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Ashwagandha, lion’s mane, L-theanine, magnesium, B vitamins and electrolytes: what each one is, which of the alcohol-free beers we list contain them, and why we make no claims about their effects.
By Rich, founder of Unhopped · Published 8 November 2026 · Sources checked 8 November 2026
Functional alcohol-free beers have ingredients added for reasons other than flavour: a plant extract, a mushroom, an amino acid, minerals or vitamins. Of the 373 alcohol-free beers we list, 12 do, from five brands. Ashwagandha and L-theanine are the most common, in eight beers each; lion’s mane is in Collider’s three, B vitamins are in Impossibrew’s, UNLTD’s and A. Le Coq’s, and KAMO 45 has electrolytes. This guide explains what each ingredient is and where it comes from. It makes no claims about their effects: in Great Britain, “Only health claims listed as authorised in the GB (NHC) Register, or claims that would have the same meaning to the consumer” may be used,[1] and we review beers as beers.
Below: what makes a beer functional, which beer has what, ashwagandha, lion’s mane, L-theanine, magnesium and vitamins, electrolytes, the UK rules, all 12 beers with where to buy them, and the beers that only sound functional. None of them has an Unhopped score yet.
There’s no fixed definition. We use the word for beers whose labels list ingredients that aren’t there for taste, or, in UNLTD’s case, vitamins in the nutrition panel. Two brands make whole ranges of them and give their mixes names: Collider adds what it calls its Unwind Blend to every beer, and Impossibrew what it calls its Social Blend. Three more brands make beers that are otherwise conventional but list vitamins or minerals.
Some of the brands’ names and labels make claims about the blends. We don’t repeat them, and we don’t make any of our own. That’s also why we’ve cropped our photos of the cans to the ingredient lists, and why the beers below have no pack shots: the fronts of some cans carry those claims.
Sources: each beer’s page on Unhopped and two cans we photographed;[2][3] Kamo Labs;[4] NCCIH;[5] Wild Food UK;[6] MedlinePlus.[7]
| Beer | Ashwagandha | Lion’s mane | L-theanine | Magnesium | B vitamins | Electrolytes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collider LagerCollider · Unwind Blend | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Collider Session IPACollider · Unwind Blend | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Collider Peach LagerCollider · Unwind Blend | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Impossibrew Enhanced LagerImpossibrew · Social Blend | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ B1 | – |
| Impossibrew Enhanced Hazy PaleImpossibrew · Social Blend | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ B1 | – |
| Impossibrew Triple Hopped IPAImpossibrew · Social Blend | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ B1 | – |
| Impossibrew Golden AleImpossibrew · Social Blend | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ B1 | – |
| Impossibrew Peach Berry SourImpossibrew · Social Blend | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ B1 | – |
| UNLTD IPAUNLTD | – | – | – | – | ✓ B12 | – |
| UNLTD LagerUNLTD | – | – | – | – | ✓ B6, B12 | – |
| A. Le Coq Fassbrause PeachA. Le Coq | – | – | – | – | ✓ B6, B12, Pantothenic acid, Biotin | – |
| KAMO 45Kamo | – | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
One beer each: biotin, electrolytes and pantothenic acid. Green: plant, mushroom and tea ingredients; amber: minerals, vitamins and the rest of Impossibrew’s blend. We count plant fibre only as part of Impossibrew’s blend: Ambar Triple Zero Tostada lists dietary fibre on its own, and we haven’t counted it.
Sources: each beer’s page on Unhopped, from the brands’ ingredient lists (for UNLTD, its nutrition panels); Kamo Labs;[4] 373 beers in our directory.
| Ingredient | Beers | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ashwagandha | 8 | 8 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| L-theanine | 8 | 8 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Magnesium | 6 | 6 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Citrus extract | 5 | 5 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Plant fibre | 5 | 5 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Vitamin B1 | 5 | 5 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Lion’s mane | 3 | 3 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Vitamin B12 | 3 | 3 of the 12 functional beers we list |
| Vitamin B6 | 2 | 2 of the 12 functional beers we list |
“Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub found in parts of India, Africa, and the Middle East.” Its Latin name is Withania somnifera, and it’s also called Indian ginseng. Supplements made from it “typically contain ashwagandha root, leaf, or root/leaf extracts.”[5]
In beer. Eight of the beers we list contain it: Collider’s cans list “ashwagandha [root]”[2] and Impossibrew’s list “ashwagandha root extract”.[3] Collider doesn’t publish amounts; Impossibrew gives a total for its whole blend, 375mg per 100ml, for its core beers and Triple Hopped IPA.
Under review in the UK. In 2024 the Food Standards Agency asked for evidence on ashwagandha food supplements, “in order to build an evidence package which will be assessed through the FSA’s risk analysis process”. Responses were due by 2 September 2024, the FSA said.[8] A summary of the responses came out on 25 June 2026: they will be “provided to the Committee on Toxicity (CoT)”, and “A risk assessment will then be conducted and the outcome published.”[9] No date has been given.
