Positioned as the antithesis to energy drinks, the idea behind them is that the stress exacerbated by the recession has people in need of calming, and what better way to do it than with a refreshment that is designed to help you relax?

Industry marketers have seized on the drinks' purported calming properties as the antidote for a stressed-out society. Calming beverages include Blue Cow, Superliminal Purple Stuff Pro-Relaxation Formula, Vacation in a Bottle and iChill, a relaxation shot which urges users to "unwind from the grind".