This is sponsored content. It was created for our partner, Psilly Goose.

A succulent, mushroom, and plant walk into a bar…

That’s not a joke—it’s what’s showing up in drinks like Psilly Goose. 

People are drinking less alcohol because they want something better. We still want to feel something, but don’t want the downsides that come with alcohol. That’s the reason alcohol consumption is hitting record lows right now. 

The problem is most non-alcoholic drinks haven’t caught up. They’re either loaded with sugar or promise a vibe that never really shows up. The category has grown fast, but it’s also trained us not to expect much—trust hasn’t exactly kept up.

There’s no shortage of “functional drinks” on the market. But Psilly Goose stood out, mainly because of an ingredient I wasn’t seeing as often, especially paired with THC (and without THC for those who don’t want it). I tend to pay attention when something feels even slightly different in a category that can start to feel repetitive.

I initially thought “kanna” was just a quirky way of saying cannabis. It’s not. It’s a completely different plant known for its naturally uplifting, slightly euphoric effects. Now it’s being paired with THC in drinks like Psilly Goose, and it’s the first of its kind. 

We’ve already figured out cannabis—formats, dosing, onset. But Kanna is newer to most people. It’s been around forever, but it hasn’t really crossed into the U.S. drink space until recently.

Psilly Goose is the first brand trying to bring them together in a way that actually makes sense: pairing kanna’s mood-forward lift with hemp-derived THC to create something that sits right between a functional drink and a social buzz. 

No alcohol. No added sugar. And no pretending this is just flavored sparkling water with a better label. 

It’s a non-alcoholic drink built around the option of stacking THC with Kanna and Lion’s Mane.

What You’re Actually Drinking

With Psilly Goose, the ingredients are straightforward, but it’s doing more than most drinks in this category, largely because of how they work together.

At a glance, the stack looks like this:

• Kanna sets the tone → uplift, social energy (serotonin pathways)
• THC adds depth (when included) → depth, body, high (endocannabinoid system)
• Lion’s Mane smooths it out → clarity, calm, balance (cognitive support)

Now let’s break each of these down:

Kanna is really what sets the tone here. It works on serotonin pathways, which is why you’ll sometimes see it referred to as “nature’s MDMA,” but it feels much lighter than that. It hits pretty quickly: a subtle shift, a little more open, a bit more social. Not overwhelming, not jittery. Just enough to be a noticeable buzz. Kanna is more uplifting on its own, before THC comes in and adds a little depth.

THC is hitting a different system entirely—the endocannabinoid system—which is where that familiar body feel and high come from. In a drink, it lands slower. It builds underneath instead of taking over right away, especially since it’s a low-dose at 5mg.

That’s why this combination works. They’re not doing the same function, so they’re not trying to overpower each other. They round each other out. Kanna lifts things up front, THC settles in after, and it ends up feeling more even than you’d expect.

Lion’s Mane is the third piece here. It keeps everything from drifting too far in either direction, keeping you focused and calm. The whole experience stays a little clearer and more level. Lion’s Mane also helps avoid fogginess or crashing the next day.

Altogether, it doesn’t feel like just one effect hitting you. It’s more layered, and easier to sit in. 

There’s also a THC-free option, which I’d consider more of a “high-free” version, where Kanna and Lion’s Mane still give you that buzz while keeping you more present.

Two Ways to Approach It

Psilly Goose keeps it simple with two versions, depending on how far you want to take that stack.

Psilly Goose – Euphoria 

Euphoria is the full version: 35mg Kanna, 3000mg Lion’s Mane, and 5mg hemp-derived delta-9 THC.

You get that initial lift from Kanna, with THC adding a more noticeable buzz underneath it. It’s the one that actually replaces a drink, and something you’d reach for at night or in a social setting where you want to feel it.

Psilly Goose – Silly

This version skips the THC and sticks to Kanna and Lion’s Mane.

Silly is lighter, more controlled, and easier to fit into a productive daytime or casual setting. You still get that mood lift, just without the added depth that THC brings.

Interested yet? Use the code VICE20 for 20% off.

Both versions come in a passionfruit mango flavor. It tastes light, bright, slightly tropical, and not overly sweet. 

It’s also only 40 calories and 0g added sugar, if you want to be even more health conscious. And this matters more than it sounds. A lot of drinks in this category quietly rely on sugar to carry the experience. When that’s not there, the formulation has to stand on its own.

Functional Beverages at the Function

Non-alcoholic doesn’t really mean much anymore. There are too many options, and most of them feel interchangeable. What people are actually looking for is something that shifts how they feel—even slightly—without defaulting back to alcohol.

That’s where Psilly Goose lands. They’re offering something different built around stacking ingredients that hit different systems, but work together. So it’s not trying to replace alcohol one-to-one. 

Not just “non-alcoholic.” Not just “functional.”

Just something that actually does what it says: powered by plants and mushrooms.

You can learn more about Psilly Goose here.

Don’t forget to use the code VICE20 for 20% off.