Monty

Monty grew out of that experience. The drink is built around three varieties of functional mushroom: Lion's Mane, which has a reputation for supporting mental clarity and cognitive function; Reishi, associated with nervous system balance and stress response; and Maitake, linked to immune support and steady energy. The combination is delivered in a lightly sparkling elderflower base, which is soft, gently floral and a good carrier for the earthy, slightly savoury quality that mushrooms bring.

The name comes from the idea of being at your peak. Monty, as in the mountain. It is a drink aimed at social occasions rather than the gym or the morning commute: the positioning is about feeling present and calm in situations where alcohol might previously have been the default social lubricant.

What Monty is not trying to do is important. It is not a beer substitute, not a spirit mixer, not trying to replicate any alcoholic format. It is a well-made sparkling soft drink with functional ingredients and a clear reason to exist. The elderflower flavour is pleasant without being cloying, and the mushroom content means there is something genuinely going on beyond the carbonation.

The brand launched via Kickstarter and is currently stocked through Dry Drinker and The Alcohol Free Co. It sits at the premium end of the functional drinks market, which is a reasonable place to be given the production complexity involved. A small operation with a specific audience in mind.