Anna Zesbaugh shifted her focus from hard kombucha to a ‘functional’ beverage line.
Goodbye, Hooch Booch; hello, Corpse Reviver.
That about sums up 2025 for Anna Zesbaugh, the Daniels College of Business alumna who, in March, sunset her hard kombucha company to focus on the growing success of her non-alcoholic, sparkling tea-based beverage that is carried by Walmart, Whole Foods and other retailers.
“Alcohol is really hard to expand and grow, so we decided to focus on what is going well, which was Corpse Reviver,” she said. “The product has really taken off since we launched it.”
So much so that in December, Zesbaugh was named one of Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in the food and beverage category.
“It was so exciting,” she said. “I turn 30 in three months, so it was my last opportunity. And it’s crazy when it happens to you. Most of the founders on that list are in New York or L.A., and they’re doing really big things. I didn’t expect myself to end up on that list.”
Based on a classic cocktail that was once touted as a hangover cure, Corpse Reviver was born during a brainstorming session for Hooch Booch, which based its flavors on classic cocktails like the Bee’s Knees and the Clover Club.
“Because we were very Prohibition-era, classic cocktail-inspired, someone said, ‘Well, what about the classic corpse reviver cocktail?’” Zesbaugh remembered. “That one is made with absinthe, which didn’t sound like a great flavor for hard kombucha, but we thought maybe we could spin that off into a non-alcoholic line and make a better-for-you version of a corpse reviver.”
Zesbaugh worked with nutritionists and dieticians to formulate Corpse Reviver, a “functional beverage” made with real fruit juice, minerals and botanicals such as cardamom, anise and prickly pear. Available in four flavors—including berry hibiscus and guava rose—it is positioned as an elegant way to rehydrate and rebalance.
“We started out thinking it would be a mocktail, but ultimately, we landed on a functional beverage because mocktail is a very specific usage occasion (maybe you drink one around 4 to 8 p.m.) and they’re often pretty sugary,” she said. “We decided to expand the usage occasion to offer more opportunities for people to drink it throughout the day. With the positioning and the packaging, we wanted it to feel like you could seamlessly transition it from your morning post-workout beverage into your evening mocktail occasion.”
One big reason for the product’s success, Zesbaugh said, is its appeal to younger customers seeking out more authentic experiences.
“Consumer preferences are changing, especially Gen Z and young millennials,” she said. “They are pushing the shift to conscious consuming. I think people want to understand who is behind the brand, what is the brand, why should they give a damn about it? On top of that, it’s ‘Where are the ingredients coming from? Where are they sourced from?’ Conscious consuming also means drinking less alcohol, and many studies show that people are drinking less across the board.”
Zesbaugh’s 2026 priorities for Corpse Reviver are many: expanding to more retailers, switching to a new manufacturer, exploring different sizes and flavors, and looking for other brands to collaborate with. Then there’s the fun part—enjoying the success of a product that has been so widely embraced.
“With Hooch Booch, I felt like I was pushing a rock up a hill every single day. And with Corpse Reviver, it feels like we’re riding a bicycle down a hill,” Zesbaugh said. “It’s not because the business is easier, by any means; it’s just that there’s more traction. And there’s more consumer pull, which helps with retail. That was our biggest shift—we noticed it, and it was undeniable. So we said, ‘Let’s just go for it.’”
