Columbus couple succeeds over challenges, helping folks create better cocktails at home

When Bryan and Sanna Bonner first envisioned their business, this Columbus couple didn’t see sugar rimmers or cocktail mixers in the cards. They saw yurts.

“We were originally going to do yurts, like glamping yurts,” Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer. “But in the middle of getting that started, we found out [Sanna] had thyroid cancer with no medical insurance.”

Sanna’s diagnosis halted their glamping dream, but their entrepreneurial drive shifted course.

To support a friend’s dream, they helped launch a mobile bar business out of a horse trailer, called the Original Derby. That experience revealed a gap: people wanted to learn how to create better cocktails at home. This spark set their company, Derby Mule, in motion, the name combining their roots with homage to the Moscow Mule cocktail.

“We tell people all the time: We’re not in the cocktail business,” Bryan said. “We’re in the home entertainment business.”

Derby Mule specializes in sugar-based cocktail rimmers, mixers and garnishes to bring cocktails to the next level.

Sanna’s knack for action shaped Derby Mule’s direction. Bryan, a pharmacist, is the idea person, while Sanna, who ran a nonprofit for women’s outdoor education, brings those visions to fruition.

“Some things come to life,” Sanna said. “You have a dream, and being able to build that and create something out of it, and share that with others is just something we really enjoy.”

Home mixology quickly became their passion in a time of medical uncertainty. In the past five years, Sandra’s battle with thyroid cancer was followed by a diagnosis of breast cancer.

“The business is good for us,” Bryan said, “because it gives us something else to think about besides medical conditions.”

Sanna agrees.

“The diagnosis definitely sped up our long-term goals,” she said. “For us, it’s not about piling on product. It’s about making something really well before we add something new.”

The couple travels most weekends before dawn, coolers loaded with mixes and garnishes, heading down to Florida for market days in Panama City. Tourists often visit their booth, which gives the couple a chance to market-test their products.

“We get up most Saturdays at 4 o’clock in the morning and drive all the way to Panama City.” Bryan said. “Because we can test-market things in the tourist area and find out: Do people in Louisiana like these products? Do people in Wisconsin?”

Their efforts have paid off. The Derby Mule’s rimmers and dried garnishes now ship to nearly every state, while their signature fresh mixes are a local treasure at The 706 Social, a retail collective at 1025 Broadway in Columbus.

The partnership with 706 holds special meaning for Sanna, who worked at the former Outside World in the same building.

“When we saw that 706 was opening, it was almost full circle,” Sanna says. “It’s been the perfect fit for us.”

Each week brings “Fresh Drop Friday” at 706, when Sanna and Bryan stock the refrigerator with limited-edition cocktail mixes. The mixers are fresh-squeezed juices from flavors inspired by the season: cranberry-ginger-citrus in winter or summer’s customer favorite, jalapeño pineapple.

“For me, creativity wise, I love having the freedom of doing so many different flavors,” Sanna said.

Customers can sample before buying, and families often pick up mixers for both cocktails and kid-friendly mocktails.

“Our slogan is always cheers — celebrate, have fun, be together,” Sanna said. “In a time when we’re being pulled apart in so many ways, to have families come together and enjoy something is special.”

Though the journey has never followed the Bonners’ original plan, it’s shaped them into a resilient, creative team. The Bonners say running Derby Mule has taught them many things about each other, enriching their relationship.

“Running a business with your partner or spouse has its pros and cons, but I feel like there are more pros to it,” Sanna said. “Decisions that are made businesswise affect the household too, emotionally, financially and timewise.”

“For us, it’s been a lot of delayed gratification because we had to go through growth phases to get to the end,” Bryan added. “For us, I think that’s the hardest part. I got to let her grow. She’s got to let me grow, so we can get this business to where we want it.”

To their fellow Columbus locals and first-time Derby Mule customers, the Bonners have a clear message: They want their business to be known for bringing families together, creating unique experiences.

“Cheers, Columbus,” Bryan said. “That’s the best way to say it.”

Orders can be placed on their website, www.derbymule.com. Select flavors also are available at The 706 Social while supplies last.

To stay updated with Derby Mule’s weekly flavors and other updates, follow them on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok @derbymule.