Magic Mushroom Coffee: Add Some ‘Sparkle’ To Your Morning Brew

Thanks to the Boston Tea Party, coffee was introduced to American homes en masse in the late 1700s. By the early 1900’s America was buying and drinking more coffee than any country in the world. Today the United States is number 25 on the list of most coffee-drinking nations. 

In spite of our fall from the top spot, according to a Spring 2022 report from the National Coffee Association, 66% of Americans drink more coffee than any other beverage — including water!

More and more of these coffee drinkers are coming to realize the benefits of adding microdoses of magic mushrooms to their brew. 

Here’s how it works. 

Magic Mushrooms Make A Good Brew Even Better

Contrary to popular belief, coffee can actually be good for you. Caffeine and other compounds with antioxidant properties in coffee have been associated with positive effects on depression, anxiety, a lower risk of developing certain liver conditions, and age-related cognitive decline.

More commonly, coffee is used as a study aid. The stimulating effects of caffeine from coffee help us feel more alert and awake, so we can power through those tough study sessions or late nights trying to meet deadlines for work. 

Microdoses of psilocybin, the psychoactive agent in magic mushrooms, also has well-documented medicinal properties — some of which mesh suspiciously well with the benefits of coffee. 

Today, people take small, sub-perceptive doses of magic mushrooms (and other psychedelics) to help them stay focused, promote more out-of-the-box thinking, and enter highly productive flow states. 

What are The Benefits of Microdosing Magic Mushrooms?

In contrast to a dose large enough to produce a psychedelic experience, a microdose of magic mushrooms is a very small  amount that will allow you to reap the benefits of the psilocybin without producing a “high.”

In a study published in Psychopharmacology, nearly 50% of the respondents said that their mental health was “much better” as a result of microdosing, particularly in the areas of creativity and problem-solving. 

According to another study published in the Harm Reduction Journal, other benefits of microdosing psilocybin include:

• Improvements in motivation/ambition
• Better mood
• Reduced migraines & cluster headaches
• More energy

The Harm Reduction Study reported that the most frequent benefits described by participants related to mood improvements, including: “happiness, well-being, peace, an appreciation of life, optimism, spiritual and emotional insights, and being more in touch with emotions.”

Beyond the promising potential for microdosing psilocybin, there are several applications of magic shrooms being investigated in large-scale clinical trials. Studies from Johns Hopkins suggest magic mushrooms carry the potential for treating addiction — including smoking, alcoholism, cocaine, and opioid addiction. 

Other studies support the use of psilocybin in the treatment of:

• Obsessive/compulsive disorder
• Chronic pain
• Depression & mood disorders
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Since many of the health benefits of psilocybin and coffee overlap, adding magic mushrooms to coffee will not only provide additional health benefits but will enhance the benefits the two have in common.

What Is A Microdose? 

The “average” microdose of magic mushrooms is 10% of a standard dose. This works out to around 0.05–0.2 grams (50–200 milligrams). It’s wise to start with the low-end of the dosage range when microdosing for the first time and increase only after you become familiar with how your body responds to the dose.

Most people who microdose follow a schedule, such as one day on two days off, or three days on four days off. 

5 Ways to Make Magic Mushroom Coffee

There are several ways to make magic mushroom coffee:

1. Add Magic Mushrooms to Coffee Grounds

Add powdered magic mushrooms to the grounds before proceeding to brew your coffee. You can mix them in with each new cup of joe you make or premix a bag of specialty psychedelic coffee for microdosing mornings.

This method is the simplest, but you’ll need to use slightly cooler water than normal (around 80ºC) to avoid destroying the active ingredients in the shrooms. We recommend using a french press for this to get the best extraction from your mushrooms.

Instructions: 

1. Place the mushrooms in a grinder, bullet blender, coffee grinder, or large blender.
2. Turn the blender on and off quickly (or use the “pulse” button) to break up large pieces.
3. Grind the pieces into a powder
4. Use a french press to brew your coffee. The longer it steeps, the more psilocybin you’ll get in the final cup

2. Mix Magic Mushroom Powder Into A Fresh Cup of Coffee

After your coffee is brewed, you add the magic mushroom powder just as you would cream or sugar. This is the best way to get the full benefit of the magic mushrooms because you’ll be consuming them entirely rather than relying on extraction using the first method. 

