The functional drinks market continues to expand with a diverse range of products promising benefits from increased focus to relaxation and wellness. A recent tasting review evaluated eight beverages available in the UK, assessing their ingredients, flavour profiles, and overall appeal.
Neutonic Natural Energy Orange Sunrise, priced at £2.75 for a 330ml can, promotes itself as the “world’s first productivity drink” featuring nootropic ingredients such as citicoline, rhodiola rosea, and panax ginseng combined with natural caffeine and B vitamins. The drink’s intense sweetness and artificial orange taste drew comparisons to familiar effervescent supplements. Reviewers noted its syrupy texture and likened the flavour to that of ready-mixed vitamin drinks, suggesting it may appeal to fans of energy drinks like Red Bull.
Goodrays Raspberry & Guava CBD, available as a pack of four 250ml cans for £7.50, markets itself as a calming beverage with 30mg of CBD isolate per serving. Its content includes grape and raspberry juices alongside guava flavourings and vitamin D. Despite expectations of a tart, fruity taste, the reviewers found the drink excessively perfumed, with lavender notes reminiscent of potpourri, which was off-putting to one taster.
Grass & Co’s Peach, Chamomile & Reishi Liquid Relax, priced at £2.49 for 250ml, combines apple concentrate with adaptogens such as reishi and ashwagandha extracts, aiming to deliver mental clarity and relaxation. Tasters found its flavour muddy and indistinct, with a slight savory undertone, likely from the mushroom and herbal components, leading to a lukewarm response overall.
Mission Lime + Yuzu Natural Energy + Hydration at £2 per 250ml can promises light energy using yerba mate extract, electrolytes, and a spectrum of vitamins. The citrus-forward aroma was noticeable, but the flavour turned synthetic and overly sharp after the initial taste, masking the earthy undertones of yerba mate. The balance was not well-received by the tasting panel.
The G Spot Protect drink, associated with actress Gillian Anderson and priced at £2 for 250ml, focuses on daily wellness through a blend including ginger juice, apple and lemon juices, kombucha, turmeric, and chaga mushroom. Despite its bold claims, it was described as having an off-putting aroma likened to baked beans and a flavor profile lacking the expected ginger and peppercorn intensity, resulting in an overall weak taste impression.
Vieve Strawberry & Rhubarb Protein Water, £2.59 per 250ml serving, contains 20 grams of protein through bovine collagen hydrolysate. The drink’s strawberry scent was overshadowed by an animal-like odour and a taste some reviewers compared to diluted beef stock, with excessive sweetness attempting to mask these notes, an approach that proved unsuccessful for the panel.
Finally, Trip Sicilian Lemon Mindful Blend, at £2 for 250ml, combines carbonated water with grape and lemon juices, magnesium, and herbal extracts such as lion’s mane and lemon balm. This drink was positively received for its balanced acidity, well-integrated flavours, and a taste profile that felt natural rather than overly functional, aligning with its reputation as a successful brand in this category.
Overall, the tasting highlighted the complexities of integrating novel functional ingredients into beverages without compromising flavour, with mixed results across the varied product range.