Coffee is great but it can come at a cost, so Shopping Editor Tom Capon put a mushroom coffee to the test to see if he could indulge and still nod off
I love coffee. I know, I know, hold the presses, millennial man loves coffee, fork found in kitchen, controversial billionaire found in tech company. But the problem with the delicious, dark nectar of the gods is, while I need it as both the thing to kick start my aching 32-year-old brain and, sometimes, hold my life together, that magic caffeine does end up ruining another great thing. Sleep.
Too much coffee means tossing and turning awake at night. Too little coffee means I can’t answer ten billion questions or emails. That’s why I turned to mushroom coffee – in particular, MOGU’s mushroom coffee.
With this special brew they mix Arabica beans with Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps and Chaga – three different mushrooms with different effects – to help boost mental clarity, the immune system and clean energy. That sounds like the hattrick of my dreams… as long as it passes the taste test.
Having brewed up my first batch I gave it a big whiff and, rather than nutty notes, my nostrils tinged with the earthy mushroom aroma. It definitely takes you by surprise at first when you’re used to that classic coffee smell, but the nose is a powerful thing. From one whiff you can tell it’s backed with the indistinguishable scent of mushrooms.
But tasting the brew, the mushrooms are not overpowering at all. People who don’t like mushrooms normally dislike the texture rather than the taste itself, which this obviously doesn’t have. I think where the MOGU coffee excels is blending the inherent earthy tinges of both mushrooms and coffee.
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The mushrooms also cut off any potential bitterness from a black coffee (I drink my coffee black unless it’s iced, because I’m not a monster), instead crafting a smooth, mellow finish.
However, I am also interested in the health benefits of the ingredients too. I am a Lion’s Mane man already and have swapped out my daily supplement (taking two of these a day) for this coffee. The ingredient is science-backed, with this 2023 one published in the USA’s National Library of Medicine suggesting it ‘may improve speed of performance and reduce subjective stress in healthy, young adults’. Meanwhile, a 2017 animal study indicated it can boost the immune system by stimulating gut bacteria.
Swapping out my usual supplement for the coffee, I saw no drop in the effects from lion’s mane I usually feel every day, including clarity of mind. In fact, I could tell when I hadn’t had the coffee based on how cluttered my brain felt that day.
My only gripe with the coffee is I didn’t find it worked pre-workout. Normally, I’ll have a brew before hitting the gym to get those gains, but it didn’t quite give me the oomph I was expecting from traditional coffee. The on-edge tittering of usual coffee caffeine gives it an edge for morning workouts.
However, this is what allowed it to surpass normal coffee for day drinking. From the first day I started trying the coffee, I have been able to sleep way quicker than usual. The remnants of energy I am used to feeling were almost completely gone – instead I felt calm, as if I hadn’t drank coffee that day. Never have I been able to sleep that well since I started blasting coffee into my body (that being, the moment I started working properly).
I also trialled the mushroom cacao too. The cacao is made with ceremonial cacao, reishi, tremella and poria. The cacao is full of magnesium, which is usually used to help a good night’s sleep, and both the reishi and poria are used for typically for relaxation.
This is the perfect match for the coffee, just late at night, as I could feel the deep earthy flavours working its way through my tongue and unwinding my muscles after a hard day’s work.
Is the MOGU mushroom coffee worth it?
For those who struggle with caffeine intake, the MOGU Mushroom Coffee is an absolute game changer. Not only does it have a distinct but mellow taste that should make it an enjoyable brew for the majority of people, but the benefits I felt with winding down at the end of the day make it worth every penny.
And the proof is in the pot – I have nearly finished the entire container. While it may not be suitable for pre-workout in my case, for cracking on with bits at your desk I can’t find anything better.
For those seeking alternatives, London Nootropics is another popular brand, with lions mane, chaga and cordyceps too. Though there’s is served in sachets rather than a tub, and is currently 20% off.
