Packed with vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids instead of sugar, caffeine and alcohol, these local libations are a healthy substitute for your morning coffee or evening cocktail.
By Madison Rutherford | Photography by Mirelle Inglefield
Recent cultural shifts like the sober-curious movement are encouraging individuals to reconsider their relationship with beverages they deem unhealthy. According to New York analytics and advertising effectiveness company NC Solutions, nearly one in five coffee drinkers in 2023 tried (and failed) to cut back on caffeine, while 41 percent of the estimated 154 million Americans who had at least one drink of alcohol that year planned to reduce their drinking in 2024. In Phoenix, mocktails and mushroom coffees are taking the beverage industry by storm – and improving consumers’ physical health and mental well-being.
Giving Tree Cafe Cherry Wine
Fresh-squeezed citrus, adaptogens (herbs that help the body and mind restore balance and adapt to external stressors) and restorative botanicals are common ingredients in Giving Tree Café’s organic, plant-based and cold-pressed juices, smoothies, mocktails, activator shots and superfood sodas. One thing you won’t find on the Phoenix restaurant’s menu: alcohol. You can still indulge in tasty, robust tipples like cherry wine, which makes use of sweet and sour, resveratrol-rich cherries to help reduce inflammation in the body, support heart function, regulate sleep cycles and mood, and aid in digestion. An added dose of magnesium – crucial for maintaining healthy bones, muscles and heart function – is the true cherry on top. 2024 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 480-630-0200, givingtreecafe.com
Milly Moon Kombucha Ginger Turmeric Kombucha
Fermented tea may not sound like the most tempting alternative to sugary soda or carbonated caffeine, but kombucha has been used as a tasty health tonic for centuries, originating in Northeast China around 220 B.C. The fizzy, fermented beverage is rich in probiotics (beneficial bacteria that improve gut health and digestion), antioxidants (compounds that fight free radicals that could lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline), and glucuronic acid (a sugar acid that reduces inflammation and flushes toxins from the body). Milly Moon founder Kristen Hanson religiously drank various flavors of kombucha to fight off the flu before beginning to brew her own in 2021. The Phoenix resident’s ginger turmeric variation boasts additional health benefits thanks to bioactive compounds in ginger that possess powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal properties, while turmeric helps regulate blood pressure, promotes heart health and supports brain function. Consider swapping your next can of soda for a bottle of Milly Moon Kombucha at Uptown Phoenix and Old Town Scottsdale farmers markets or local restaurants and retailers like Black Cat Coffee House, Monsoon Market and Rewined Beer and Wine Bar. @millymoonkombucha, millymoonkombucha.com
Cham Pang Lanes Flower Child
Cheap pitchers of beer and greasy pizza have long dominated bowling alley fare. Not so at this Roosevelt Row duckpin bowling alley and bar, where both the menu and venue are elevated – empowering you to sip on craft cocktails and nosh on fresh sushi and fried chicken sammies in glitzy digs. Check out the “spirit-free” section of the beverage menu for the Flower Child mocktail, in which butterfly pea flower adds an electric blue hue as well as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and calming effects. Fresh coconut, pineapple and lime bring dietary fiber, vitamins B, C and E, potassium, magnesium and iron to the party. 903 N. Second St., Phoenix, 602-922-2235, champanglanes.com
Simply Shroom Cafe M.I.L.F. (Man, I Love Fungi)
You could try microdosing at this Old Town Scottsdale bakery and café, but we wouldn’t recommend it. After all, the proprietary USDA- and FDA-approved blend of reishi, lion’s mane, antrodia, shiitake and oyster mushrooms found in SSC’s lattes, mochas and macchiatos aren’t those kinds of shrooms. The signature M.I.L.F. (Man, I Love Fungi) is a low-caffeine coffee alternative loaded with fungal superfoods that aid in stress relief, immunity, mental clarity, and gut and heart health. It also contains Ceylon cinnamon, often referred to as “true cinnamon,” which is packed with powerful polyphenols that protect the body from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It can also slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. The addition of raw cacao – instead of processed milk chocolate – helps stimulate the production of endorphins and serotonin in the brain, improves cognitive function and memory, and serves as a valuable source of vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium and zinc. The best part: The drink tastes like creamy hot chocolate, not slimy shroom soup. 7077 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale, 480-275-8126, simplyshroom.com
Steep Tea Company Vanilla Rose Matcha
This pleasant café prides itself on its 100 percent plant-based menu, employing natural and organic ingredients like hydrated chia seeds, coconut-based creamer and fresh, handcrafted syrups in its coffee, tea and other specialty drinks. Its ceremonial-grade matcha – rich in antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate, cognition-improving L-theanine and immunity-boosting vitamins A, B and C – is grown in the shade, which increases its chlorophyll content, thought to cleanse the body of heavy metals and other toxins. The powdered green tea also provides a balanced alertness rather than the jittery boost supplied by an energy drink or shot of espresso. Steep’s vanilla rose matcha combines the stress-reducing, vitamin-rich qualities of vanilla and immunity-enhancing and digestive-tract-supporting flavonoids in rose syrup with a plant-based milk alternative that is packed with fiber, protein and amino acids. 1575 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, steepteacompany.com
