How to cut down on coffee and alcohol, from the loop that started Peak
Coffee to get going and a drink to switch off is the loop our founder Louie broke in 2020, and it is where Peak began. Here is his story and easy ways to ease off both while keeping the moments you love.
It is 2019, nearly midnight, and our founder Louie is about to jump on a call with LA at the end of an 18-hour day. Coffee got him going that morning, a drink will switch him off later, and his decision to cut down on coffee and alcohol is what eventually turned into Peak.
If you are in the same loop, the short answer is simple. Treat the two as one habit, swap in drinks you genuinely love for each part of the day, and keep the moments that matter to you.
The quick version
- Coffee to get going and alcohol to switch off is one loop, so it is easiest to change both together.
- Louie quit alcohol and then coffee around 2019 and 2020, and found guayusa in 2020.
- Easing off gradually is the simplest route for most people.
- The evening ritual is worth keeping, with something new in the glass.
- Peak Hype and Peak Calm let you choose your mood at any point in the day.
What is the coffee and alcohol loop?
It goes something like this. You have a coffee to wake up, another to push through the afternoon, then a glass of wine or a beer to come down from it all. The night feels short, the morning feels heavy, and the kettle goes on again.
Researchers have even named it the edge on, edge off cycle, and a 2026 study of US students found that a poor night's sleep led to more caffeine the next day and more drinking later on. Louie recognised it straight away, because he was living it, and so are plenty of people working long creative days.
How did Louie break the loop?
He went cold turkey. Around 2019 and 2020 he stopped drinking alcohol, then gave up coffee too, which left a gap in his mornings. In 2020 he tried guayusa, a naturally caffeinated leaf from the Amazon, and it stuck. He has drunk it every day since.
The rituals turned out to be the part worth keeping. Louie loved the first drink of the morning and the one that marked the end of the working day, so he set out to make drinks for each of those moments, built around how he wanted to feel. That idea became Peak, with one drink for a lifted mood and one for a relaxed mood.
What is the easiest way to cut down on coffee?
Louie went all in at once, but most people find it easier to drop one cup at a time. Swap your second coffee for a half-caf, give it a few days, then look at the next one. Keeping caffeine to the morning and early afternoon leaves your evening free to slow down.
It helps to make the replacement something you look forward to. Our guide to the best coffee alternatives in the UK compares the options by taste and caffeine, from matcha to guayusa.
How do you cut down on alcohol and keep your evenings fun?
Think about what the evening drink is really doing for you. Usually it marks the end of work, gives your hands something to hold and makes the night feel like yours, and all of that works just as well with something alcohol-free in the glass.
Plan a few drink-free nights a week, decide on your drinks before you head out, and alternate rounds when you are with friends. For ideas, try our guides to alcohol-free drinks to unwind and the best alcohol-free drinks for a night out.
What does a day outside the loop look like?
Pick the one or two moments that matter most to you and start there:
| Moment | The old loop | The new ritual |
|---|---|---|
| Waking up | Coffee before anything else | Water and breakfast, then your first drink |
| Mid-afternoon | A third coffee to push through | A walk, a snack and something caffeine free |
| After work | A glass of wine to switch off | Music on and something cold over ice |
| Late evening | A nightcap | A warm mug and your favourite series |
Where does Peak fit?
Peak is our answer to that loop. Hype is our lifted mood: lifted, not wired. It is a lightly sparkling berry citrus drink with 60mg of natural caffeine from guayusa, the same leaf Louie switched to in 2020, plus L-tyrosine and vitamins B3, B6, B7 and B12. Hype contains caffeine and is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Calm is our relaxed mood: relaxed, not tired. It is a caffeine free juicy peach drink with magnesium and L-theanine, for whenever you want to take things down a notch. People reach for Hype before a gig or a creative session and Calm before a big presentation or as the laptop closes.
Try both in our mixed pack and choose your mood.
Common questions
How long does caffeine withdrawal last?
For most people it lasts somewhere between two and nine days, and it tends to be strongest in the first day or two.
What is guayusa?
Guayusa is a leaf from the Amazon with natural caffeine, traditionally brewed and shared at dawn. Our guayusa guide has the full story.
How much caffeine is in Peak Hype?
Each 250ml can has 60mg of natural caffeine from guayusa, which is less than a typical mug of instant coffee.
Can I have Hype and Calm on the same day?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Hype tends to come out earlier in the day, with Calm later on, since it is caffeine free.
Pick your mood
Lifted, not wired. Relaxed, not tired.
Calm
Meet Calm
A caffeine-free sparkling peach drink with magnesium, L-theanine, glycine and L-tryptophan, made for unwinding.
Hype
Meet Hype
A sparkling berry citrus drink with 60mg of natural caffeine from guayusa, plus L-tyrosine and B vitamins.
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