I tried one and it was pretty good, so I asked “What inspired you guys to make these? How did you two connect and come up with the idea?”
Michael (on right) “I love enjoying social beverages and periodically take breaks from drinking alcohol, but still desire to feel that warm social openness it can give. I started making an early version of ‘MoonShine’ two years ago with the help of a master herbalist and I was sold from then on! It was really rewarding to serve these early versions to friends at events and see them have such a good time. Making them on a larger scale was a clear next step.”
Brandon: “I missed the social drinking experience after developing pancreatitis and having to give up alcohol. One exhausted Sunday evening, Michael gave me a concoction that he had developed with a herbalist named Juris Ahn. I found myself feeling fantastic and dancing all night. I walked up to Michael after the party and informed him that we were starting a business!”
“How do you make the drinks?”
Michael: “All of our beverages are crafted, brewed and bottled by hand. Each Elixir is made fresh weekly, allowing us to constantly refine and improve our recipes and techniques. Our recipes are water-based decoctions combined with various herbal extracts and fruit juices."
"What’s it like running your own business?”
Brandon: “The biggest challenge for Brilliant Elixirs is education. Most people don’t know that a healthy social beverage exists as an alternative to alcohol, or are reluctant to try something new.”
Michael: “All of our Elixirs are handcrafted, which can be a long and grueling process, but each time we arrive to an event with our beverages in hand, we fall in love with the project all over again. People are blown away by the effectiveness of our drinks, and keep coming back for more – thats all the motivation we need!