L-Theanine - the secret to calm focus
Let's talk about on of the lesser-known but important ingredients of Toby&Co.
L-theanine is a great supplement and Toby used to take it in both tea and supplement capsule form, but now it is easy and delicious to have your daily ritual of a refreshing Toby&Co instead. The bonus is that it works along with caffeine and helps combat anxiety at the same time.
L-theanine and caffeine have one of the best-studied interactions in nutrition. Rather than blocking caffeine, L-theanine changes how many people experience it.
Here is what happens:
Caffeine alone
- increased alertness
- can cause jitters
- faster heart rate in some people
- increased focus, but sometimes distractibility
- may lead to an energy crash
Caffeine + L-theanine
- similar or slightly improved alertness
- reduced jitters and nervousness
- often perceived as smoother stimulation
- better sustained attention and concentration
- some people report a gentler decline in alertness
How it works
Caffeine primarily works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, making you feel less tired.
L-theanine, an amino acid found naturally in green tea, appears to:
- increase alpha brain wave activity, which is associated with a relaxed but alert mental state
- influence neurotransmitters such as GABA, dopamine and serotonin
- help moderate the overstimulation that cafeine can produce.
The result is often described as "calm focus" rather than simply more energy.
Does it reduce the effect of caffeine?
Not significantly.
Most studies suggest that L-theanine does not reduce caffeine's ability to improve alertness. Instead, it tends to reduce unwanted side effects such as:
- shakiness
- anxiety
- tension
- difficulty concentrating because of overstimulation.
Many people find they can consume the same amount of caffeine with greater comfort.
L-theanine is also great against anxiety, regardless if you like to consume caffeine or not.
The Green One by Toby&Co has 333mg of L-theanine. The Red One by Toby & Co has 100mg.
What is a Whisky Highball?
At its simplest, a Whisky Highball is a refreshing, effervescent cocktail consisting of whisky diluted with a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic carbonated beverage, typically club soda, and served over plenty of ice in a tall glass. That’s it. Easy, ‘Scotch & Soda’ or any whisky and sparking water. Sounds simple and delicious.
We wanted to keep our hangover remedy a secret...
We wanted to keep it a secret, but we have a growing number of friends sending us the same feedback so here we go:
"After spending decades in the drinks industry as a spirits developer, I have not only helped develop some of the world’s finest spirits and liqueurs, but I have also helped develop some epic hangovers along the way.
Toby&Co was never created as a hangover remedy. However, we deliberately included electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, nootropics, adaptogens and other functional ingredients to provide a gentle lift and support everyday wellbeing, including the morning after a big night of celebrations.” Toby Gorn - Founder
Food Pairing
Food pairing is fun and not exclusive to fine wines only
Toby&Co was created by Toby Gorn, a drinks and flavour consultant with a background in luxury hospitality, where he led beverage programmes and worked as a Head Sommelier.
The Red One - A review
We had the following feedback from a highly respected drinks critic friend, and we thought this was something to share:
“Just a bit of feedback on the wonderful The Red One, which is a super addition to the line-up, nothing you possibly haven’t heard but:
- Packaging- As with our Green friend, I love the texture and feeling of the can in the hand. I can’t honestly think of another canned drink which combines this textured feel with the glossy flecks of paint on things like the flowers and botanicals painted on the side. Absolutely gorgeous and important detail! Really sets this apart from anything I’ve seen. I also like the “stiffness” and thickness of the metal can itself. Even premium drinks (like those S** ******** cans) have now become very thin, light and flimsy, which feels slightly underwhelming.