Walk the aisle and read the fronts of the cans. Somewhere there will be a milligram count in a large font, and underneath it a blend with a proprietary name. The drink has stopped being a drink and become a delivery system.
Some of it is good. Some of it is people enjoying something new. But the whole category drifting the same direction at once has left a gap, and nobody seems to be filling it.
What they mean when they say functional
It is not a regulated term, which is the first thing worth knowing. In practice it means the drink contains something added for an effect rather than for taste.
| Category | What's in it | What it's sold on |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptogens | Ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi, lion's mane | Stress, focus |
| Nootropics | L-theanine, GABA | Mood, mental clarity |
| Hemp derivatives | CBD, sometimes THC | Relaxation, altered effects |
| Added caffeine | Guarana, green tea extract | Energy |
| Minerals | Magnesium and others | Calming, recovery |
A US rule tentatively taking effect this December (2026) caps THC at 0.2mg per container, down from products currently carrying up to 50mg, and the rule doesn't define what counts as a "container."
1,700mg of what, exactly?
A number like "1,700mg of functional botanicals" looks like transparency. It is closer to the opposite.
It is a total. It tells you nothing about how much of each ingredient is in there, so a blend can be almost entirely the cheapest component and still print an impressive figure on the front. You cannot compare two brands with it, you cannot work out whether any single ingredient is present at a level anyone has studied, and you cannot tell a pharmacist what you drank in any useful detail.
A big number in a big font is not a disclosure. A per-ingredient breakdown is, and almost nobody publishes one.
Who gets left standing in the aisle
Every active ingredient you add is somebody you just took off the guest list.
It only works in one direction. Each thing you put in narrows the number of people who can comfortably drink what you made. And functional additives don't always mix well with alcohol, which can have unwanted effects, so anyone planning a real drink later is one more person left out.
Think about who is standing in that aisle. Somebody on medication who has been told to check anything botanical with their pharmacist. Somebody in their seventies at a family wedding who cannot drink alcohol and does not want an unfamiliar botanical either. Somebody pregnant. Somebody in recovery who wants nothing that produces a sensation of any kind. And somebody who is simply not looking to be calmed, focused or uplifted at nine o'clock on a Tuesday, and would like a good drink instead.
We are not going to tell you what is or is not suitable for you. That conversation belongs to you and your doctor, and any drinks brand pretending otherwise should be treated with suspicion. What we can do is make the ingredient list short and legible enough that the conversation takes ten seconds rather than a search engine and a browser tab.
A functional drink could be mediocre and still sell, because you bought it for what it does. A non-functional drink has nowhere to hide.
The whole list, in one breath
No adaptogens. No nootropics. No THC or CBD. No added caffeine. No magnesium. No artificial flavors, no preservatives, no artificial dyes, no artificial sweeteners, and no stevia, which is the one we get asked about most. Nowhere to hide
Strip the functional ingredients out and something else has to hold the drink up, which is precisely why so few brands do it. If your can is not promising an effect, it has to deliver on flavor alone, and flavor is expensive. It means real juice rather than flavoring. It means balancing acidity and sweetness until the thing drinks dry instead of sweet. It means paying for a process that keeps fruit tasting like fruit.
A functional drink can be mediocre and we do not like what it does to the finish. What is in the can is fruit juice, reverse osmosis water, a little real cane sugar, monk fruit, natural acidity and carbonation, at 0.0% alcohol.
That short list is also why Luba mixes well, incidentally. A can carrying a botanical stack fight whatever you pour into it. A clean base does not, so the same can works straight from the fridge or as the foundation of something you build yourself.
Spotting one at arm's length
- Look for a milligram figure on the front. If there is one, the drink is functional, whatever else the label says.
- Scan the ingredient list for botanical names you would not find in a kitchen. Ashwagandha, rhodiola, L-theanine, guarana, hemp extract.
- Watch for the word "blend" followed by a proprietary name. That is where the per-ingredient detail goes to hide.
- Count the list. The fastest signal of all. A drink built on fruit has a short list. A drink built on effects does not.
FAQ
What does non-functional mean in a drink?
It means nothing has been added for an effect. No adaptogens, no nootropics, no hemp derivatives, no added caffeine. The drink is built to taste good and to do nothing beyond that.
Which non-alcoholic drinks have no adaptogens?
Fewer than you would expect, since much of the premium end of the category is built on them. Luba is non-functional by design across all four flavors. For any other brand, check the ingredient list for botanical names and the front of the can for a milligram figure.
Are adaptogens in drinks bad for you?
That is not a question a drinks company should be answering for you, and we are not going to. Some people enjoy them and feel fine. Others have reasons to avoid unfamiliar botanicals. If you are unsure, your pharmacist or doctor is the right person to ask, and a short ingredient list makes that a quick conversation.
Does Luba contain caffeine?
No. There is no added caffeine in any Luba flavor, and no guarana, green tea extract or any other source of it.
Does Luba use stevia?
No. There is no stevia in any Luba flavor, and no artificial sweetener of any kind. Sweetness comes from a little real cane sugar and a very small amount of monk fruit, which is not classed as an artificial sweetener. It is the question we are asked most often at tastings.
Can I mix a non-functional drink with alcohol?
Yes, and it works better than a functional one does. A clean fruit base takes a spirit without fighting it, which is why Luba is built to be drunk straight from the can or used as a mixer.