “We didn’t see ourselves in this space, so we created a lane,” Lexx says. “This brand is about cultural expression, about bringing people together, and about raising the bar on what zero-proof can be.”
That authenticity has struck a chord. Early taste testers say the drinks rival craft cocktails in flavor, with 94% saying the complexity matched or exceeded what they’d expect at a bar. The attention to detail—from ingredient sourcing to the proprietary in-house process—means Stursi doesn’t just talk about quality; it delivers it.
And because they formulate everything themselves, the brand has room to move. Limited drops. Seasonal flavors. Unexpected collaborations. “We’re not boxed in by someone else’s formula,” says Livv. “If we dream it, we can make it.”
But while flavor leads, the mission behind Stursi runs deeper. It’s about creating space—especially for those who have felt left out of traditional drinking culture. Whether it’s someone choosing not to drink for health, faith, or lifestyle, Stursi offers something that doesn’t feel like a sacrifice.
It feels like a statement.
So yeah—go ahead and forget what you thought mocktails were. These aren’t drinks for the kids’ table. They’re for people who love flavor, who live with intention, and who know that sometimes, the best part of the party is just feeling fully present.
Ready to try it? The public pre-sale is live now through July 25 at stursi.com, and quantities are limited.
Mocktails may have been an afterthought before. But with Stursi? They’re the main event.
