Built from Scratch: How a rented kitchen and hand-squeezed fruit became a versatile mixer

Johnna Rossbach founded Mixly after becoming dissatisfied with shop-bought cocktail mixers and wanting a more creative, flexible option. Alongside co-founder Megan Sather, she built a range of fruit-based mixers intended for drinks with or without alcohol, reflecting growing interest in alcohol-free choices.

The Minnesota-based company began with a difficult overnight production session: its juicer and labeler broke, so the founders squeezed limes and applied labels by hand. They refined recipes with help from a mixologist, continued making products in a rented kitchen during the pandemic and have funded the business themselves, without outside equity investors. Rossbach says demand for drinks with less or no alcohol now extends beyond seasonal campaigns to everyday occasions.