“I’m a lover of plants, a snuggler of trees and someone who wants to free my generation from our addiction to alcohol,” proclaims Megan Klein, the founder of LA and NY-based Little Saints. This emotional wellness company brews Plant Magic Mocktails, a functional non-alcoholic drink. The idea is to get that “take-the-edge-off” feeling while avoiding the negative side effects of alcohol.
“What makes them really unique is that we formulated them with a really badass female scientist, as well as a sacred plant medicine shaman, to come up with a legal and mood-lifting blend of plants,” she said.
During the pandemic, Klein found herself drinking alone and began looking for an alternative to alcohol. “I come from a huge drinking culture,” she said. “I grew up in Wisconsin; my left arm is probably made of Miller Lite. That’s what I started drinking when I was younger, and me and all my friends, all of our social lives were focused on alcohol.”
Failing to find an alternative that didn’t contain sugar or caffeine, she used her background in plant-based food and beverages to make a unique mocktail. “I wanted to create a beverage that was psychedelic-inspired and used the principles of plant medicine, like intention and adaptogens, to lift my mood,” she said.
Indigenous people across Mesoamerica call hallucinogenic mushrooms “Little Saints” because of the joy and connection to spirit derived from their use during sacred ceremonies. While these mocktails do not contain psilocybin, they do contain adaptogens, which are the active ingredients of plants that help your body deal with stress, anxiety and fatigue.
Little Saints, explained Klein, stacks hemp-based CBD, Reishi mushrooms and botanical terpenes in their mocktails to encourage your body and mind to relax. CBD relaxes while Reishi mushrooms provide clarity and focus. Finally, the botanical terpenes give each drink its signature scent which lifts your mood and transforms simple drinking into an experience.
AUTHOR
LA Bourgeois is a writer and creativity coach based in the eclectic food enclave of Ithaca, New York. Her enthusiastic embrace of food and business led her to run a cafe/bar and wine shop in Colorado for a little over a decade. Now, she uses her words to delight her readers and share her adventures at Housewyfe.com.
NEXT ON THE DISH
