If you’re looking for a functional beverage to help you unwind at the end of the day or give you smooth energy to start your night, a cortisol mocktail is what you want. It’s the perfect natural remedy for stress relief.

What is a Cortisol Mocktail? 

A cortisol mocktail is a non-alcoholic sipper intended to help regulate cortisol, a stress hormone, in your system by way of adaptogens, minerals, or other helpful ingredients to help you reset from the stress cycle.

When we encounter stress, a coordinated cascade of reactions is set off in our bodies, releasing cortisol. This stress response is useful when we’re confronted with an actual threat, but chronic stress can have a ripple effect in our bodies, with unwanted impacts on our sleep, weight, skin, hair, sex life, and beyond.

To counter these effects and support better stress management, we look to adaptogens for stress like Ashwagandha to help our bodies return to homeostasis. Ingredients like Ginseng and L-theanine bring smooth energy, and minerals like Magnesium before bed can help us relax and unwind. 

Common Ingredients to Use in a Cortisol Mocktail

When making a cortisol mocktail or adrenal cocktail, consider these beneficial ingredients that will help reduce stress and support adrenal health. 

• Ashwagandha: An adaptogenic herb known for its ability to lower stress levels and support adrenal health.
• Rhodiola: Another adaptogen that helps reduce fatigue and improve resilience to stress.
• Magnesium: An essential mineral that promotes muscle relaxation and supports healthy sleep, which can help lower cortisol.
• Tart Cherry Juice: Contains natural melatonin, which supports better sleep and helps regulate cortisol levels.
• L-Theanine: An amino acid found in green tea that promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness.
• Holy Basil (Tulsi): An adaptogen that helps balance stress hormones and improve overall well-being.
• Ginseng: Known for boosting energy levels and reducing the effects of stress on the body.
• Lemon Balm: A calming herb that helps alleviate anxiety and reduce stress-related cortisol production.
• Vitamin C: Supports adrenal function and helps modulate the stress response.
• Licorice Root: May support adrenal health and help maintain balanced cortisol levels.
• Chamomile: Traditionally used to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
• Turmeric: Contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties that can help manage stress.
• Coconut Water: Helps replenish electrolytes and supports hydration, which is important for maintaining cortisol balance.
• Aloe Vera Juice: Known for its soothing properties and ability to support digestive and adrenal health.

While you can certainly use these ingredients to whip up your own cortisol mocktail, we’ve put together some of the best cortisol mocktail recipes you can try after a long day of work. They’ll soothe stress and help your body adapt to the effects of high cortisol levels.

4 Best Cortisol Mocktail Recipes

1. Green Tea Cortisol Mocktail

Green tea is an ingredient that offers many health benefits and brings smooth energy for a night out or a day ahead. Although green tea contains a boost of caffeine, it also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps promote relaxation and support healthy sleep and stress levels. In a study from 2022, increased consumption of green tea was found to significantly reduced levels of elevated stress hormones like cortisol in teenagers.¹

The clean, slightly grassy, and sometimes bitter taste of green tea balances well with a variety of flavors, from fruity to floral to citrus. Depending on the season, you can change up this cortisol mocktail recipe with strawberry basil green tea, cherry green tea, mint green tea, peach green tea, or any other favorite blend.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• Green tea (1 bag or spoonful)
• Squeeze of lemon
• 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled (optional)
• Honey
• Cup of ice
• Cup of water

Instructions:

1. Start by boiling your water for the tea and steep green tea 3-4 minutes.
2. Remove the tea bag or strain and chill the tea until cooled.
3. To a glass, add your squeeze of lemon juice, ginger, and honey to taste.
4. Fill the glass with ice and pour in green tea.
5. Stir and adjust this cortisol cocktail as needed.

2. Classic Adrenal Mocktail Plus Magnesium Powder

Looking to improve your adrenal function and regulate blood sugar levels? Adrenal mocktails have become popular as a response to adrenal fatigue or overuse of the adrenal glands that produce cortisol in times of stress. If you're looking to support your adrenal health from the inside out, this classic adrenal cocktail recipe with Magnesium powder is the perfect beverage for you.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that’s helpful for unstressing at the end of the day, yet over half of us show signs of Magnesium deficiency. We’ve included a classic adrenal mocktail recipe crafted to help lower cortisol levels and aid in adrenal fatigue with the addition of Moon Juice Magnesi-Om®, containing 3 types of Magnesium + L-Theanine.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• Fresh squeezed orange juice from one orange, or ¼ cup
• 1 cup coconut water
• Squeeze of lemon or lime juice
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp Naked Magnesi-Om®
• Water or sparkling water to top

Instructions:

1. Add Magnesi-Om® and a pinch of sea salt to your glass.
2. Pour in orange juice and coconut water and stir to combine.
3. Add a squeeze of lemon.
4. Fill a glass with ice and top with water or sparkling water for extra fizz.

3. Sleepy Girl Mocktail

If you’re looking for a nightcap, this original Sleepy Girl™ Mocktail combines Magnesi-Om® with the naturally-occurring tryptophan and melatonin present in tart cherry juice to help support sleep as well as relaxation.

Perfect for staying in, the sleepy-time drink won’t knock you out, but there’s clear evidence that its ingredients have sleep-inducing qualities. In addition to the calming benefits of Magnesium that we’ve already touched on, tart cherry juice also contains natural melatonin, the sleep hormone that signals to your brain to get sleepy when it’s dark out. The Sleepy Girl Mocktail recipe is easy to make and tastes delicious, making it the perfect night cap for promoting rest and relaxation!

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Berry Magnesi-Om®
• 2 oz organic tart cherry juice
• 10 oz sparkling water

Instructions:

1. Combine Berry Magnesi-Om® and tart cherry juice.
2. Top with sparkling water and ice. Sip in bliss.

4. Kombucha Sparkler Cortisol Mocktail

Any mocktail can be made a cortisol mocktail to support adrenal function with the addition of adaptogenic support in the form of SuperYou®. These natural stress relief supplements are a daily defense to help regulate cortisol levels for proactive and reactive stress support. Four potent adaptogens traditionally used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine help alleviate the emotional, mental, hormonal, and physical manifestations of stress.

When stress is activated, organic Ashwagandha root helps regulate high cortisol levels and reduce irritability. Rhodiola root powder, traditionally used to reduce fatigue and increase alertness, helps counter stress-related fatigue as the stress sets in. Because prolonged stress can impact hormones and skin, organic Shatavari root comes in to support healthy hormonal balance, and Amla protects skin from oxidative damage.

The bubbly probiotics found in fermented foods like kombucha also aid in gut health—all the more reason to make this cortisol mocktail.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• Low-sugar kombucha, such as ginger lemon or ginger berry kombucha
• Lemon, lime, or berry sparkling water
• Blackberries, frozen in ice plus extra for muddling
• Lemon or lime to garnish
• 2 capsules SuperYou®

Instructions:

1. Muddle some blackberries in the bottom of your drinking glass.
2. Next, add your frozen berries in ice.
3. Fill the glass halfway with your ginger kombucha of choice, and fill the rest of the way with your lemon/lime sparkling water.
4. If you’re looking to boost this drink’s effects with one of the best supplements for reducing cortisol, take 2 capsules of SuperYou®.

While cortisol's effects are far-reaching in our bodies, certain ingredients can help alleviate the hormonal effects of a stress response. So, with every mocktail recipe, add some functional supplementation to your fizz in the form of adaptogens like Ashwagandha or essential minerals we need in balance to encourage our bodies to relax, such as Magnesium. Pour, stir, and sip in bliss.