We recently connected with Annie Wiener and have shared our conversation below.

Annie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Navigating the drinking culture at a big party school was challenging for me. While I loved the idea of grabbing a fun drink with friends, I was extremely health-conscious, and constantly worried that a single night out would derail my wellness routine. Between the hidden sugars and empty calories in drinks and mixers, and the inevitable next-day puffiness and bloat, I ended up staying in more nights than I’d like to admit. Choosing between my social life and my health goals became a recurring theme for way too long, so I became motivated to find a way to do both.

I started adding electrolytes into my tequila soda a few years back to combat the harsh taste of plain liquor, while my sister used them to mitigate her brutal hangovers. Little did we know, we had created our secret weapon to preventing hangovers and creating the cleanest cocktail on a night out. The only issue was trying to mix clumpy powders while on-the-go, and the fact that these flavors were not meant to complement alcohol.

I realized that I wasn’t alone, and a lot of girls at USC were adding their electrolyte powders to their mixed drinks at pregames to avoid the excess sugar and calories in traditional mixers. But the same concern always came up: no one wants their water the next morning to taste like last night’s tequila. It became my sister’s and my mission to create the perfect elixir: one that makes your drink taste like an actual cocktail, hydrates you with functional ingredients to save your morning after, and remains 0 calories, 0 sugar, and all-natural ingredients to support your wellness goals.

Annie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Annie, and my sister and I started Hyli Drops, the first-ever electrolyte & vitamin infused mixer drop for cocktails and mocktails. Designed to replace sugary, hangover-inducing mixers, Hyli transforms any spirit into a clean, functional cocktail that supports your wellness goals – without sacrificing fun or flavor. Hyli introduces long awaited hydration to your cocktail, so you never have to choose between going out and feeling good.

Hyli was born from a desire for balance. We were tired of sacrificing our wellness goals for a night out, or sacrificing our social life just to stay on track with our routine. We wanted to enjoy fun cocktails without the usual trade-offs of sugar, calories, or feeling off-track the next day. So, we created a mixer that fits your lifestyle, not fights it – helping you enjoy cocktails without the consequences!

Today, Hyli comes in three craft-inspired flavors, Margarita, Moscow Mule, and Espresso Martini. Just 1–2 drops transform a tequila soda, vodka water, or even club soda into a full-flavored cocktail or mocktail, without any of the usual trade-offs. Each bottle contains 25 servings, is fully portable, and fits in your purse or pocket, making it the ultimate on-the-go solution for people who want flavor, fun, and wellness all in one.

What sets us apart is that most mixers and canned cocktails on the market are packed with sugar, empty calories, and artificial ingredients. They limit preference – with fixed sweetness levels, preset flavors, and a set amount of alcohol. Hyli is here to change that. Our functional, flavored drops let you take back control, so you can customize your perfect drink: your flavor, your spirit, your way. Whether you’re craving a lighter mocktail or a stronger cocktail, Hyli lets you craft every sip so you can elevate your night out and morning after.

Another thing that sets Hyli apart is our droplet form. The drops dissolve instantly without any stirring, and because they’re liquid, the functional ingredients are more readily absorbed by the body, so you get clean flavor, convenience, and real benefits in every sip. My sister and I realized that the concept of drops (in any flavor or capacity) was a totally underdeveloped market, and untapped idea in the beverage space.We wanted to make something like this for cocktails; a little bottle you could keep in your purse and add to any tequila soda or vodka water, wherever you are.

We’re proud to be creating a new category that blends functional wellness with cocktail culture through innovative beverage-enhancement drops. Most of all, we’re proud that Hyli allows people to enjoy their social lives without ever compromising how they want to feel. Hyli is more than a mixer, it’s a movement to promote a Hyli balanced life style, so you can go out and feel good the next day.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We don’t manufacture Hyli ourselves, but getting our product made has been one of the most challenging, and rewarding, parts of building the brand. When my sister and I first dreamed up the idea for an electrolyte and vitamin-infused cocktail drop, we had no background in manufacturing or formulation. We started by partnering with a food science company who worked closely with us for several months to refine our flavor profiles, functional ingredients, and the technical requirements of creating a concentrated liquid formula that could dissolve instantly without stirring.

