The functional stack, explained plainly. One ingredient does the heavy lifting. The rest are there because they belong in the drink.
By Tim Triggs, founder of HIGHR and No & Low Drinks Co. · 5 min read
Most functional drinks are built backwards. Find ingredients that sound impressive, add them at whatever quantity fits the budget, write copy that implies effect without technically claiming it. The label looks serious. The drink doesn't do much.
HIGHR starts from a different question: what do we actually want this drink to do, and what's the right ingredient to do it. The answer to the first question is calm focus, a settled, present state that fits an evening or a social occasion. The answer to the second is L-theanine, at a dose that works.
Everything else in the can is chosen because it belongs there, for what it adds to the occasion, the flavour, and the context. Not to inflate a claim.
The ingredients
The one doing the work
An amino acid found naturally in green tea. L-theanine promotes calm alertness by increasing alpha brain wave activity, the state associated with relaxed focus rather than anxious stimulation. At 100mg it sits comfortably within the range where effects are consistently observed in human trials. This is why HIGHR feels different from sparkling water. It's a real dose of a well-researched ingredient, and it produces a perceptible effect. That's the whole premise.
Botanical, evening context
Passionflower works through the GABA system, the same pathway alcohol acts on, which is part of why it's long been associated with ease and calm. It's in the Negroni Fizz because it fits the drink's intention: something that works for an evening, a social occasion, a moment that used to involve a glass of something alcoholic. At 50mg it's a supporting player, contributing to the occasion alongside the L-theanine rather than operating independently.
Botanical, mood and flavour
A herb from the mint family with traditional use for stress and mood. Lemon balm adds a gentle herbal quality that works in both drinks: a brightness in the Negroni Fizz, a lift in the Yuzu & Tonic. It's chosen because it fits the flavour architecture and because its traditional associations align with the calm, settled state HIGHR is designed around.
Botanical character
A dry, slightly tannic botanical note that rounds out the blood orange and juniper base of the Negroni Fizz. It's there because it makes the drink taste better and because real botanicals, chosen deliberately, are what separates a considered formulation from flavoured water.
Botanical, evening context
One of the oldest calming botanicals in use anywhere in the world. In the Yuzu & Tonic it contributes to the drink's gentle, winding-down character. It works with the L-theanine to set the right tone for the occasion: something you reach for when the day is done, not when it's starting.
Botanical, evening context
Valerian has a long history of use for sleep and nervous system ease. In the Yuzu & Tonic it adds depth and a subtle earthiness that fits the drink's quieter, more settled character. It belongs in an evening drink. That's why it's there.
The point
HIGHR is built around one functional ingredient that works at a real dose, supported by botanicals chosen because they fit the occasion and the flavour, not because they look good on a label. That's a deliberate position, not a limitation.
A lot of brands stack ten ingredients at meaningless doses and call it functional. We'd rather one ingredient that does something real, surrounded by botanicals that belong in the drink.
The result is a drink that produces a perceptible effect, tastes like it was made with care, and doesn't ask you to take anything on faith. The L-theanine works. The botanicals set the context. Both things matter.
What's in the can
L-theanine at 100mg: calm alertness, well-researched, a real dose that produces a perceptible effect.
Botanicals at 50mg each: chosen for occasion, flavour, and character. Passionflower, lemon balm, raspberry leaf in the Negroni Fizz. Chamomile, lemon balm, valerian in the Yuzu & Tonic.
Sugar-free. Natural sweetener. Made in Sydney.
Built for the evening occasion. The drink you reach for when you want to feel settled, not stimulated.
Try HIGHR
The Negroni Fizz and Yuzu & Tonic are available in the No & Low Drinks Co. shop.
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