A note from James, Founder of OYLI didn't recognise myself in a holiday selfie. That day, I decided to change.
Too much drink, too much weight and no energy for my two small kids. I rebuilt slowly, from the ground up, and medicinal mushrooms were the one thing I kept. So I made a coffee I could drink every day.
Business Post
SheerLuxe
The selfie that changed everything
In 2017, on a family holiday in the south of Spain, I took a selfie with my kids and I didn't recognise myself. Two of my companies had gone into liquidation two years before, and my belief in myself went with them. I was drinking a lot, eating badly, carrying a lot of extra weight and living in a fog. My kids were small, and they were getting a tired, burnt-out version of me. Something hit home when I looked at that photo. I made a vow to change.
When I got home, I took action. Short runs first. Then the gym, for the first time since I was 18, with a personal trainer, because I didn't know what I was doing. I started from the ground up. Slowly but surely, I gave up alcohol, started eating well and lost the weight. I tried everything along the way: new diets, cold plunges, vitamins, therapy. Medicinal mushrooms were the one thing that stuck. None of it was instant, but over time my head cleared, my energy was steadier and I was sleeping better.
The problem was the taste. I bought every mushroom coffee I could find, and they all tasted disgusting. So I made my own: speciality coffee with organic, dual-extracted Lion's Mane and Cordyceps at 12:1 and Reishi at 14:1, all from the whole fruiting body. I made it for myself, then for a friend, and in 2022 we started OYL in Dublin. It's still how I start every morning. It's not just the mushrooms, but it's the daily habit that helps me show up as the dad I want to be.
“Will this actually work for me?”
I can only tell you what it's done for me, and none of it was instant. One cup a day, every day, in place of your usual coffee. Here's what people who drink it say.
The mushroom most linked with focus. For me it was the brain fog lifting, slowly, over months rather than days. Dual-extracted, 12:1.
The one I noticed first in my running. I always say it's not just the mushrooms, the training did the work, but I felt Cordyceps helped me push on. Dual-extracted, 12:1.
Known as the calming mushroom. My sleep got better over time, along with everything else I was changing. Dual-extracted, 14:1.
Being straight with you
A clearer head, steadier energy and better sleep. Over months, not days.
Everyone is different. I changed a lot at once, so I won't tell you mushrooms did it alone.
OYL is a food, not a medicine. I can't point to a clinical trial that proves what I felt, so I won't pretend there is one. Try it for a month and judge for yourself.
What the first month looks like.
One cup a day, every day. Here's what to expect, honestly.
Same cup, new habit.
It tastes like coffee, so it replaces the one you already drink. One cup a day.
Keep going.
Nothing about this is instant. People who notice a change usually say it came with daily use, over weeks.
Paying attention.
This is around when many of our reviewers say they noticed their mornings feel different. For some it takes longer.
Your new morning.
By the end of the first bag it's part of your day. Your refill arrives, and you can pause or skip any time.
“Can I trust the claims?”
No paid actors and no invented quotes. Just what's behind OYL, and what I won't overstate.
IRISH-OWNED
I've taken Lion's Mane, Cordyceps and Reishi every day for about seven years, long before OYL was a company. I always say it's not just the mushrooms. I changed a lot of things. But it's the habit I've kept, and it's the coffee I drink every morning. If you ever have a question about your order, you're talking to us directly, not a call centre.
“Is this worth the price?”
It replaces the coffee you already buy. It isn't an extra.
- ✓About 30 cups per bag, a month of one cup a day.
- ✓Your first order comes with a free starter kit.
- ✓Free shipping on automatic refills.
- ✓Pause, skip or cancel any time from your account.
30-day guarantee
Try it for 30 days. If it isn't for you, message us at hello@drinkoyl.com. We'd rather sort it out than have you keep a subscription that isn't working for you.
The spec sheet
Every format, side by side.
| Format | Lion’s Mane | Cordyceps | Reishi | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Mushroom Coffee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Full |
| Ground Mushroom Coffee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Full |
| Decaf Mushroom Coffee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Decaf |
| Mushroom Only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | None, no coffee |
Questions worth answering upfront
Is this really your story?
Yes, every part of it. The selfie was with my kids on a family holiday in Spain in 2017, and OYL started in 2022. I made it for myself first.
Did the coffee help you lose weight?
No, and I'd never say it did. I lost the weight through running, the gym, giving up alcohol and eating better. The mushrooms were one of the habits I built along the way.
Does it taste like mushrooms?
No, it tastes like coffee. That was the whole point. Every mushroom coffee I tried tasted disgusting, so taste came first.
How long before I notice anything?
None of these things are instant. It took me months. Have one cup a day, every day, in place of your normal coffee, and give it at least a month.
How do I make it?
Ground: one scoop (about 12g) to 200 to 250ml of water in a cafetiere, AeroPress, moka pot, V60 or drip machine. Instant: 2 tablespoons in about 200ml of hot water. Mushroom Only: a quarter teaspoon in any hot drink.
Is there caffeine in it?
Instant and Ground have the caffeine of normal coffee. Decaf is decaffeinated. Mushroom Only has no coffee and no caffeine.
Do I have to subscribe, and can I cancel?
No, every format is available as a one-off order. Automatic refills cost less, and you can pause, skip, change or cancel any time from your account.
I'm pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication. Can I drink it?
Please check with your GP or pharmacist first.
Keep the coffee. Rebuild the morning.
James, Founder of OYL
I made it for myself. Now thousands of people drink it every day. Your first order comes with a free starter kit, and you can pause or cancel any time.
TRY OYL TODAYOYL is a food product and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The story on this page is James's own experience. He changed many things at once, including exercise, diet and giving up alcohol, and OYL is not a weight-loss product. Individual results vary. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or sensitive to caffeine, check with your GP or pharmacist before use.