As people begin to swap energy drinks and alcohol for healthier alternatives, niche drink categories like mushroom coffee are on the rise. Cutting out or supplementing coffee beans with adaptogenic mushrooms (meaning that they may assist the body in coping with stress), these drinks are becoming known for their many potential health benefits. Compared to traditional cups of java, these blends provide all the benefits of coffee without the common side effects of anxiety and sleep issues. But the key questions are whether or not they taste like real coffee and if they actually provide the positive effects on energy levels advertised on the labels.
To find out how mushroom coffee stacks up to the real deal, we sat down and ranked mushroom coffee brands from worst to best. While several of the brands we tasted proved too vegetal for our tastes, and others provided no noticeable benefits, one brand surprised us with its silky flavors and positive effects. The one mushroom coffee we tried that tasted like the real thing was the Atlas Coffee Superblend.
While other brands smelled distinctly of mushrooms, this drink lent the familiar pleasant aroma of coffee. The taste was well-rounded too, with complex notes of umami in every sip. And it only got better as it sat, blossoming into other flavor notes like cinnamon and spice. (No creamer needed.) Flavors aside, this blend also provided us with consistent and long-lasting energy. Plus, while other brands contained ingredients that were not friendly to stomach sensitivities, we experienced no negative side effects from this drink at all. So, while we can’t speak to the long-term effects of this (or any) mushroom coffee, we were certainly big fans of its initial flavors and effects.
What else the Atlas Coffee Superblend offers
Containing lion’s mane and reishi, fungi that go beyond the dried mushrooms that belong in your pantry, the Atlas Coffee Superblend is designed to support long-term energy levels, cognitive function, and serves as a source of antioxidants. Not only does this blend provide the adaptogenic benefits of mushrooms, but it’s also infused with other helpful additions. Intended to be a full-on supplemental drink, it contains ingredients like collagen, ashwaganda, prebiotics, probiotics, and, of course, coffee. That means it provides not just the taste and benefits of coffee, but even more potential positives too, like support for overall mood, immunity, and skin health. Like many other mushroom coffees, it’s also as easy to prepare as options from the best instant coffee brands, requiring you only to scoop a serving of the powder into your mug, add hot water, and stir.
Each serving of the Atlas Superblend contains around half the caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee, so this swap might take some getting used to if you’re a daily coffee drinker. Still, you can enjoy this on its own or add it to your coffee, so that weaning yourself off heavier doses of caffeine can be easy. And if you want a creamier option, we were a fan of the coconut-rich Atlas Latte Superblend, too. So, if this all sounds like something you’d enjoy trying out, Atlas is the mushroom coffee brand we’d suggest going with first.
