What Are Functional Beverages? 10 Options to Boost Your Day
You love gear, fresh air, trail dust, and pure energy that lasts. But what you put in your body matters just as much as how far you go or how low your pack gets. Functional beverages are the drinks made for people who want more than flavor or caffeine—they want purpose. Drinks that help you recover, focus, calm, or otherwise rise to meet the day with intention.
Here’s everything you need to know about functional beverages—and 10 excellent options (including something many people haven’t tried yet: CBD coffee) that can elevate your daily ritual.
Defining “Functional Beverage”
In simple terms: a functional beverage is a non‐alcoholic drink enhanced with ingredients that deliver specific health or wellness benefits beyond basic hydration or nourishment. Think vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, bioactive botanicals, mushroom extracts, CBD, probiotics, electrolytes, etc.
Key points:
- The enhancement is intentional—these aren’t just flavored drinks.
- Regulation typically doesn’t allow medical claims (“cures,” etc.), so many claims must be more about support (stress, focus, digestion) than treatment.
- Some functional beverages have well‐researched effects; others are more exploratory or traditional, with promising but limited human data. The jury is still out in many cases.
Why This Matters: The Gaps Where Most Articles Miss
When you search “functional beverages,” a lot of what you find:
- Repeats old categories: energy drinks, sports electrolytes, fortified waters.
- Skims over newer and more niche or emerging ingredients: adaptogenic mushrooms, nootropics, CBD/CBG/other cannabinoids.
- Doesn’t often compare the trade‐offs: sugar content, caffeine jitters, sourcing, absorption, side effects, regulatory status.
- Lacks real guidance for someone trying to build a set of go-to drinks: e.g. for morning boost vs. afternoon calm vs. workout recovery.
This post will fill those gaps—giving you a menu of options, along with what to expect, what to watch out for, and how to integrate them into daily rhythms.
10 Functional Beverages to Boost Your Day
Here are 10 drinks you might reach for, depending on what your adventure demands—mental focus, calm, recovery, endurance, etc. I’ll include what they are, why they help, and any caveats or tips.
| Drink | Why It Helps | Things to Know / Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mushroom & Adaptogen Coffee Tonics | Mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, etc., are adaptogens (or close allied), which may support stress adaptation, immune resilience, and mental clarity. When blended into coffee, they can smooth out caffeine spikes while adding layered wellness benefits. Wired recently highlighted the trend: mushroom-coffee combinations are one of the fastest-growing segments. | Taste can vary; must check for fruiting body vs. mycelium extract (the former usually has more of the desired compounds). Also mind caffeine levels: some mushroom coffee is lower caffeine, some still nearly full. |
| 2. CBD Coffee | This is Sträva’s wheelhouse. CBD + coffee can reduce the jitteriness and anxiety that sometimes come with caffeine. It promotes calm focus, may reduce inflammation, assist recovery. Sträva’s own writing argues that CBD helps smooth overstimulation. | Make sure the CBD is full or broad spectrum (if you want more than just CBD), sourced safely, lab-tested. Know dosage. Also flavor balance: good CBD-infused coffee should taste like coffee first, wellness second. |
| 3. Adaptogen & Botanical Drinks | Herbs like ashwagandha, rhodiola rosea, holy basil, ginseng, etc., can help with stress, energy dips, resilience. Drinks infused with adaptogens are becoming mainstream. | Some people may have sensitivities; some adaptogens may interact with medications. Also, effects can be subtle; consistency matters. |
| 4. Probiotic / Prebiotic Beverages & Fermented Tonics | Drinks like kombucha, kefir, or prebiotic sodas help gut health, immune support, digestive ease. The microbiome is connected to mood, recovery, even energy. | Fermented drinks may have trace alcohol (in kombucha), or sugar; check labels. Some have high acidity. For first-timers, start small. |
| 5. Electrolyte & Recovery Sports Drinks | After a long hike, hot trail, or sweaty session, you lose salt, potassium, magnesium. Drinks that restore electrolyte balance help muscle function, prevent cramps, support hydration. | Watch sugar levels. Also, some drinks use artificial colors or flavors—if you want clean, look for minimal additives. Homemade options (water + mineral salt + fruit) can also work. |
| 6. Nootropic & Focus-Enhancing Drinks | Nootropics are compounds (natural or synthetic) that may help cognition: focus, memory, reaction time. Drinks infused with things like L‐theanine, citicoline, bacopa, etc., are rising. Combined with caffeine, these often “sharpen without the crash.” | Again, effect sizes vary; many studies are small, short term. Some compounds may interfere with sleep if taken too late. Also, some regulatory grey zones (for “brain boosters”). |
| 7. Functional Water & Enhanced Hydration | Plain water is fantastic, but sometimes you want more: waters fortified with minerals, electrolytes, or infused with botanicals (e.g. mint, cucumber, adaptogens) to help hydration plus a little benefit. | Enhanced water can mask high mineral/sodium content; tastes may be subtle. If relying heavily on them, keep awareness of total fluid + electrolytes. |
| 8. Beauty-From-Within / Skin & Joint Support Drinks | Collagen infusions, anti-oxidants, vitamins like C, E, biotin. Drinks designed to support skin, nails, joints. Useful for adventurers: sun, wind, physical strain take a toll. | Bioavailability matters; collagen and antioxidant sources vary. Don't expect overnight miracles. Also, these can be more expensive. |
| 9. Wellness Teas & Tonics (Adaptogenic or Herbal Blends) | Herbal teas (chamomile, reishi, ginger, turmeric), tonics with botanicals, herbal-infused hot drinks bring ritual, slow-down, digestion support, anti-inflammation. They’re lower in caffeine (or caffeine‐free), which makes them great at day’s end or low-stimulus moments. | Taste may be unfamiliar; herbs can interact with medications. Sourcing matters (organic, contaminant testing). Also, powdered tonics sometimes have fillers. |
| 10. Functional Mushroom‐Based Drinks Without Coffee | For those who want the benefits of mushrooms but less (or no) caffeine. Examples include mushroom cacao, mushroom elixirs, or blends like chaga, reishi, turkey tail in water or milk alternative. Immune modulation, antioxidants, cognitive support are among the suggested benefits. | Mushrooms have earthy/flavorful notes that may need masking. As always, check for fruiting body vs mycelium, verify source and beta-glucan content. Start with small doses. |
How to Choose What’s Right for Your Day & Adventure
You don’t need all ten every day. Here are decision points, tools, and questions to help you build your functional beverage toolkit.
