Can You Really Get a Buzz Without Booze?
Curious how my body would respond to adaptogens, nootropics, and other “functional” ingredients, I put these trending nonalcoholic drinks to the test.
I love a head change. I love the shift from chaos into ease, the gentle fuzzing of my mind after a day consumed by blue light. I don’t say this in a “I have a problem” way—but rather, as an appreciation for the myriad alterations of consciousness. And I’m not alone; whether it’s the tipsy camaraderie that follows a champagne toast or the first sip of a frothy beer after a long hike, alcohol has long been a fantastic tool for ushering busy minds into a more soothed state. But like many folks who partake in alcoholic beverages, I can also appreciate the supposed benefits of taking a break from the stuff (better sleep, clearer skin, and increased mental clarity, to name a few).
That’s where “functional” nonalcoholic drinks come in: A mocktail at your local bar tastes just fine, but these drinks aim to go above and beyond the promise of flavor. They offer shifts in mood, some claiming to provide an assist with calm or focus, while others get you straight-up stoned. Many of them offer everything we love about a classic cocktail—complex flavors, indulgence, and yes, even a little head change—all without the alcohol.
What really sets these drinks apart is their unique mix of ingredients, ranging from the familiar (caffeine and cannabis) to the more mysterious (ashwagandha, rhodiola, and L-theanine). These are often marketed as stress relievers and mood enhancers using the buzzwords “adaptogens” or “nootropics,” but what does that even mean? And what exactly do they do? And most importantly, can they actually deliver on their promises?
“Similar to how we classify Western medicine into categories like sedative and performance-enhancing, we can also categorize their Eastern counterparts,” says Carolyn Barron, a clinical Chinese medicine herbalist and primary care practitioner. “Adaptogens work with the neuro-endocrine immune system to help the body adjust to stress, while nootropics are more cognitively stimulating,” she adds. Many of these ingredients—mushrooms, shrubs, and flowers, among them—have long traditions of use in Eastern medicine. The roots of ashwagandha, or Withania somnifera, a plant native to India and North Africa, have been used for centuries in Ayurvedic healing as a stress reliever and sleep aid. Some others, like L-theanine, are amino acids that are found naturally in the human body and in many foods.
Now, I’m a proud L.A. girlie who knows her way around Erewhon, California’s upscale organic grocery chain. I’ll happily shell out $9 for a chagaccino and, on more than one occasion, have purchased the mystically seductive Sex Dust from Moon Juice. And while Barron did a great job helping me understand what these various ingredients were, I also had to implement a more “practical” method, as I did when I previously sampled an array of common aphrodisiacs. Thus began my very professional experiment of finding out which of these mood-shifting ingredients actually work, and whether they relax me, energize me, or simply make the experience of sipping something feel a little more magical. Here are some of the key ingredients you can find in these “functional” nonalcoholic beverages, and whether or not they lived up to the hype. It’s worth noting that a lot of these drinks have overlapping ingredients, which makes it difficult to distinguish their side effects based on consumption alone. Luckily, I was up for the challenge.
Mushrooms
A surprisingly common ingredient across many of these nonalcoholic beverages is mushrooms. But these aren’t buttery soft criminis or earthy morels, nor do they possess psychedelic properties. The mushrooms found in NA cocktails are known as “functional mushrooms”—identified as such for their reported health benefits. The five most common ones are reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail, lion’s mane, and chaga, all of which allegedly offer myriad benefits, including but not limited to decreased inflammation, increased cardiovascular health, softened anxiety and/or depression, and decreased risk of cancer.
Barron corroborated that these mushrooms can, in fact, deliver on some of their health promises, but she also noted that they need to be consumed over time for the user to feel any sort of effect. “The exceptions,” she noted, “are lion’s mane and cordyceps. Depending on the quality, you might be able to feel those right away.”
My report: I sampled Brēz’s Flow, which uses lion’s mane mushroom, a nootropic lauded for its ability to help with focus. (Note: Some of Brēz’s drinks also contain THC and CBD, but we’ll get to that later.) My energy levels did rise slightly, but in a way that I felt less jittery and more talkative. I would compare it to the first few sips of an espresso martini—awake and loose while still keeping my wits about me.
Herbs & Plants
While herbs like rosemary, basil, and thyme are used in drinks for their potent aromas, the herbs found in functional beverages have something more practical to offer. Ashwagandha, Barron notes, is more like the mushroom reishi—it can certainly make do on its intended promises (and it is fairly well researched), but it would need to be consumed regularly for at least a month before a person saw any real benefits. She said the same for rhodiola, an herb purported to help relieve physical and psychological stressors. Other common herbs and plants used in some functional drinks include Schisandra, a fruit-bearing vine historically used in Chinese medicine to aid in a variety of health issues (including menopause and liver disease); and Damiana, a low-growing plant from the American Southwest, Mexico, and Latin America that’s traditionally used for urinary issues and sexual health.
