Since 2020, the market for coffee-replacing/supplementing mushroom mixes has been slowly growing. It's two years later, and there are tons of options on the shelf for alternative drinks to supply energy and concentration. These include emerging mushroom mixes. Instead of causing sugar crashes and bodily imbalances, these fungi-forged drinks can help fuel your day with a positive focus.
If you’re not sure where to start looking for these options, The Manual can help guide you to this surprisingly varied marketplace to find the right mushroom mix alternative to fit your particular needs — including taste. The best mushroom mixes lose the fungal flavor and taste like coffee or canned beverages, which begs the question, "Are mushrooms the next trendy coffee alternative?"
G.O.A.T. Fuel
What is the name of Jerry Rice’s health-forward energy drink? Why G.O.A.T. Fuel, of course, a nod to the NFL’s (generally accepted) greatest wide receiver.
The Greatest of All Time drink is a family affair — a collaboration between Rice, his daughter Jacqui (CEO), and his son-in-law Trevion (CMO). G.O.A.T. Fuel is also the first energy drink to tap into the adaptogenic power of cordyceps mushrooms.
While natural caffeine, green tea, and electrolytes do their work, these fungi do their job of balancing the body’s levels. In addition, branched-chain amino acids and 10 essential vitamins help boost brain, digestive, and muscular function, which isn't affected by additives because G.O.A.T. Fuel contains zero sugar and zero preservatives.
In providing a clean boost of energy, improving oxygen utilization, increasing endurance, boosting immunity, reducing inflammation, and encouraging post-workout recovery, G.O.A.T. Fuel offers a tasty option for almost any physical endeavor. The supplement also claims to be the first all-Black-owned beverage company in the energy space.
Renude Chagaccino
Clever yet confusing name aside, Renude Chagaccino claims to taste like a "mushroom mocha" that delivers the chaga health benefits while avoiding the caffeine crash.
These wild-foraged chaga mushrooms are supposed to bring immune support in combination with non-jittery energy. Sugar-free, vegan, and keto-friendly in convenient single-serve packets, Renude Chagaccino offers 10 packets of clean, zero-calorie alternatives to coffee. The easily travelable packets mix with water, your favorite coffee drink, tea, or smoothie when you feel the body is in need of a lift.
MUD/WTR
MUD\WTR offers another coffee alternative in powdered form, but this one is more for drinkers inclined to chai. MUD\WTR’s rise blend, in fact, comes from black leaves found in masala chai. These leaves contain caffeine, but the drink is only about one-seventh the caffeine of a normal cup of coffee. The rest is caffeine-free.
The MUD\WTR organic, vegan, and whole-30-approved mix features an assortment of mind-enhancing mushrooms — chaga, lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps. These come together with the masala chai, turmeric, cacao, and cinnamon to deliver what tastes like a creamy, comforting fresh-brewed chai.
Ryze Mushroom Coffee
Like mushroom coffee substitutes, Ryze offers an escape from the caffeine jitters. Ryze’s claim to fame is its addition of MCT oil to create a creamier, nutritionally boosted product.
Loaded with adaptogenic mushrooms, Ryze delivers calmer energy to go with sharp focus for a balanced body and clear mind with less than half the caffeine of a normal morning brew. MCT oil carries a number of health benefits, including reducing heart disease risk, boosting immune systems, and increasing metabolism.
Clevr SuperLatte
Yes, super latte. Clevr kits include not one but two different mushroom latte blends for a frothier fungal broth.
Clevr SuperLattes come in a few varieties aligned to whatever mood may strike. The Matcha SuperLatte is made with reishi, lion’s mane, and ashwagandha mushroom for chill focus, and the Sleepytime SuperLatte is packed with adaptogens and sleep herbs to help you rest easy. Mixed with a measured scoop in water, Clevr packs a smart taste in an energetic package.
The mission-driven, women-led wellness brand began and is based in coastal California. The brand’s roots go beyond the mug with ethical sourcing, transparent supply chains, and revenue donated to support more equitable food systems.
Named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, you can receive a 20% starter kit discount with the code OPRAH.
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Blends
The most coffee-tasting option on this list is Four Sigmatic, which has actual coffee grounds with mushrooms in the mixes. This product gives you a caffeine hit that’s mellow and it's boosted with nutrition via lion’s mane, chaga, and other fungi.
Four Sigmatic might also have a claim to the oldest and most interesting recipe origin on this list. Created in the coffee-loving land of Finland, the company’s roots reach back to WWII when the founders’ parents used the mixes as rationed alternatives to the real stuff.
Launching from this foundation, Four Sigma includes some of the most-studied and nutrient-dense foods on the planet in its blend — the most super of the superfoods.
Four Sigmatic also offers all-mushroom mixes for an organic, caffeine-free blend. With no added sugars or flavors, the brewed result is a deep, earthen taste that’s elevated by blending with tea, coffee, or a smoothie. For a feeling that’s focused and positive, Four Sigmatic has got the stuff.
Laird Superfood Mushroom Coffee
If it’s a superfood, it’s likely that superhuman Laird Hamilton is involved. Founded by the prolific big wave surfer, Hamilton started adding different plant-based fats to his morning coffee in the early 2010s, looking to increase his performance on the waves.
Not only did this add an amazing cream to his coffee taste, but the cuppa kept him full and energized for hours. After this coffee blend was passed on to friends and family who fell in love as well, Laird Superfood was born in 2015.
Today, Laird Superfood has a whole line of energizing and boosting brews, including boosted lemon water, superfood creamer, whole food Instafuel, and mushroom coffees and blends. Mushroom coffees arrive via a few different roasts, with each one containing a proprietary blend of Peruvian coffee beans and functional mushrooms like chaga, lion’s mane, and cordyceps.
Brought together with tasty coconut oil and coconut milk powder for a creamy texture, the mix provides a smooth energy boost without side effects while energy-sustaining fats help keep you full throughout the day.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll likely notice that mushroom coffee alternatives tend to be a bit pricey. Take a closer look, though, and they’re amenable to a typical bag of gourmet beans. What you’ll also find is these brewed substitute companies are confident in their products to send you a sample. Give yourself and the earth a boost and a break from edgy extraction by giving mushroom coffee a shot.
