Volunteer Botanicals Innovates Functional Beverage Industry With Launch of 'Liquid Mushrooms'

Rapidose Lion's Mane, Cordyceps and Reishi microemulsions offer beverage makers an easier-to-use, better-tasting alternative to challenging powder mushroom extracts

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (Nov. 18, 2025) – Volunteer Botanicals™, developers of microemulsion ingredients for a variety of botanical-based products, announced today the availability of Rapidose Liquid Mushrooms, a microemulsion of either Lion's Mane, Cordyceps or Reishi mushrooms that offers beverage makers a consistent liquid format that blends more easily and is less labor intensive than traditional powder mushroom ingredients.

The multi-billion dollar functional beverage category has been buoyed most recently by the growing popularity of Lion's Mane, a functional mushroom that research suggests has promising cognitive, nerve and emotional health benefits. However, the majority of powder mushroom extracts often have low dispersibility, causing gritty or suspended particles in the final drink – which is unappealing to consumers. In addition, powder mushroom extract poses operational challenges, including clogged lines and costly, time-consuming changes to the manufacturing process. Rapidose Liquid Mushrooms resolves all of these barriers, offering beverage makers a better alternative to powder-based mushroom extracts.

"The majority of mushroom powder is just ground-up mushrooms, much of which is substrate and other non-mushroom filler," said Jason Pickle, President of Volunteer Botanicals. "In addition, mushroom powder ingredients typically claim to be water soluble, but in practice some of the material is hydrophobic holding at the top of a tank while some parts sink to the bottom. There are so many challenges to keeping the powder in suspension it often results in manufacturers needing to create entirely new operating procedures to work with it."

Rapidose Liquid Mushrooms removes all of these manufacturing challenges, enabling CPG manufacturers to incorporate high potency mushroom extracts into adaptogen drinks, energy drinks, seltzers or THC/cannabinoid beverages. The popularity of Lion's Mane has exploded in recent years, with consumers increasingly touting its potential benefits for nerve health, cognitive function and focus on social media. Increasingly, consumers are seeking it in functional beverages and even as an ingredient in some food items. According to MarketResearch.com, the global market for Lion's Mane is expected to reach $340.8 million by 2030.

"Beverage manufacturers have told us that working with powder mushroom extract can be a real pain, which is why we put our R&D to work to find a better solution," Pickle said. "We think Rapidose Liquid Mushrooms are a game changer for the industry. Manufacturers gain a high-quality, easier-to-use ingredient and consumers get a beverage with better effects and better flavor profiles that blend completely with other functional ingredients and flavorings."

For more information on Volunteer Botanicals, Rapidose technology or to schedule an interview with Jason Pickle, contact Jim Dissett at 303-532-7392.

About Volunteer Botanicals

Volunteer Botanicals has developed an innovative in-house technology suite that produces Rapidose water-based microemulsions for beverages and shots, as well as free-flowing, pharmaceutical-grade powders for solid oral dose formats. This cutting-edge conversion technology is the cornerstone of the company's incredibly precise, highly effective and exceptionally bioavailable solutions. Whether creating a beverage or a custom tablet, Volunteer Botanicals' precision dosing technology offers endless possibilities when harnessing the power of plants.