Nootropics drinks’ move from small to sizeable will take time

Nootropics go hand-in-hand with the low- and no-alcohol market. After all, what’s the point in drinking something to improve brain function if it’s also going to give you a hangover? 

One of the first drinks brands to come to market utilising nootropics with a no-alcohol spirit marketing approach was Three Spirit, which was launched in 2018. ‘Created by plant scientists and bartenders’ reads the strapline, and the three ‘elixirs’ marketed under the brand describe how the drinks should make a person feel, from the energising Livener to the calming Nightcap. 

Caught up in the non-alcoholic trend, the message around the mood-enhancing properties of its products was perhaps lost for a while, but, according to co-founder Tatiana Mercer, it is now getting through. 

“Our drinks are rooted in occasions – our Livener is sold in a Brooklyn music venue and we’re in talks with Fabric [nightclub in London]. The Nightcap is on flights with Virgin, as is the Livener to pick people up,” she explains. “Flavour-first is a lot of the trade’s approach to non-alcoholic drinks but function is what gets you a sticky customer. Our best-seller is Nightcap because sleep is such a big issue.” 

Consumer adoption and understanding vary widely between markets, she says. “The UK consumer is less educated on nootropics and adaptogens, whereas in the US there are a lot of brands now. We were the first [in the US], with Kin Euphorics.” 

As well as positioning products to help consumers mentally approach certain situations, another aspect to perhaps consider when creating and marketing nootropics drinks for consumers is the changing wants and needs of people in different age groups. 

Older generations are more likely to be concerned about helping to boost and maintain their cognitive function at a point in life when it often declines. For Millennials and Gen Z, where work-related stress and busy social lives are key drivers, these cohorts will often be keen to find something that gives them a buzz for social occasions or helps to calm them down in stressful situations 

However, a lot of these issues still transcend age groups. Mercer shares a testimonial from an older man who was recently widowed and was struggling to go to bed without having a few glasses of wine each night. After discovering Three Spirit’s range, he will have a drink from each of the brand’s products at different points in the night to fit with what he is doing, starting with a Livener and ending in the Nightcap. 

So, what could act as a brake on the growth of nootropics? First off, a lack of research, and consequently evidence, into the supposed effects of a lot of these ingredients. Medical trials and studies are expensive and take time to plan and execute. New start-up brands, unless created by multinational corporations, often don’t have the funds to back these sorts of trials. As a result, a lot of the claims of a drink’s function remain just that, which is undoubtedly off-putting for some consumers and likely some buyers, too. 

Secondly, it’s a lack of information around the interaction of these ingredients with other substances and medications. Could a supposedly innocent drink negate the effects of someone’s blood-thinning medication, for instance? 

The final issue brings us back to the caffeine question. There are some brands out there that promote themselves as nootropics drinks but are essentially simply caffeinated rocket fuel. Neu, for instance, contains 350mg of caffeine and 250mg of L-Theanine in its shots. Given that the average espresso shot contains 63mg of caffeine, a person can easily blast through the daily recommended amount of caffeine (which the US Food and Drug Administration puts at 400mg) without much thought. 

In short, nootropics may be a promised new land for the drinks industry and one in which more consumers are showing interest. Caution must be exercised, however, when assessing just how far the nootropics beverage niche could develop into a more substantial market.