You Are What You Drink

The concept of a healing drink has been pervasive across history, albeit not in the form we might recognise today. Before medicine reached its present level of standardisation, apothecaries would infuse alcohol with herbs and spices to extract their remedial properties. Bitterness was particularly sought after, and the herbal bitters that now garnish our whiskey sours were drunk in significantly larger measures as a health tonic. Gin and tonic had a similarly medicinal backstory: it was invented by British soldiers in India who needed to take quinine, an anti-malaria medication, but couldn’t stand its acrid flavour. But mixed with water, citrus and – why not? – gin, it became much more of an appealing prospect.

Still, the health food drinks of today tend to eschew the liqueurs, as seen in the adaptogenic cocktails at KOI 11, the new wellness bar run by the Koibird team we know and love. Rather, the healing potentials of fungi are providing a new paradigm. AM Mother Made’s Mushroom Powder boasts cordyceps, chaga and lion’s mane mushrooms in its formulation, each of which help aid concentration and strengthen the immune system. Dissolved in a cup of coffee, the powder has a subtle, malty aroma and a surprisingly silky mouthfeel, an ideal way to start your day on the right note.

In the West, we’ve only recently jumped on the mushroom bandwagon, but in Chinese cuisine, the medicinal value of fungi has been embraced for centuries. A famous tong sui – a light dessert soup eaten/drunk as a palate cleanser – uses snow fungus and pear for its skin-improving properties. The brilliantly named Dirtea have cottoned on to this ancient wisdom with their Beauty Powder, which incorporates powdered tremella fungus and zinc to improve skin hydration and help nails stay strong. The texture of snow fungus, gelatinous with a snappy bite similar to chicken cartilage, remains a bit of a challenge for Western consumers, and Dirtea gives you all the fungi’s benefits without that potentially alienating texture. 

Of course, this would be no health drink roundup without everyone’s favourite, collagen. If you struggle to find time in your day to prepare endless vats of bone broth, you can’t go wrong with Dermatica’s Collagen Complex powder. The cult skincare company’s formulation combines marine collagen, biotin and zinc for healthy skin and nails and dissolves easily in cold water. They promise dewy, youthful-looking skin with zero fuss. 

It’s a cliché that beauty starts from within—but when it comes to these skin-boosting drinks, the results speak for themselves.