Its novel-food status. The same FSA page sets out where ashwagandha stands under the novel food rules, which cover foods not eaten “to a significant degree within the UK or EU before 15 May 1997.” Its plant parts are “not considered novel for use as food supplements”, but are “considered unauthorised novel foods for all other food uses.” A non-concentrated water infusion of the root is the exception: it “does not fall within the scope of Assimilated Regulation 2015/2283, relating to novel foods.”[8] Neither Collider nor Impossibrew says whether its ashwagandha is a non-concentrated water infusion of the root, and we’re not drawing any conclusion about any beer. The FSA hasn’t published the outcome yet.
Lion’s mane is Hericium erinaceus, also called the bearded tooth. It’s “Typically spherical. White to cream coloured when young, yellowing then browning with age”, with “2–5 cm long, pendant spines”, and it grows “on old, rotten or dying hardwood, especially Beech, Oak, and Chestnut.” It’s also eaten: “an excellent, choice edible species with a mild crab or lobster-like smell and taste”, and “commercial strains are available for cultivation.”[6]
In the wild in Great Britain it’s off limits. It’s “one of only four species of fungi listed under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981”, with “the highest level of legal protection”,[10] and “It is illegal to pick or even cut samples”.[6]
In beer. Of the beers we list, only Collider’s contain it: all three list lion’s mane in what Collider calls its Unwind Blend, alongside L-theanine and ashwagandha, going by our photo of the Session IPA can[2] and each beer’s page.
L-theanine is a “non-proteinogenic amino acid similar to the proteinogenic amino acids glutamic acid and L-glutamine”: it isn’t one of the amino acids that make up proteins. It’s “produced by certain plants such as the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), and by some fungi”, and it was first identified in green tea in 1949.[11] Collider’s cans label it simply “tea”.[2]
In beer. It’s in eight of the beers we list, all of Collider’s and Impossibrew’s.
Impossibrew’s Social Blend has six ingredients: L-theanine, magnesium citrate, ashwagandha root extract, soluble plant fibre, citrus extract and vitamin B1.[3] The can of its Triple Hopped IPA lists magnesium citrate too, though Impossibrew’s product page didn’t when we checked it in October.
Two other brands make beers that are otherwise conventional but list vitamins. A. Le Coq Fassbrause Peach, a peach radler, has vitamins B6, B12, pantothenic acid and biotin in its ingredient list. UNLTD’s cans declare vitamin B12 (the IPA), and B6 and B12 (the lager), in their nutrition panels, though their ingredient lists don’t name them. We don’t repeat the amounts here.
“Electrolytes are minerals that have an electric charge when they are dissolved in water or body fluids, including blood.”[7] KAMO 45, from Kamo Labs in Berlin, lists its electrolytes as calcium chloride, sodium citrate, magnesium citrate and potassium citrate, and says it’s brewed in Bavaria.[4] Dry Drinker describes it as “brewed with added electrolytes”;[12] its page showed no stock information when we checked on 8 November 2026.
In Great Britain, the rules on health claims are strict. Health claims “refer to a relationship between a food or ingredient and health”, and “the scope of the definition of a health claim can in practice be quite broad”. The ASA judges an ad by “the likely interpretation of the claim by consumers”.[1] The ban on health claims for drinks over 1.2% ABV doesn’t cover these beers, which are 0.5% or less,[13] so the general rule applies: “claims cannot be made unless they are listed as authorised”.[1]
Sources: CAP Advice Online, Food: Health claims;[1] Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, Article 4(3), as it applies in Great Britain.[13]
Some of these cans make claims about how the beer will make you feel. We don’t repeat them, and we haven’t tried to judge them. We review the beers as beers: what’s in them, what they cost and where to buy them. If you want more on how alcohol-free beer is made in the first place, see how alcohol-free beer is made.
We haven’t scored any of them yet, so this isn’t a ranking. They’re grouped by brand. On 8 November 2026, three were in stock at The Alcohol Free Co, Dry Drinker or Wise Bartender: Collider Session IPA, UNLTD IPA and UNLTD Lager. Collider and Impossibrew also sell theirs from their own shops; each beer’s page has the details. Prices are the cheapest per can we found that day.
Collider · Lager · 0.5% ABV
Not sold by our three shops see our page for where to buy
One of Collider’s two original beers, launched in 2024 as Unwind Lager. Collider describes it as crisp, dry and full-bodied, with a malty, lightly hopped finish.
Collider doesn’t publish how much of each ingredient a can contains.
Collider · Pale ale · 0.5% ABV
From £3.04 a can in a case of 24 at Dry Drinker checked 8 November 2026
Launched in 2024 as Unwind Session Pale. Collider describes it as citrus and hop forward, with aromas of stone fruit and floral notes and a dry, malty finish.
