A plant-based energy-drink startup is gaining traction in local co-ops and grocery stores just five months after being founded.
Minneapolis-basedHuxley, an energy drink maker that uses natural ingredients and less sugar, launched in Kowalski's Markets earlier this month. Since founder Simon Solis-Cohen started Huxley in March, the company has gotten into three local co-ops — The Wedge, Seward Community Co-op, Lakewinds Food Co-op and Fresh Thyme Market. The drink comes in three flavors: Strawberry Sequoia, Mango Mesa and Tangerine Teton. (Each drink's name is a nod to the country's national parks.)
Solis-Cohen previously worked as a chef at Michelin Star restaurants in New York and founded wine-marketing firm Highway 29 Creative in Napa Valley,California. Solis-Cohen moved to Minneapolis after running his marketing firm for five years. He sold that business in 2023.
"I wanted to put my passion and creative energy into my own brand," Solis-Cohen said.
Solis-Cohen got the idea to make an energy drink that tasted good and was better for you than what was currently on the market.
"Most energy drinks have 200 milligrams of caffeine and 50 milligrams of sugar," Solis-Cohen said. "And when I tasted them, I didn't find them to be super delicious. A lot of times synthetic caffeine is bitter, and companies use sugar to mask the taste."
So, Solis-Cohen launched Huxley in March. The energy drink uses cascara, the husk that surrounds the coffee fruit. The seeds are extracted from the husk and roasted to make coffee. Usually, the husk is thrown away after the seeds are extracted, Solis-Cohen said.
"Cascara's flavor is interesting," Solis-Cohen said. "It's not very pronounced, but it's a light, cherry flavor. That's the base that we build upon. It's a way to upcycle the plant and also have natural caffeine."
The drinks differ from traditional energy drinks by using 90 grams of caffeine (equivalent to a cup of coffee), 5 grams of sugar, electrolytes and L-theanine, an amino acid found in green and black tea. L-theanine provides a steady release of caffeine and reduces the chance of a caffeine crash, Solis-Cohen said.
"Seeing the gut health and probiotics added to sodas in recent products inspired me, and I wanted to see what I could provide in my own drink," Solis-Cohen said. "We're trying to redefine what an energy drink is, and it can taste delicious. It can have a spark of caffeine but not have you bouncing off the wall."
So far, Solis-Cohen has self-funded Huxley with the sale of his marketing firm, and the drink has generated a steady revenue. He has one full-time employee, who worked with him at his marketing firm. Over the next year, Solis-Cohen said he will continue building the brand's presence in Minnesota.
"We're excited about the pace of our growth, and I'm very conscious about not growing too fast," Solis-Cohen said. "We want to take a slow approach and build the brand. We want to be one of the top-selling energy drinks."