According to Barron, these ingredients can have an effect if you’re drinking them as frequently as the average person might have a glass of wine (which for me, used to be daily). You’ll just have to be patient.
My report: Kin Euphorics’ Bloom was one of my favorites in terms of flavor, and it contains a melodic mix of Schisandra, Damiana, and L-theanine. Marketed as a “heart-opener,” I didn’t necessarily feel more emotionally available after sipping Bloom (much to the regret of my many Feeld suitors), but I did feel a general sense of ease that helped me transition from day to night. Whether it was the plant medicine or the L-theanine (more below) is hard to say, but since the benefits from these ingredients are mostly revealed over time, I wasn’t expecting any earth-shattering shifts in the first few days.
Amino Acids
Found in many functional NA drinks, amino acids such as L-theanine, L-tryptophan, and 5-HTP are already present in the human body. Because the body recognizes them, they’re actually able to produce a head change pretty quickly, Barron says, adding that “‘stacking’ these ingredients into one cocktail can amplify their effects.” To that end, many functional drinks combine amino acids like L-theanine, which is naturally found in green and black teas, with more subtle mushrooms to allegedly quicken and enhance the experience. And 5-HTP can have near-immediate effects, too, as it helps raise serotonin levels in the body. (Note: The mental health enthusiast in me suggests you talk to your doctor before consuming anything that affects your serotonin!)
My report: I really enjoyed De Soi's Golden Hour sparkling nonalcoholic apéritif. Not only was it brimming with citrusy complexity, but it also provided a relaxing yet energizing head change. When I recited to Barron the three primary ingredients—L-theanine, reishi and lion’s mane—she hummed knowingly. Among other drinks I sampled, L-theanine and 5-HTP seemed to be the two ingredients that, aside from more obvious players like caffeine and cannabis, had the most dramatic effect.
Caffeine
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t feel like I needed to run a test to clock caffeine’s efficacy—I’m already well aware of it. Unlike the other ingredients mentioned above, the ubiquitous plant-derived or synthetically produced stimulant needs no introduction. That said, if I’m having caffeine in a functional beverage to enhance my mood, my hope is that the head change would be a bit more subtle—less jittery and more social.
My report: A lot of NA drinks lean on caffeine for an easy energy boost, but my favorite was the appropriately named Social from Three Spirit. The combination of yerba mate and lion’s mane mushroom made for a uniquely uplifting buzz that rivaled that of an espresso martini, but with an herbal, spiced flavor. Caffeine does its job, but if I want its effects, I’ll probably stick to coffee.
Marijuana
Like caffeine, many of us already know to expect some kind of funny feeling if we consume marijuana. But these NA offerings aren’t necessarily designed to just get you high; weed-infused cocktails offer specific blends of THC and CBD that consumers can choose depending on how they want to feel. THC is what you think of when you think of “weed”—it’s the psychoactive component that makes people feel high and is used medically to treat pain and nausea. CBD is marijuana’s chill little brother; its effects are primarily physical and can help aid in reducing anxiety, depression, and inflammation.
My report: The major thing I’ll say about my “professional” experience with THC- and CBD-infused beverages is that you’re definitely going to feel high. And if you’re looking for a buzz that replicates alcohol, this…isn’t quite it. While alcohol, for better or worse, produces temporary euphoria and relaxation at best, it’s also a depressant, and the “buzz” that comes from marijuana is more mentally stimulating (if it’s THC heavy) or physically relaxing (if it’s CBD heavy). Both are great options if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s not quite the same head change as you’d get from a shot of tequila—and maybe that’s a good thing.
That said, I was actually a big fan of some of the NA cocktails with smaller THC and CBD ratios. Jeng’s sparkling Cosmopolitan (6mg of CBD and 3mg of THC) was effervescent, bursting with citrus fruit flavor, and it made me feel a little kooky without totally causing me to melt into the couch.
The Takeaway
Look, these drinks aren’t booze. They won’t get you drunk, and they’re never going to capture that same “I’m gonna take this lampshade and put it on my head” feeling. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth trying, and there are some good experiences to be had. Like all things in life, it genuinely comes down to preference. The great appeal of NA cocktails is that they combine good-for-you ingredients with exciting flavor combinations. And hasn’t taste always been at least part of the cocktail experience?
“Do you drink any of these?” I asked Barron as we wrapped our interview. “I’ve tried a few,” she says plaintively. “But honestly, if I want a functional beverage, I’ll just make it at home so I can add the right quantities to make it effective. I’ve got the good stuff.” Barron notes that her homemade functional beverages won’t taste the same as some of our juice-infused, ready-made friends. Mushrooms and herbs can be incredibly earthy and bitter on their own, and the taste might not appeal for those looking for a drink that reflects a craft cocktail.
That said, if they come with a head change? I might give it a try.
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