1. What’s your goal for the moment?
- Morning: energy + focus
- Midday: recovery or smoother energy
- Evening: calm / winding down
2. Mind your tolerance & sensitivities:
- Caffeine sensitivity
- Herbal/allergy issues
- Interaction with medications
3. Check ingredients & sourcing:
- Organic or wild-crafted when possible
- Full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD (if using CBD)
- Certifications (third-party testing for heavy metals, microbes, etc.)
- Transparent on adaptogen / mushroom species and extraction methods
4. Watch sugar, fillers, hidden stimulants:
Many “functional” drinks defeat some of their benefits by loading up sugar or artificial flavors.
5. Taste and ritual matter:
If you dislike how something tastes, you won’t stick with it. Also, part of the boost comes from the ritual—brewing, sipping, slow moments—that grounds you before or after the trail.
How CBD Coffee Fits In (and Where It Shines)
Because this is Sträva, let’s zoom in on where CBD-infused coffee belongs in this landscape.
- Balance & calm with kick: You get the alertness from caffeine, but CBD helps buffer the overstimulation: less racing thoughts, fewer jitters.
- Stress modulation: For high-adventure days, for travel, for when your schedule is packed, drinking CBD coffee gives you a tool to manage stress.
- Recovery & inflammation: CBD has been studied for anti-inflammatory effects, which helps with muscle strains, soreness, etc. (though not a replacement for rest or treatment).
- More than novelty: It’s not just a gimmick. If done well—good roast, good beans, good CBD—CBD coffee becomes part of a wellness ritual, not just a trend.
But caveats:
- Legal / regulatory status varies by state or country. Full spectrum vs broad vs isolate matter.
- Dosage matters; more doesn’t always mean better.
- Flavor integration matters; if the CBD makes the coffee taste off, that diminishes the experience.
Example Daily Functional Beverage Schedule (for an Outdoorsy Routine)
Here’s a sample day, mixing a few of the above, to show how you might build in functional drinks in a way that helps performance, recovery, and well-being.
| Time | What You Might Drink | Which Functional Elements & Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early Morning (pre-sunrise or pre-trail) | CBD coffee with mushroom blend | Energy + focus with less anxiety; adaptogens support stamina |
| Mid-Morning Snack | Enhanced water (minerals + electrolytes) | Hydration without overloading caffeine or sugar |
| Lunch | Green tea + botanical herbs or adaptogen tonic | Antioxidants; mild caffeine; balancing noon energy dip |
| Afternoon (fatigue time) | Nootropic drink (caffeine + L-theanine) or small probiotic kombucha | Boost mental clarity, avoid the afternoon crash |
| Post-Hike / Evening | Herbal tea or reishi/turmeric tonic + maybe collagen infusion | Reduce inflammation; help recovery; slow-down mode |
| Night | Caffeine-free adaptogenic herb or CBD tincture in tea | Promote restful winding down; donor for restful sleep |
What the Science Actually Supports & What’s Emerging
- Some adaptogens (e.g. rhodiola, ashwagandha, some mushrooms like lion’s mane) have human trials showing benefits for stress, mood, cognition. But many studies are small or short.
- CBD has some promising evidence for anxiety, inflammation, sleep support—but dosage, quality, full vs isolate spectrum make a big difference.
- Probiotics / prebiotics / fermented drinks have a growing body of evidence for gut health, immune modulation.
- Less well established: some “beauty drinks,” many nootropics in commercial doses; long-term effects are less known.
Bottom Line: Use Functional Beverages with Purpose, Not Hype
In the end, the best functional beverages are the ones that match your needs and your context. If you’re heading into mountains, into heat, into long physical challenge, choose hydration + anti-inflammation + focus. If you’re ending an epic day, mix in recovery, calm, herbs.
Sträva Craft Coffee aims to be part of that toolkit—not just another buzz, but something that aligns with adventure, balance, and authenticity. Whether it’s a morning CBD infusion, a mushroom coffee, or a calming herbal tonic under the stars, your body will notice the difference.
