In partnership with MUD|WTR. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
Like many of us who spend most of the day staring at screens, I sometimes struggle to focus and find myself regularly trying to fight off a creeping foggy feeling. The other day, a friend sent me a Reel about alternative coffee’s supposed cognitive benefits: “Have you tried this for your brain fog?” he asked. Surprisingly, I hadn’t.
So I dug into the research and found yet another reason to try out a coffee alternative: my bedtime has shifted far later than I care to admit, and I’d like to get back on track. Cutting back on caffeine would—no doubt—be a good idea. But having a piping hot beverage in the morning has become so engrained in my workflow that I didn’t want to go without it.
So, as a regular health and wellness product tester interested in cognitive performance and recovery trends, I scoured the internet for the top products. I decided to try two of the most popular coffee alternatives on the market: MUD\WTR and Ryze. Both promise steadier energy and cognitive support with less caffeine than traditional coffee. But which one wins our throwdown?
Here’s how they stacked up.
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What to Look for in a Coffee Alternative
Not all alternatives are created equal. If you’re trying one for focus or energy, it’s worth paying attention to a few details and ingredients.
Many coffee alternatives include a blend of functional mushrooms. The most common are lion’s mane for focus and memory cordyceps for sustained, natural energy, and reishi for managing stress while supporting the immune system. Some blends also add mushrooms like turkey tail, shiitake, or chaga, which are often associated with immune support and gut health.
Check whether the brand lists the amount of each mushroom in the formula. Some companies disclose the dose of each species, while others use proprietary blends that only list a total mushroom amount. When everything is lumped together in a blend, it’s harder to know how much of each ingredient you’re actually getting.
Let’s Meet the Players
MUD\WTR:
MUD\WTR Original Blend isn’t technically coffee at all. It’s a coffee alternative made with cacao and chai that contains about 35 mg of caffeine (roughly a third of a typical cup of coffee) along with a blend of 2,240 mg of functional mushrooms and other adaptogenic ingredients. It contains 560 mg of each species of mushroom they use (which we break down below).
But it also comes in Coffee, Matcha, Turmeric, and “Rest” (rooibos chai tea) blends. Each of the flavors come with a slightly different blend of ingredients, for example, “Rest” includes calming ashwagandha and turkey tail mushroom. I ordered the starter kit (original masala chai flavor), which comes with a 30-day supply, a free frother, and a sample of the brand’s creamer with coconut milk and MCT oil.
Ingredients include:
- Cacao: provides a rich, earthy flavor alongside antioxidants and mood-boosting compounds
- Lion’s Mane: often studied for its potential cognitive benefits, like focus and mental clarity
- Chaga: traditionally used for immune support
- Reishi: commonly associated with stress reduction, relaxation, and immune support
- Cordyceps: linked to fatigue resistance because it increases the body’s production of ATP, our primary energy source
- L-theanine: an amino acid found promotes calm and enhances attention and executive function for a jitter-free energy
Other ingredients: turmeric, cinnamon, himalayan sea salt
Ryze:
Ryze is closer to traditional mushroom coffee. It uses Arabica coffee as the base (available in medium or dark roast) combined with a 2,000 mg blend of functional mushrooms. The brand does not disclose the breakdown of mushroom types. It contains about 50 mg of caffeine – if you’re counting, that’s a smaller dose of mushrooms, and more caffeine.
Ingredients include.
- Lion’s Mane: often studied for its potential cognitive benefits, like focus and mental clarity
- Reishi: commonly associated with stress reduction and relaxation
- Cordyceps: linked to athletic endurance and energy metabolism
- Turkey Tail: often studied for immune and gut health due to its beta-glucans and polysaccharides
- King Trumpet: contains antioxidants that may support overall health
- Shiitake: a nutrient-rich mushroom associated with immune and heart health
Taste Test
MUD\WTR:
MUD\WTR has a warm chai flavor that’s slightly spiced without being overpowering. It’s more subdued than a traditional masala chai—you won’t get that strong tea flavor—but it’s very pleasant and easy to drink. The cacao added a nice richness, and it blended together super smoothly when I whisked it up with the frother.
The first day I tried it with MUD\WTR’s coconut MCT creamer (which made it delightfully creamy), and the next few times I mixed it with a creamy almond milk (which did the job). In both cases, the mushrooms were well masked and the drink didn’t taste overly earthy. I found myself wanting to pour another cup after I finished my first.
Ryze:
Ryze tastes much closer to traditional coffee, but the flavor is slightly more bitter with a lingering aftertaste. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t particularly smooth either. I usually drink black coffee, but I needed to add a bit of creamer and sugar to make this more palatable.
Efficacy
Everyone’s experience with different mushroom species will be different, so this is strictly my personal experience.
MUD\WTR:
The first day I used MUD\WTR, the biggest difference I noticed was in my overall focus and energy throughout the day. Usually, I hit a mid-day slump around 2 PM, when I get restless and can’t focus. On the days I drank two cups of MUD\WTR—one in the morning and one around midday—I felt a steadier level of energy that lasted until about 5 PM, without the jittery feeling I sometimes get from coffee. As someone who usually gets around 300 mg of caffeine a day, I was quite surprised by this.
Around the evening, I did start yawning a bit, but a gym session was enough to give my body another natural boost that kept me wired until winding down for bed that night. Each time I drank it, I noticed similar results and found myself not missing my usual coffee routine.
Some of that effect may come from L-theanine, an amino-acid known for promoting calm, focused energy and reducing stress and anxiety. It also builds up in the body over time to provide more noticeable effects with consistent use, so a longer testing period may have helped me see even more benefits.
Ryze:
Ryze provided a small energy lift similar to a cup of coffee, but I didn’t notice the same sustained focus I experienced with MUD\WTR. When I looked at the ingredients I noticed Ryze had a lower functional mushroom dose (2000 compared to 2250) and a higher variety of mushrooms. Although I can’t be certain because Ryze doesn’t outline the dosage of each type of mushroom, I’d bet that it has less Lion’s Mane mushroom, which does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to cognition. The effects felt closer to a diluted coffee than a distinct cognitive boost. Still, I felt energized with a much lower caffeine intake than my normal, so I consider that a win.
Cost
MUD\WTR: You can choose between a one-time order and a subscription-based model. A 30 serving tin goes for $60, or $2 a serving. When you subscribe, you’ll pay $40 a month, or $1.33 a serving.
Ryze: A 30-serving bag costs $45, or $1.50 a serving.
The Verdict?
Because of the better taste and the steadier focus I experienced throughout the day, MUD\WTR was the clear winner for me. I also liked seeing the numbers back that experience up: a higher dosage of mushrooms, and a lower dosage of caffeine—and the ingredient transparency to know what’s inside my drink.
Plus, there’s a line of flavors (like matcha, coffee, and caffeine-free rooibos and turmeric)—and even a protein shake version—so I think it will appeal to a broader range of caffeine and non-caffeine drinkers alike looking for benefits from an energy boost to relaxation and immune support.
I’m not ready to cut coffee entirely (you can’t take it from me!!) but MUD\WTR feels like a solid option for days when I’m already a bit jittery and want a steadier, calmer energy source—or even want to swap out my second cup of coffee. It’s absolutely become a part of my weekly routine and I’m excited to see how the benefits grow with more consistent use.
Try out MUD\WTR for yourself for all day focus.
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