From there, they connected us with a very specific type of co-manufacturer who had the capabilities to produce our droplet format, work with our custom bottle type, and most importantly, offer low minimum order quantities. Because our product is a small, highly concentrated liquid, the bulk ingredients required for even a single production run are extremely high. As an early, self-funded brand trying to prove concept before scaling, finding a manufacturer willing to work with small MOQs was incredibly difficult. Most co-mans require massive volumes, and we knew we couldn’t take on that kind of risk before validating the market.

We eventually found a co-manufacturer who was not only aligned with our ingredient standards and formula needs, but also understood where we were in our growth cycle. They were willing to work with a smaller MOQ and collaborate with us through the countless iterations and adjustments required to get a new type of product market-ready.

Along the way, I learned firsthand just how long and unpredictable the manufacturing process can be. There are delays, communication gaps, reformulations, packaging errors, supply shortages, and moments where there’s nothing for you to do but wait. Manufacturers naturally prioritize returning brands with large, consistent orders and proven sales, so as a new startup, you learn quickly to be patient, stay persistent, and advocate for your product without taking anything personally.

The biggest lesson I learned is that you have to trust the process. Your production team is ultimately working toward the same end goal you are: bringing a great product to life. When you remind yourself of that, and stay grounded in patience, communication, and optimism, everything eventually comes together. And when it does, it’s worth every setback!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

We started building Hyli’s audience long before we officially launched, mostly by sharing the behind-the-scenes journey of creating the product during my senior year of college. I began posting founder stories, early prototypes, and videos of my friends trying the drops in real settings. Because I was still in school, I had a built-in community that perfectly matched our target customer: college students who wanted to go out, have fun, and still feel good enough to make their 8 a.m. pilates or lecture the next day.

I took Hyli everywhere that year—parties, tailgates, Cabo spring break, Coachella, Vegas formals—and filmed my friends using it in the most authentic moments. I wanted everyone to feel like they were part of the journey, and tried to involve as many people as possible because I wanted to build a community, not just an audience. That sense of inclusion created genuine early traction and real word of mouth. People would stop me at parties asking where the drops were, when they were launching, and how they could get them. Before the product was even for sale, we had created a demand.

During the spring semester, I connected with two talented designers from USC’s art school who helped refine our branding and bring the vision through life. We coordinated a full brand photoshoot with photographers, models, and creatives at USC. It gave us professional, high-quality content for our pre-launch feed and allowed us to curate a very niche and compelling aesthetic that got people excited to be a part of something new. We stayed consistent, posting lifestyle videos, founder updates, party content, behind-the-scenes clips, and anything that helped people feel connected to the brand.

While I’m hypercritical and have to force myself to get in front of the camera, I learned from brands like Good Girl Snacks and Meadow Lane just how valuable those founder-led videos are. People genuinely want to know the person behind the brand. Sharing day-in-my-life clips, production updates, and honest insights helped followers feel like they knew me, and by extension, knew Hyli. That level of connection made people excited to support us, share our content, and eventually buy from us. And I couldn’t have done any of it without my incredible sister and co-founder, who made editing and uploading videos so much easier, more fun, and completely seamless. We are truly an amazing team!

My advice:
Post as you build, and let people in. Just make sure you have a solid product developing behind the scenes so that when the inevitable setbacks and delays arise, you don’t feel like you’re losing momentum or your audience’s interest. Share the process and document the journey, not just the polished moments. Include your audience in the content you create: feature them in videos, let them test early versions, and make them feel special, almost like micro-influencers who are part of something before the rest of the world discovers it. Consistency matters more than perfection, and authenticity matters more than aesthetics. When people feel connected to the founder, they naturally become connected to the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hylidrops.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hylidrops?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/hylidrops
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hylidrops?_r=1&_t=ZP-91viQKBQyop

Image Credits
Lola Hugas, RACHEL WEISS, Emily Beck Hallstrom, Tenzing Drolet Gaffer: Garett Lam