Jun 26, 2026 – 5.00amSharper focus, deeper calm and steadier energy – these are the promised perks of mushroom supplements. Containing ingredients that have been used in Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian medicine for centuries, these powders and tinctures can be stirred into morning coffees, smoothies and protein shakes to pep you up or chill you out.For decades, they have occupied a rather niche corner of the wellness industry, but their popularity has grown in recent years, and with this uptick in interest, a new recreational frontier for fungi is gaining momentum. The same varieties marketed as cure-alls for everything from brain fog to burnout are increasingly finding their way into alcohol alternatives that mimic the experience of drinking – minus the hangover.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Maxim DonniProduction editor, Life & LeisureMaxim Donni is the production editor of Life & Leisure at the Financial Review, based in Sydney. He writes about dining, hospitality and culture, and was previously editor of Time Out and Concrete Playground.Fetching latest articles