For those looking for a way of reducing stress that doesn't involve putting something toxic in your body or feeling awful the morning after, euphorics seem like an appealing option.
I was really excited to try them.
"Euphorics" is a term coined by New York City-based company Kin Social Tonics to describe a new class of nonalcoholic beverages meant to shake up the way we drink socially.
They're made with adaptogens - stress-balancing herbs also found in the trendy wellness powders you can add to your smoothies - combined with "replenishing" nootropics and botanics for "flavor and function." Nootropics, sometimes called "smart drugs," are stimulants that are supposed to help with memory and focus. (The company does not say what they "replenish.")
Kin Euphorics are designed for social settings, to "lift the mind and relax the body" and give you the buzzed-but-not-sloppy effect similar to a single glass of wine that acts as a social lubricant. The company says it uses high-quality, nontoxic ingredients, but it doesn't claim its products are all-natural.
There are three formulations: High Rhode, the uplifting original; the more relaxing Dream Light; and the fizzy Kin Spritz.
Because the packaging is similar to liquor bottles and they're intended to be mixed with other ingredients, the High Rhode and Dream Light formulations make it feel like you're drinking alcohol. The Kin Spritz comes in miniature cans and feels like something you'd have in place of a hard seltzer by the pool.
I opted to try the High Rhode and Kin Spritz and can attest that High Rhode is definitely meant to be mixed. The citrusy Spritz is the only one I'd be able to drink straight, and it can actually make a decent mixer for the less-palatable High Rhode.
It's recommended that you start with a single dose, which is specified for each of the three formulations and ranges from 50-100 milligrams. People say the buzz of a single dose lasts about an hour. Although the company recommends you not exceed four doses in 24 hours, drinking more reportedly sustains your buzz rather than increasing it.
But that might not be the case with some drinkers. Kin says the product affects everyone differently, as it works to balance their unique neurochemistry.
I tried the High Rhode by itself, and it tasted alright for a second, though a little bitter, but the aftertaste made me gag a little. So I mixed about 2 ounces (a single serving) of High Rhode with about an ounce of the Kin Spritz, which made it a little better but still not pleasant to drink.
After about 10 minutes I started to feel a little jittery, but also strangely calm. I think that's what it's supposed to do, but I did not like the feeling and was relieved when it went away about 10 minutes later.
To be fair, the bottle says to drink it in social situations, so perhaps it would have been different in that setting.
For what it's worth, the High Rhode bottle is lovely and will make an aesthetically pleasing (though, at $39, quite expensive) addition to your bar cart. It also has 100% of your daily value of vitamin B6, so that's something.
Kin products aren't available at local stores, but you can have them shipped to you by ordering from the company at kineuphorics.com. It may take a while, though - they are sold out as I'm writing this, and many distributors are as well. You can also try to find them on Amazon or through Anthropologie and Free People.