The only downside here is that you may end up with some fibrous bits in your coffee if the shrooms weren’t ground fine enough. 

3. Magic Mushroom Topping for Lattes or Cappuccinos

Prepare your latte or cappuccino as usual, then sprinkle the magic mushroom powder on top of the froth instead of cinnamon. This method scores bonus points for presentation. We recommend grinding your shrooms up as fine as possible for this process.

4. Magic Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee is the best way to mask the taste of the shrooms. 

Instructions:

1. Brew your coffee as normal
2. Blend your coffee with some butter and your magic mushroom powder using a blender
3. Continue blending until you see a froth forming at the top
4. Ready to drink!

5. Use Psilocybin Honey As A Sweetener

If you don’t like the idea of magic mushroom fibers floating around in your coffee, the best alternative is to prepare some psychedelic honey beforehand and use that to sweeten your coffee. 

To make psilocybin honey, cut some dried magic mushrooms into small pieces and soak them in some golden liquid honey for 2 or 3 weeks. Once complete, the mix should take on a dark blueish-purple color. Strain out the shroom bits using some cheesecloth or fine strainer.

Now every time you want a little bit of sparkle in your coffee, add some of this psychoactive honey. 

Keep in mind that the dose will depend on how strong you make your honey, so be careful when using this stuff for the first time. 

Where Can I Buy Magic Mushrooms in My City?

You can’t. Psilocybin, the psychoactive agent in magic mushrooms, is a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, which means it is illegal in every state in the Union. However, if you live in a city, county, or state that has decriminalized or legalized magic mushrooms, you can grow them yourself.

Since magic mushroom spores contain no psilocybin, they are available for purchase in most states. If magic mushrooms have been decriminalized where you live, you can buy the spores and grow your own magic mushrooms. 

Growing Your Own Magic Mushrooms

Magic mushroom spores are available for sale online in most states in spore syringes and spore prints. The syringes are oral syringes filled with mushroom spores and distilled water. 

Spore prints are spores stamped onto a sheet of paper. The syringes and prints can be purchased for about 15-$30 each. They can be used to grow your own magic mushrooms. There are two ways to do this: a mushroom grow kit and from scratch.

Mushroom Grow Kit

The mushroom grow kit is your best bet for ease and convenience. It is completely self-contained and comes with detailed instructions.

The kits start at about $50. It will take about 4-6 weeks, depending on the species of mushrooms, for the kit to produce a harvest.

Growing Magic Mushrooms From Scratch

Many of the things you need to grow magic mushrooms from scratch at home are readily available around the house. However, you will still need to invest around $200 in the project. Growing magic mushrooms from scratch is easy, but it is definitely not simple. Follow detailed instructions from a reputable source to make sure your experience is safe and successful.

Coming To A Coffee Shop Near You 

There are a variety of mushroom coffees on the market. However, the overwhelming majority of them contain adaptogenic mushrooms, not magic mushrooms.

Adaptogenic, or “functional” mushrooms, enhance performance, support the body’s stress management, and protect against illness. However, they do not have a psychoactive agent and produce no psychedelic or hallucinogenic effects. Mushroom coffee should not be confused with magic mushroom coffee.

Thanks in large part to the national psychedelics advocacy organization Decriminalize Nature, the move to decriminalize and/or legalize entheogenic plants — which includes magic mushrooms — is gaining momentum exponentially. 

In areas where magic mushrooms have been decriminalized, they are becoming a very popular food and beverage additive. Denver-based Strava Craft Coffee, a leading specialty coffee producer, has announced plans to begin selling coffee beans infused with psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms. 

According to industry watchers, magic mushrooms are beginning to permeate the food, beverage, and wellness industries. It stands to reason that it’s just a matter of time before mainstream coffee shops include magic mushroom coffee in their lineup. So, if you live in an area where magic mushrooms have yet to be decriminalized or if you do and are not inclined to grow them yourself, do not be discouraged. Inevitably, magic mushroom coffee will be coming to a coffee shop near you.