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February 9, 2026
WISCONSIN – Luba Libations – the Door County-based nonalcoholic (NA) precanned mocktail company first featured in the April 3, 2023 issue of The Business News – will soon be available statewide through a partnership with Badger Liquor.
Co-founder Christiana Trapani said the company has long followed Badger Liquor as a distributor, valued its Wisconsin roots and felt a partnership was a natural fit.
“I have always really respected them,” she said, “and I think I, deep down, knew [we] wanted to work with them.”
However, prior to approaching Badger Liquor – a company also featured in The Business News (July 28, 2025 issue) – Trapani said she and her husband/co-founder, Nic, had to demonstrate Luba Libations’ (zero) proof of concept.
“We knew we needed to start on our own,” she said. “So, we were self-distributed for quite some time, and we got into more than 60 accounts on our own.”
However, as Luba Libations grew, Trapani said self-distribution became unsustainable for her and Nic.
“It really hit a head where it was getting to be too much for us to be delivering and stocking these orders ourselves while continuing [to grow],” she said. “It got to a point where… we needed to work with a partner, and that’s when we reached out to Badger Liquor.”
Trapani said the timing aligned well for both Luba Libations and Badger Liquor, as the distributor recently announced plans to enter the nonalcoholic market in 2026.
“I know they [offer] some NA [and] THC beverages [already], but what I think makes us unique for their portfolio is that we are… [a] clean, premium cocktail experience without the alcohol,” she said, “we don’t [include any] additives; and [Luba Libations] are ready to drink, but [can] also be a mixer. So, I think we add that to their portfolio – we’re clean, we’re simple, but our taste is far from boring.”
Unlike other ready-to-drink mocktails, Trapani said Luba Libations specifically attempts to recreate the taste of traditional cocktails sans the alcohol or any other “functional” additives found in pre-packaged NA beverages.
“Drinks with THC or additives like mushroom extract – there’s totally a place for that – [but] we wanted [to create]… an alternative to your favorite cocktail, just minus the alcohol,” she said. “So, we took the ‘non-functional’ approach, but we wanted that taste to be there.”
Expanded reach
Despite Luba Libations having permission to stock and sell its products in “all Festival Foods locations” across the state, Trapani said they weren’t able to make use of it until Badger Liquor came into play.
“Now we can get into all the Festival Foods because we have a distribution partner, which is just phenomenal,” she said. “It was a very easy and wonderful transition with them, and it’s so exciting, because not only are they taking over our [existing 60] accounts, but they’re helping us grow into new ones.”
As Luba Libations’ reach expands, Trapani said so will its ambassador base.
“We plan to hire more and more brand ambassadors to do tastings,” she said. “That’s something we really believe in – these tastings, and really introducing people to Luba. So, we definitely have plans to hire more people across Wisconsin who can do tastings at various locations where we’re distributed.”
A growing market
Trapani said they frequently faced skepticism while building their nonalcoholic beverage company in a state known for heavy alcohol consumption.
However, if early success indicates anything, Trapani said Wisconsin’s NA market is growing – not to replace alcohol in consumers’ lifestyles, but to complement it.
“We have seen firsthand how Luba fits [into] so many people’s lifestyles,” she said. “It’s just so cool seeing the large demographic of people who are enjoying it – people who are fully sober, people who want to be mindful of their drinking, people who are maybe into wellness – [because] I didn’t expect it to be so diverse, in that sense, when we were initially launching it.”
Trapani said customers can expect three new Luba flavors to hit the shelves of their local grocery stores in 2026 – with all its flavors, current and forthcoming, produced and, now, distributed by Wisconsin-based companies.
“We’re going to be launching two new ones in the spring, and then one this fall,” she said. “We want to eventually grow out of Wisconsin, but we love starting here because, obviously, we’re Wisconsin-made – we are Wisconsin locals. So, it’s a great place to start, and it’s a great place to have everything centralized as we continue to grow.”
Navigate to drinkluba.com for a full product list and to find its nearest retailer.
