Ananda Elixirs turns sparkling water into sugar-free shroom soda with the addition of their signature functional mushroom beverage powders. Founded in 2023 by Samantha and Dylan Dreiling, Ananda Elixirs provides the support of functional mushrooms without the funky flavour, making it easier for customers to integrate functional fungi into their daily diet. We spoke with the Co-Founders to learn more.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Ananda Elixirs – we make beverage concentrates powered by functional mushrooms that instantly turn sparkling water into a sugar-free soda or delicious mocktails.
What made you want to do this work?
We’ve both been very passionate about health and wellness, and worked in the industry for over a decade each. When our previous sales business was struggling and no longer fulfilling us much after the pandemic, we asked ourselves, ‘What would we do if we were following our bliss?’ This question led to a conversation about our fascination with mushrooms and how we could create something entirely unique in that space. At the same time, we noticed the rise of functional soda and the trend of more and more people, of all ages, lowering or eliminating alcohol consumption, and we wanted to tie the two together somehow. These ideas really got us excited and passionate, so we followed that!
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
We had both experienced significant support from functional mushrooms (lion’s mane, reishi, turkey tail, etc.), but every product we tried tasted like dirt. We wanted to create a beverage with mushroom extracts that was delicious and enjoyable to help more people introduce these awesome mushrooms into their lifestyle. Our current product lines, Shroom Soda® and Mushroom Mocktails™, now support over 30,000 Canadians as a beverage option that only uses clean and natural ingredients, no sugar, with bright, delicious flavours that can be customized to their individual preference, while incorporating some really great mushrooms into their daily rituals.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our products and brand have attracted such a mix of customers to our quickly growing community. We have quite the range of customer profiles; for example, we hear from peri- and post-menopausal women looking for sugar-free alternatives with adaptogens. We have the wellness enthusiasts who already know and love our mushrooms but are excited to consume them in a way they actually look forward to. Then we have people of all ages and genders who want to consume fewer alcoholic beverages, but still enjoy a drink that feels elevated, tastes amazing and can serve as a replacement in social settings without the hangover and sugar crashes. We’ve also heard from many soda/ pop lovers who have replaced their Diet Cokes with our Vintage Cola Shroom Soda®. They often report feeling better with a cleaner soda option that still hits the spot.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We are primarily a D2C e-commerce business running our online store through Shopify. We also sell B2B to our wholesale partners who then sell our product in their stores and businesses.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
We are headquartered in Ottawa and have a growing team that all works remotely, mostly in the Ottawa area. We are really proud to partner exclusively with small, independent businesses across Canada who retail our products in their boutiques, cafés, restaurants, gyms, yoga and Pilates studios, wellness shops and beauty studios. We believe in the power of small business and want our brand and product to directly support and grow other small, local businesses across the country by driving foot traffic into locally owned stores instead of big chain stores. We currently partner with about 300 stores across Canada and have a dedicated team supporting their success and partnership.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
I would ask questions about product quality, as many larger mushroom brands cut corners with their ingredient sourcing or don’t care as much about what ingredients are used. How are the mushrooms grown? How pure are the flavours used? Are they using mycelium or fruiting body mushrooms? We’ve learned so much about this industry over the last 3.5 years—things we knew little about when we started. We use the fruiting body mushrooms, and ours are log-grown, many using sustainable agroforestry practices, organically grown or wild-harvested to ensure the best quality. We work with a flavour partner who makes the purest flavours fresh on order using fruits, roots and shoots, often grown on their own organic farm, without any unnecessary additives. Our flavours are all vegan, non-GMO, organic whenever possible and nut-free. Intention and quality standards matter to us personally, and our products reflect that ethos.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
We love that we get to work and create something so special and fun together as a couple and family. That is one of the best parts, alongside seeing our business positively impact our employees, our customers and our wholesale partners. That is the most fulfilling part for sure! The worst part is when we get an angry customer who questions your integrity with limited information or is simply in a foul mood. It’s hard when someone threatens the things you’ve put so much love and care into after they didn’t have a great experience, but we always try to make it better for them too! There are always challenges with production, timelines, selling out of product, etc., but they are a part of growth from which we learn.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Like a mushroom, I’m a fun-gi!
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
We’d love to shout out some of our Toronto/GTA partners: Coco Market, The Detox Market and RevolutionHER!
