atcull

While wasting time on the internet several months ago I stumbled upon a new genre of beverages. Referred to as "relaxation drinks" at first glance they appear to be aiming for the same crowd as those who would typically would consume energy drinks. Intrigued by claims that these beverages would "calm and relax" I decided to attempt to locate a can. The leading brand as of this post appears to be a brand known as Drank and within minutes of researching this company I discovered the extent of their distribution did not  traverse the Canada-US boarder.  Determined to try this new beverage trend I continued to search for Canadian distributed relaxation drinks.  Within a few hours I had discovered a brand of relaxation drinks named Slow Cow that are made in Quebec city, Quebec. There website advertises that each can contains an acupuncture session. 
 
The distribution of their product, according to their website is within the province of Quebec at Mac's and 7/11 convenience stores.  Living in Ottawa, a city at the boarder of Quebec and Ontario, I figured a quick trip over the provincial boarder to a 7/11 would be a painless way to lasso myself a can of the elusive Slow Cow. After checking more than 10 convenience stores to no avail I decided it couldn't hurt to try  a local grocery store. As it turns out this local IGA store did indeed carry this hard to wrangle liquid. The cans cost $2.49 Canadian for 250 ML, roughly the same price as a can of Red Bull. The exterior of the can has an image of a cow slumped face down with it's tail in the air, which comes across as a funny contrast to Red Bull's fighting cows logo.  As for the actual contents of the can it boasts a zero calorie smooth drink which contains such natural ingredients as Chamomile, Passiflora, Valerian, Linden, Hops and most importantly L-Theanine. L-Theanine is an amino acid which increases the levels of gamma-aminobutyric-acid known for its role in creating a sense of relaxation and wellness.  
 
I consumed my first can of the calming cow the following evening. The taste of this beverage was something I am not use to; it tasted similar to cold tea. The drink contained light flavors of what could only be described as lime-ish apple taste. I proceeded to wait an hour or so for the affects of the drink to become apparent. Consumers in the United States who had tried the similar product Drank stated that they experienced light headidness and euphoria. In my impatientness I was almost ready write off the claims of this beverage. After waiting 45 minutes to an hour I began to slowly notice changes. I felt relaxed, calm and most impressively a clearness of mind. The mental state of mind was untainted and clean. The small white can had replicated what I imagined it would be like to try intense meditation. I can imagine that this drink would be very beneficial in high stress situations where a non-drowsy solution is necessary such as after a hard day at work or studying for finals. The maximum dosage as listed on the back of the can is two  per day; I am interested to see what the result of consuming two would be. Overall The experience was enjoyable and worth the $2.50.