When someone tries a Huxley energy drink for the first time, founder Simon Solis-Cohen watches for the reaction.
“Their eyes widen a little bit, and they’re like, ‘That actually tastes good,’” he said. “That starts the conversation.”
And not long after tasting a free sample and hearing from the creator, shoppers who usually never have energy drinks on their grocery list are suddenly lifting a whole case of them into their over-sized Costco carts.
This is how Minneapolis-based Huxley plans to become the next billion-dollar energy drink. That and its recipe using real fruit juices.
“In energy drinks, I don’t see people talk about taste as the leading reason to buy it,” Solis-Cohen said. “It’s really selling function first. And I get it, people want that boost of caffeine. But for us, let’s just start with, ‘This tastes delicious.’”
Three brands — Red Bull, Monster and the rapidly rising Celsius — sell nearly 80% of all energy drinks in the U.S., according to Circana.
Huxley’s gambit is to join those billion-dollar behemoths, not beat them, by appealing to a wider audience.
“If you love that brand you’re drinking today, great, keep drinking it,” Solis-Cohen said. “If you want something different, we’re going to provide, for the first time at scale, a natural, healthier, better-tasting option.”
