Two decades of recovery, community, and rebuilding.
Born in Malibu before "wellness" was an industry — built by athletes, refined through injury, and carried forward by a community that kept coming back.
Elixir didn't begin as a business plan.
It began in Malibu, California — among surfers, climbers, athletes, gym communities, long recovery days, and people searching for better ways to fuel the body without sacrificing performance, movement, or health.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Malibu wellness culture was different than it is today. Before social media influencers, wellness podcasts, and billion-dollar supplement brands, there was a tight-knit coastal community built around movement, connection, and outdoor living.
- You surfed.
- You climbed.
- You trained.
- You hiked.
- You grabbed juice afterward.
- You knew the people behind the counter.
- Wellness was simply part of everyday life.
From County Line to Surfrider Beach.
The days moved between Point Dume, Malibu Creek, Leo Carrillo, Surfrider Beach, County Line, Trancas Market, Cross Creek, Neptune's Net, PC Greens, Vitamin Barn, Coffee Bean, and local gyms spread across the coastline.
People carried surfboards, climbing gear, backpacks, chalk bags, and sun-faded sweatshirts — and the lifestyle was active, connected, outdoors-driven, and deeply communal. The environment shaped the philosophy.
Developed practically, one formula at a time.
Before Elixir MRE became a company, the products existed as homemade nutrition shared between friends, climbers, surfers, bodybuilders, and athletes looking for functional, lightweight, nutrient-dense fuel that could survive long days outdoors and still digest cleanly during training.
Backpacks and climbing rucksacks had limited space, so bulky tubs made little sense. Lightweight Mylar packaging worked better — protecting the ingredients more effectively, and traveling easily between the beach, the mountains, gyms, film sets, and road trips along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Every formula evolved through real-world feedback. Friends tried the products. Athletes requested changes. Ingredients improved. Recipes evolved. The products slowly became part of people's daily lives.
- Blocks UV light
- Prevents oxidation
- Moisture sealed
- Fits in backpacks
Built on trust. Not marketing.
Many customers have used the products consistently for nearly two decades.
From a parking lot at Gold's Gym Venice to a national wellness system.
Gyms, juice bars, climbing communities, and health-focused stores across SoCal.
We haven't raised our prices since 2016
Same formulas. Same value. No hidden markups, no shrinking servings.
The story has never been linear.
Like the founder's own life, the company itself has endured setbacks, loss, reinvention, and rebuilding — and the recovery process deepened the philosophy each time.
Founder Tom Gianelli's devastating climbing fall caused severe nerve damage and partial paralysis — permanently changing the direction of both his life and the future of Elixir.
2007The fires devastated large portions of Malibu and surrounding communities — disrupting operations, damaging local commerce, and straining the entire region.
2018Elixir lost much of its gym distribution network. Over 200 retail partners rapidly contracted into a far smaller footprint — forcing a full operational rebuild.
2020Then came the Palisades Fire. Stores closed. Communities changed. Longtime local businesses that once formed the backbone of the Malibu wellness culture vanished.
No celebrity campaigns. No venture capital.
Just products people kept coming back for — month after month, year after year. The brand grew organically through stores across Southern California, built on word of mouth and trust.
A new chapter. Same philosophy.
Today, Elixir MRE operates independently from its own facility in Westlake, California — while maintaining deep roots throughout the Malibu community where the brand was born.
The focus has shifted toward direct-to-consumer wellness, online education, storytelling, longevity-focused nutrition, recovery support, and rebuilding intentionally for the future.
While many wellness brands have come and gone over the last two decades, Elixir has quietly survived wave after wave of industry change. It has outlived trends. Outlived competitors. Outlived multiple generations of supplement culture.
Not because of hype. Because people kept coming back — and that relationship between customer and product became stronger than any marketing campaign could ever create.
A reflection of Malibu, movement,
and recovery.
Elixir MRE was never meant to be just another supplement brand. It became a reflection of a place and time where nourishment, movement, friendship, nature, and performance all existed together naturally.
Support the body intelligently.
Real ingredients, sourced obsessively. Functional nutrition that actually works — no proprietary blends, no marketing fluff, no shortcuts.
Move forward.
Designed for the people actually living an active life — climbers, surfers, athletes, recovery-focused communities, and anyone showing up daily.
Keep rebuilding.
After every setback — injuries, fires, financial hardship, gym closures, shifting culture — the work continues. Nourishment as a way of living.
Two decades in. Still going.
From the first Mylar bags shared between climbers to the wellness system available today — every product traces back to the same coastline, the same community, and the same philosophy.
Explore the Collection →