Our favorite functional non-alcoholic drinks
As you probably know, we love booze-free drinks here at Third Place Bar. Nowadays, there’s a broad range of drinks available, from the classic non-alcoholic beers to non-alcoholic wines and spirit alternatives - we’ve covered all of them in previous blog posts!
But there’s a whole world of non-alcoholic beverages out there that, in addition to tasting good, also have some kind of effect on your body. These are often called functional non-alcoholic drinks, or sometimes are more specifically referred to as adaptogenic or nootropic beverages. In this blog post, we’ll give you a brief introduction to what ”functional” means in the non-alcoholic beverage world, and show you some of our favorite functional drinks.
What does “functional” mean?
The term “functional” non-alcoholic beverage loosely means that in addition to tasting nice, the drink also contains some ingredients that will have some kind of effect on your body or mood - without it being alcohol or any other substances we would consider as psychoactive drugs. Generally, the effect is either relaxation or some kind of mood enhancement. I usually refer to those drinks as your “uppers” and “relaxers”. Most of these ingredients are derived from natural sources such as plants, roots, and mushrooms, and have long been used as natural remedies.
Some of the most common ingredients found in functional beverages include:
CBD: This is a chemical derived from hemp (that’s not THC), which is a popular natural remedy that has a relaxing effect on many people.
Caffeine: No explanation necessary! Many functional beverages contain small amounts of caffeine to perk you up a little. This could also be in the form of green tea, yerba mate, and guarana - all popular ingredients for energy drinks.
Ashwagandha: This is a shrub that’s used for it’s stress-relieving properties. Note that ashwaghandha is not safe for pregnant people and certain medications, such as SSRIs.
Valerian root: A very old natural remedy that is relaxing and helps with sleep.
Kava: This is a herbal remedy made from the root of the kava shrub that’s said to have relaxing properties.
Lion’s mane, cordyceps, reishi mushroom: These are different types of functional, non-psychoactive mushrooms that may improve cognition and focus, boost energy, and improve relaxation and stress, respectively.
Other ingredients you might spot on a label include rhodiola, lemon balm, magnesium, l-theanine (all thought to be relaxing), vitamin b12, schisandra (energizing). Another really interesting ingredient is 5-HTP which can be converted to serotonin, a natural mood stabilizer.
There are many many more additives that you may see on a bottle - I recommend looking them up for both their effect and their interactions with medications!
Do functional non-alcoholic drinks work?
Well. This is a great question. As always, I would say: It depends. Some people may be sensitive to certain ingredients that don’t do anything for others. For example, I personally stopped drinking coffee and most caffeine on a regular basis almost two years ago, so I’m very sensitive to caffeine. A very small dose (say, 50 mg, i.e. half a cup of coffee) will be very noticeable.
Likewise, I do seem to respond well to valerian root - whether that’s an actual effect or just the fact that I’ve been using valerian root as a natural remedy since my childhood in Germany and just believe in it - who knows.
Many people seem to respond well to CBD as well as reishi mushroom to help them relax and sleep. I have heard from several people that they replaced their nightly glass (or two) of wine with a functional non-alcoholic drink containing CBD or reishi mushrooms.
There are many scientific papers out there that show some evidence of efficacy of many of these functional ingredients. But here are two caveats:
As with most research into natural remedies, the effects are often small and require fairly high doses.
Many functional beverages don’t necessarily contain high enough doses of said ingredients.
As with everything, my conclusion is: If it works for you: Awesome! And if it doesn’t: Well, at least you have really a nice tasting beverage that won’t give you a hangover!
Our favorite functional beverages (as of 2024)
Here’s a list of our favorite functional beverages that we’ve tasted over the past months. All of these are “ready-to-drink”, i.e. are mostly meant to be consumed neat or over ice, or with very simple mixers such as seltzer, tonic, or ginger beer.
A note on terminology: I wouldn’t necessarily refer to them as “spirits” since most of them are not distilled, which is the definition I personally use to draw the line between non-alcoholic spirits that mirror regular alcoholic spirits (whiskey, gin, tequila, etc) and other drinks that don’t have alcoholic equivalents. I haven’t found a great name yet to refer to these drinks - maybe we could go with something like tonics, elixirs, or just “functional beverages”.
Drømme Calm
A delicious sippable drink with a spicy ginger kick! Contains valerian root to help you chill tf out. Serve as-is or mix with seltzer or ginger beer. Buy here!
Curious Elixir #5
Curious are some of the OGs of non-alcoholic drinks. This one is my favorite from their ready-to-drink product range, with a smokey dark chocolate and cherry flavor and Shatavari, which may aid relaxation. Buy here!
Three Spirit Livener
I really love all of the Three Spirit Flavors, but picked this one as another example of a functional drink that perks you up! This one has deep berry notes and a little spice, and contains energizing ingredients such as guayusa and schisandra. Great for sipping, or mixed with some seltzer or ginger beer. Buy here!
Aplos Calme
I adore the herbal notes of the Aplos Calme. It’s hemp-based drink without CBD or THC that is supposed to aid relaxation. Most people love this one just with seltzer, or use as the base for a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail with grapefruit juice. Buy here and use code UNWIND15 for 15% off!
Immorel Wake The Eff Up
Immorel is a line of gently carbonated mushroom teas. Don’t worry, they don’t taste mushroomy at all - more like a very subtly sweetened iced tea. The Wake The Eff Up contains cordyceps mushroom and has delicious hints of blood orange and cinnamon. Buy here!
Psychedelic Water
I first noticed Psychedelic Water because of their amazing branding, but this line of sparkling flavored seltzers (lightly sweetened) contains kava and a small amount of caffeine to get you perked up. Buy here!
Leilo KAVA
More kava! Leilo is a range of delicious flavored seltzers that contain kava to help you relax! My favorite is the blackberry orange flavor. Buy here!
bonbuz Bad Enough Already
LOVE bonbuz. If you love spicy things, this one’s for you! This ready-to-drink cocktail contains guarana, ginseng, and a few other ingredients to WAKE YOU UP. Buy here!
Good Spirits French Exhale
I call this one “The Pink Drink”. This fan favorite is somewhere between a lavender flavored seltzer and a subtle cocktail, with CBD and valerian root that is guaranteed to help you catch some zzzs. Buy here!
Moment
Moment offers a range of “sparkling tonics” with different adaptogenic ingredients. My favorite is the sparkling plum ginseng flavor! Buy here and use code THIRDPLACEBAR for 15% off!
Note that some of these links are affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission.
