We were three good mates on exchange, catching up between uni breaks, when we first came across the “BORG” (Blackout Rage Gallon). A simple mix of vodka, still water, and flavouring in a giant plastic jug. At first, it felt like just another night out. But we quickly realised this was different... it was lighter, easier to drink, and, best of all, no bloating! A few months later, something clicked. Shaun had the genius idea:

It sounded outrageous, but it also made perfect sense. When we came back to Sydney in January 2024, we sat down in Matt’s lounge and had our first ever “business meeting”. None of us had worked in the alcohol industry, but we had one thing going for us: we were completely obsessed with the idea. So, we started asking questions to anyone willing to listen. We met with manufacturers, lawyers, businessmen, flavour developers, and friends of friends of friends. We showed up to every call, every meeting, every brainstorm.

We mixed various flavour batches at home. Tried them out on family and friends till we perfected the recipe. We pitched to strangers, got rejected, got lucky, got rejected again. We lost our first manufacturer. Changed our name. Ran out of money (more than once). But we never stopped, because the vision of what Leuca could be was always clear enough to chase.

After 15 months of non-stop learning, tweaking, and a fair few “should we just give up?” moments, we’re finally here. We have an amazing product! We’re not claiming to be experts. We’re not polished. But we’re real. We care, we value your feedback and we’re building something we believe in.