Drinks for creative work: from the studio to the desk

Half past ten at night in a shared studio in Peckham. The mix is nearly there, the kick still sounds wrong, and three cold mugs are stacked on top of the speaker next to a can that has gone slightly warm. Somebody says "one more bounce" for the fourth time and the whole room laughs, because nobody is going home yet.

The best drinks for creative work are the ones that match the stage you are at: a gentle lift for the start of a session and something caffeine free for the late edit. Almost every creative person we know has a small drinks ritual of their own.

The quick version

• A creative day has several moods in it, so one drink rarely covers the lot.
• Morning sessions suit a light lift from natural caffeine.
• Late edits and final mixes call for something cold, caffeine free and full of flavour.
• The ritual counts for as much as the liquid, from Beethoven's beans to your desk can.
• Peak Hype and Peak Calm were made for the two halves of that day.

What do creative people drink while they work?

Artists have always been particular about this. Beethoven counted out 60 beans for every cup, which is the kind of detail that makes perfect sense to anyone who has spent an hour choosing a typeface.

Walk into a studio today and the fridge tells its own story: matcha tins, a bottle a client left behind and a row of cold cans for when the session runs on.

What is the best drink for a creative session?

It depends which part of the process you are in, and most projects move through three moods:

• The blank page. Early, open and a bit nervous. This is where people like a small lift and a walk around the block.
• The making. Headphones on, hours disappearing. Keep water close and pick something you can sip slowly.
• The final pass. Late, picky and precious about every detail. A caffeine free can works well here, with the day already behind you.

Plenty of people find that a huge mug at the blank page stage leaves them buzzing at the wrong speed, which we get into in our piece on why coffee makes you jittery.

Why do so many people do their best work in cafés?

There is a lovely bit of research behind the laptop crowd. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that a moderate hum of background noise, around 70 decibels, went hand in hand with better creative performance than quiet rooms or loud ones.

That explains the appeal of the corner table and the shared studio. A little chatter and a clinking spoon make a room feel alive, and the drink in front of you is your ticket to stay.

How do you build a creative ritual around a drink?

Keep it small and repeat it until your brain recognises the cue. These are the ones we see most around our community:

• The first can. Cracked open before the laptop, so the session has a clear starting gun.
• The bounce break. Step outside, listen on the phone speaker and come back with fresh ears.
• The export toast. The file has gone, the client can wait, and the room gets a cold one each.

When we took over a street in Soho with the artist Slawn, the can itself became part of the canvas.

What should you drink on a late night session?

For years the studio answer was a crate of beers around nine o'clock, followed by a strong coffee to get through the last hour. Our founder Louie noticed that same loop everywhere he looked, coffee to get going and alcohol to switch off, and Peak grew out of wanting something better for both ends.

A caffeine free can with real flavour lets you keep the sense of occasion while the session winds on. Peak Calm is juicy peach and lightly sparkling, which makes it an easy one to pass around the room at midnight. If the night ends on the sofa instead, our guide to alcohol-free drinks to unwind has more ideas.

Meet Peak Hype

Hype is our lifted mood: lifted, not wired. It is a lightly sparkling berry citrus drink with 60mg of natural caffeine from guayusa, 250mg of L-tyrosine and vitamins B3, B6, B7 and B12, which contribute to normal psychological function. It is vegan and low in sugar, with 28 calories a can. Hype contains caffeine and is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Louie swapped coffee for guayusa in 2020 and has had it every day since. People tell us Hype is the can they reach for when the idea is close and they want to feel up for chasing it. We have poured it from Amsterdam Dance Event to Paris Fashion Week, and it looks just as good next to a mixing desk.

Try Peak Hype, the berry citrus mood drink for the start of the session.

Common questions

What is a good coffee alternative for working from home?

Matcha, tea and guayusa are all popular swaps. Peak Hype gives you 60mg of natural caffeine in a cold, lightly sparkling can.

Is there a good alcohol-free swap for the studio beer?

Yes, and the trick is choosing something with enough flavour to feel like a treat. Peak Calm, in juicy peach, was made for exactly that moment.

Which Peak should I keep in the studio fridge?

One of each covers the whole day. The Starter Pack has 4 Hype and 4 Calm for £16.