Collider doesn’t publish how much of each ingredient a can contains.
Collider · Lager · 0.5% ABV
Not sold by our three shops see our page for where to buy
Collider’s newest beer: its lager “cut with real peach juice”, Collider says.
Collider doesn’t publish how much of each ingredient a can contains.
Impossibrew · Lager · 0.5% ABV
Out of stock at Dry Drinker and Wise Bartender checked 8 November 2026
One of Impossibrew’s two core beers, in 440ml cans. Impossibrew calls it “Golden. Crisp. Refreshing.”
Impossibrew says the blend comes to 375mg per 100ml.
Impossibrew · Hazy pale ale · 0.5% ABV
Out of stock at Dry Drinker and Wise Bartender checked 8 November 2026
Impossibrew’s other core beer, a hazy pale ale. Impossibrew promises “bitter notes of peach, pineapple and mango with a lasting finish”.
Impossibrew says the blend comes to 375mg per 100ml.
Impossibrew · IPA · 0.5% ABV
Not sold by our three shops see our page for where to buy
A limited-edition IPA brewed with mango puree and lactose. The can lists magnesium citrate in its Social Blend, like the core beers.
Impossibrew says the blend comes to 375mg per 100ml.
Impossibrew · Pale ale · <0.5% ABV
Not sold by our three shops see our page for where to buy
A limited-edition golden ale from September 2026, with “biscuity malt, floral hops and a clean, bitter finish”, Impossibrew says.
Impossibrew · Sour · <0.5% ABV
Not sold by our three shops see our page for where to buy
A limited-edition sour from October 2026, flavoured with raspberry and peach: “tart, ripe raspberry with a hint of peach”, Impossibrew says.
UNLTD · IPA · 0.5% ABV
£4.30 for a 568ml pint can at Wise Bartender checked 8 November 2026
UNLTD’s IPA, brewed in West Sussex, UNLTD says, and sold in 330ml cans and bottles and 568ml pint cans. The can declares vitamin B12 in its nutrition panel.
UNLTD · Lager · 0.5% ABV
£4.30 for a 568ml pint can at Wise Bartender checked 8 November 2026
UNLTD’s lager, brewed in West Sussex, UNLTD says, in the same formats. The can declares vitamins B6 and B12 in its nutrition panel.
A. Le Coq · Lager · 0.0% ABV
Out of stock at Dry Drinker checked 8 November 2026
A 0.0% peach radler from Estonia, half alcohol-free beer. Its ingredient list includes vitamins B6 and B12, pantothenic acid and biotin.
Kamo · Pale ale · 0.24% ABV
Listed at Dry Drinker no stock shown on 8 November 2026
From Kamo Labs in Berlin, brewed in Bavaria, Kamo says. Kamo calls it a pale ale and lists its electrolytes as calcium chloride, sodium citrate, magnesium citrate and potassium citrate.
ABVs follow each beer’s page on Unhopped. UK government guidance, which is voluntary, keeps the term alcohol-free for 0.05% ABV or below, though many beers up to 0.5% are sold in the UK as alcohol-free. More in our 0.0% vs 0.5% guide.[14]
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Jump Ship Vitamin Sea Radler. The name is a pun: neither Jump Ship nor the shops give any vitamin content. Corona Cero. The version sold in the UK has no vitamin D on its label; the vitamin D version is sold elsewhere. Botanical beers. Lowlander calls itself a botanical brewery, but its 0.0 Wit uses orange and lemon peel for flavour, much as witbiers traditionally use orange peel. For the fruit, spices and herbs brewers add for taste, see fruit and spices in beer; for the herbs used before hops, the herbs in gruit.
Alcohol-free beer with added ingredients that aren’t there for flavour, such as ashwagandha, lion’s mane, L-theanine, magnesium, vitamins or electrolytes. We list 12 of them, from five brands.
Of the beers we list, eight: Collider’s three (Lager, Session IPA and Peach Lager) and Impossibrew’s five (Enhanced Lager, Enhanced Hazy Pale, Triple Hopped IPA, Golden Ale and Peach Berry Sour).
Of the beers we list, only Collider’s: Lager, Session IPA and Peach Lager.
No. In Great Britain only authorised health claims may be used, and we review beers as beers: ingredients, price and where to buy.
Yes. The Food Standards Agency asked for evidence on ashwagandha food supplements in 2024. It said in June 2026 that the responses will go to the Committee on Toxicity, after which a risk assessment will be carried out and the outcome published. No date has been given.
Not in the wild. In Great Britain it’s one of four fungi protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and picking it is illegal.
Minerals that carry an electric charge when dissolved in water. KAMO 45 lists calcium chloride, sodium citrate, magnesium citrate and potassium citrate.
Not yet. We’ll add scores to each beer’s page as we score them.
Opened and checked on 8 November 2026. Beer facts, prices and stock come from each beer’s page on Unhopped and the shops’ own listings on the same day.
