The opposite of energy drinks

September 26, 2016 11:23 PM

What products are on the market that are the opposite of energy drinks? Gas stations and small convenience stores are replete with small bottles of 5 hour energy and cans of Rockstar, but not so much the opposite. I'm looking for examples of drinks which are marketed with the effect of being relaxing or calming.
posted by thewalrus to Food & Drink (28 answers total)

Hot tea?
posted by FireFountain at 11:24 PM on September 26, 2016

Dream water
posted by brujita at 11:26 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tea. For example, "Sleepytime". Chamomile is one of the advertised ingredients, which is traditionally associated with sleep.
posted by kjs4 at 11:29 PM on September 26, 2016 [5 favorites]

Hang on, let me do a quick check to see if Celestial Seasonings still makes Sleepytime tea.
...
Yes!
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:29 PM on September 26, 2016

Response by poster: To clarify I am aware of sleepytime tea, wondering what products people have seen on the market that come in a ready to consume prepackaged format.
posted by thewalrus at 11:35 PM on September 26, 2016

How about premixed alcoholic drinks? Depending on the state and the local alcohol laws, you sometimes find those in convenience stores next to the beer.

Also wine coolers.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:41 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]

Neuro

just chill
posted by Karaage at 12:00 AM on September 27, 2016 [3 favorites]

Drank: The Anti Energy Drink

My cousin tried one and it knocked her out. They used to have a website, but that was years ago.

Here's a thing with a relevant headline that I didn't read.
posted by meemzi at 12:15 AM on September 27, 2016 [4 favorites]

Marley Mellow Mood. They no longer seem to have it as an ingredient but for years the drinks contained melatonin - which would absolutely calm you down. Reference on that as an ingredient.

As for how the drink's currently made, the corporate site linked above highlights a number of ingredients that are picked to relax the consumer. I'd be doubtful about the efficacy of most of them, but the valerian root is again a pretty well-studied thing.
posted by ZaphodB at 1:40 AM on September 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

The only one I've seen in the convenience stores was a Vitamin Water or one of its ilk with the tagline "calm." I have had one of the Marley teas, but don't recall its marketing, just that it was tasty.
posted by MoTLD at 1:45 AM on September 27, 2016

There is a decent vein of search results for 'calming soda,' for example:

just chill
neuro sleep
koma unwind
purple stuff calming berry
posted by zippy at 1:50 AM on September 27, 2016 [2 favorites]

I read about something called Slow Cow that advertised itself as pretty much what you're asking for.

There's also a bottled tea with Bob Marley on it, whose name escapes me at the moment, which is also supposed to help you relax and destress or something. I was unimpressed by its effects.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 2:23 AM on September 27, 2016

And I see now the Bob Marley tea was covered.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 2:24 AM on September 27, 2016

When I was a teenager we believed ginseng soda "mellowed us out." Whether or not that was just a placebo effect is open to debate.
posted by COD at 5:28 AM on September 27, 2016

...do vet ingredient lists carefully; I think it is easier to wind oneself up OTC than the opposite. The "Drank" contains valerian -- "Although valerian is a popular herbal medicine used for treating insomnia, there is no good evidence it is effective for this purpose, and there is some concern it may be harmful.[23]" -- rose hips, which I can't find anything to substantiate as useful, and melatonin; it would not "absolutely calm you down" -- "It is used as a medication for insomnia, however, scientific evidence is insufficient to demonstrate a benefit in this area.[7]" (It also requires very careful timing and dosing if it is going to do anything useful.)

Honestly, the only thing recommended so far that has an active ingredient that has been proven to 'slow your roll' is booze.
posted by kmennie at 5:53 AM on September 27, 2016

I have see an actual product on the shelves called Drank, (clearly riffing off "purple drank") which labels itself as an "anti-energy" drink with the tagline "slow your roll."
posted by adamrice at 6:34 AM on September 27, 2016

isn't this beer, basically? i mean, a cold bottle at the end of the day, etc etc. not going to the pub.
posted by andrewcooke at 7:45 AM on September 27, 2016 [6 favorites]

Single serving sized bottle of red wine?
posted by sammyo at 8:19 AM on September 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

I personally find hot chocolate to be calming. I try to sip it slowly.
posted by apartment dweller at 8:27 AM on September 27, 2016

If you're near a Japanese market, there's a drink called FEEL without caffeine that's marketed towards helping people sleep.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 9:46 AM on September 27, 2016

Natural Calm is a magnesium drink, it's relaxing and delicious. http://naturalvitality.com/natural-calm/
posted by ibakecake at 10:02 AM on September 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Rockstar(I'm pretty sure)has a version of this. It was called Relax, and had supposedly calming ingredients. It confused a lot of people who obviously associate Rockstar with energy/caffeinated drinks. I'll have to look it up now, my memories are vague...
posted by catatethebird at 10:22 AM on September 27, 2016

Yes, a quick google confirms that it was apparently discontinued, but googling "rockstar relax" leads to various discussions of it and other anti-energy drinks, if you are looking for more leads.
posted by catatethebird at 10:25 AM on September 27, 2016

The obvious answer is alcohol.
posted by joan_holloway at 10:42 AM on September 27, 2016

I don't think Rockstar Relax is available anymore, but it was around for a while. It knocked me out good, but made me have to wake up and pee about an hour later, so it wasn't worth it.
posted by tacodave at 1:29 PM on September 27, 2016

I worked for a short while at a hotel that left Neuro sleep for its guests. Feeling thirsty one day and figuring it was like Gatorade or something, I drank one. Big mistake. It was like downing a gallon of Nyquil...I could barely cope and ended up having to take a taxi home. That stuff works.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:45 PM on September 27, 2016

I have seen a bunch of these near the cash registers at Whole Foods. Never tried them.

Zend Liquid Shots
Relaxer Zen Shot
I AM Sleepy
Six Hour Sleep
Dream Water
Solixir
Neuro Sleep Drink
iChill Relaxation Sleep Shot
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 4:01 AM on September 28, 2016

Liquid Smoking - A dutch nicotine-based drink.
posted by guy72277 at 5:30 AM on September 29, 2016