Seeking a fully functional alternative to the “social drink,” Jen built Kin from the ground up. With her approach to formulation, Jen seeks the right balance of adaptogens, botanics, and nootropics which is core to Kin’s slate of products. We sat down with her to talk about how she ended up in the NA category, adaptogens, how they impact our mood, and so much more.
How did you end up in this space?
In a way, I grew up in this space. My dad made his own spirits, wine, and even beer my entire childhood so I was exposed at an early age to the magic of alchemy and the power of drink to bring people together. Both drew me in at a young age but I never thought I would make a career out of it.
What inspired your fascination with functional ingredients?
Ihave been using my body and mind as a vessel for experimentation (nice way to call myself a psychonaut) since my early twenties, right around the time I lost my grandma to Type II Diabetes with a side of Cirrhosis. From then I looked at just about everything I could consume as either part of the problem or part of the solution.
What are adaptogens?
Adaptogens are exactly as they sound: herbs or fungi (specifically 9-12 depending on the therapeutic discipline you’re referencing) that holistically serve the body and mind by helping internal systems adapt to stressors. These stressors can be external like environmental or physical stress and they can also be internal as in emotional or inflammatory conditions.
How do they work?
They work by synthesizing messages across multiple axis points in the body to regulate their function after stressful events- mainly the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system but they also impact gut and microbiome activity (more research is being done here that’s super exciting) as well as cellular function at the mitochondrial level. They’re super smart! Think of them as little crusaders going in and targeting fires in a building, then rebuilding it back better ie helping us to be more resilient over time to like stressors.
What are your favorite adaptogens and why?
I’m obsessed with rhodiola rosea. I’ve seen the impact firsthand and have also spent years unpacking whatever literature there is available to speak to its impact on our bodies as modern revelers. What fascinates me about this one is that it has actually been proven to help regulate oxygen levels in the brain, improving brain function reducing brain fog etc. It has all these fun party tricks it can do for ex it has been shown to improve exercise performance by decreasing perceived exertion! That’s crazy, think about that you are tricking the body into pushing growth limits by simultaneously powering up energy and stamina while also calming the nervous system! So cool.
How have you seen the role of functional beverages evolve within NA?
We were the first to truly seek and demand efficacy of our formulations and the first to explore different moods and outcomes for our drinkers, so I can say I’ve seen it proliferate around us from ground zero. It’s been a massive joy for me to see people following suit because I know they would not have if they didn’t see it working for us. More importantly, it serves the guest and that’s my main mission at the end of the day. What worries me is quality, and I think that is a pervasive issue in the world of supplements and functional foods even but with our category it’s especially sensitive because there are more corners that can be cut when you’re touting recreation as an end use. I just hope we row in the same direction and continue to set a gold standard for production, application and dosing.
