There is nothing worse than a hangover; the fatigue and nausea are often enough to put you off drinking for months. Enter a functional beverage that goes beyond hydration. It’s low-calorie, a vitamin hit and offers a potent plant extract that triggers profound changes to protect your liver.
Editor Trudi Brewer shares a wellness hack worth knowing about.
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Functional beverages are not a fad. The market for this instant pick-me-up is expected to reach almost $40 billion by 2030. According to a U.S. study on Gen Z alcohol trends, there is a shift toward mindfulness and moderation. Millennials are on the wagon too, among top purchasers of non-alcoholic alternatives, like alcohol-free spirits, and dealcoholised wine. Another study found that in April 2024, 61% of non-alcoholic beer consumers in the U.S. were Millennials. Citing mental and gut health as drivers, they are also the largest consumers of functional beverages. If you are searching for the holy grail of NA cocktails, health and wellness expert Ashlee Summers has answered that call. The co-founder of Sacro Alcohol Recovery Beverage, a remedy for the morning after the night before, that does more than reboot your energy levels. Scroll on to learn more.
What is your career background?
I was fortunate to be raised by a mother who prioritised health long before it became mainstream. From cold plunges to daily grounding rituals, those early experiences shaped a lifelong interest in wellness. I spent several rewarding years working as a personal trainer, which led me to launch Sacro Alcohol Recovery Beverage. My entrepreneurial spirit has underpinned each chapter of my career. I’ve always been driven and self-motivated, so it feels natural that I'm now building my brand.
How did you come up with the idea of an alcohol recovery beverage?
I'm interested in wellness longevity (ageing well), by supporting the body at a cellular level, which naturally led me to explore supplements and healthy foods. Over time, I became well-versed in reading nutrition labels and cutting through the noise of misleading health claims. This awareness laid the foundation for understanding what functional wellness products offer. While working in the health and wellness space, my partner, Sacro’s co-founder (equally passionate about holistic well-being), and I began noticing a common thread with our clients. Many were committed to their wellness routines but found it challenging to stay on track regarding socialising and celebrating. These moments often resulted in a sense of setback, particularly when alcohol was involved. That insight, combined with our own life experiences, sparked the idea. We recognised a gap in the market. It seemed almost illogical to us that, despite alcohol’s long-standing presence in social culture, there wasn’t a product designed to support the body in processing and recovering from it. That’s where the Sacro Recovery Beverage journey began.
What are the ingredients in Sacro?
Sacro (pronounced Sa-cro, not Sac-ro) is a clean, functional formula that genuinely supports the body’s recovery from alcohol. The hero ingredient is DHM (Dihydromyricetin), a natural plant extract found primarily in the Japanese raisin tree and used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to support liver health. DHM works by enhancing the liver enzymes (ADH and ALDH) responsible for breaking down and eliminating acetaldehyde, which is a toxic by-product of alcohol metabolism that’s primarily responsible for the way you feel the morning after. The more acetaldehyde in your system, the worse you feel. DHM helps accelerate its clearance, supporting a faster, more complete recovery. We combined DHM with a functional dose of electrolytes (at a similar concentration per mL to leading sports drinks), plus essential B vitamins including B3, B5, B6, B12, and vitamin C, to address dehydration, inflammation, and that toxin (acetaldehyde) build-up. There are no artificial colours, flavours, or stimulants. Sacro is sweetened with apple juice concentrate, with only 28 calories per serving.
How does it work as a Hangover cure?
When you drink alcohol, your body goes through more than just a buzz and a comedown. It experiences dehydration, inflammation, and a depletion of vital nutrients, particularly as alcohol blocks the hormone that helps retain water, increasing urination that flushes out key vitamins. But the real issue is the build-up of acetaldehyde (the toxic compound produced as your liver breaks down alcohol). A healthy liver needs about an hour to metabolise and clear acetaldehyde for every standard drink. Consume multiple beverages over a short time (as many of us do when socialising), and your system can’t keep up, leaving this toxin circulating through your body, and that’s what causes the sluggish, unwell feeling commonly known as a hangover. Sacro targets the build-up of acetaldehyde, with DHM supporting liver detoxification, electrolytes restoring hydration, and essential vitamins replenishing what’s lost, which helps the body recover faster and more effectively.
There’s growing scientific interest in our key ingredient, DHM (Dihydromyricetin). Recent research by American Dr. Jing Liang is showing promising results, particularly around DHM’s potential to repair liver damage caused by alcohol, and even help build a more resilient liver when it comes to metabolising alcohol over time. Even more exciting, early studies are exploring DHM’s role in supporting individuals who are withdrawing from alcohol. While this research is still developing, it’s a meaningful step forward in understanding how this powerful plant extract could play a bigger role in long-term health and recovery.
What are the other health benefits?
Sacro supports rehydration, restoration, and recovery from alcohol consumption. Every ingredient has been chosen for this purpose, offering a ready-to-drink solution. Gone are the days of ‘toughing it out’ or relying on sugar-laden sports drinks to get you through. Sacro is clean; thanks to its low-calorie profile, high electrolyte content, and added vitamins, many customers have incorporated it into their everyday wellness routines. We’ve had feedback from parents using Sacro as a healthier alternative to traditional sports drinks for their kids after game day and gym-goers post-workout.
When is the right time to drink Sacro?
Before drinking, it helps prep your body and can support hydration and help buffer the impact of alcohol. Between drinks, our customers have nicknamed this 'the in-between-i.' Sipping Sacro between alcoholic beverages helps pace your intake, rehydrate, and support next-day recovery. Then, post-drinking: This is Sacro’s core moment. Drinking Sacro post-alcohol gives your body the nutrients and support it needs to recover efficiently. Finally, daily (for regular drinkers), Sacro helps maintain balance and reduce the cumulative toll alcohol can take on your body over time.
How many can you drink at a time?
While the label states one can per day, due to the concentration of B vitamins, you’d need to consume a very high amount of Sacro to experience any adverse effects. The formulation is designed to be safe for multiple servings. There are no rigid rules. The more you drink, the more you benefit, as you’re layering the functional support.
Ashlee Summer’s wellness and beauty routine
Well-being and beauty are intrinsically linked. Do you follow a health Routine?
I work from home, so it's easy to bounce between my health and wellness regimes to create a daily schedule that keeps me healthy. I avoid sitting at a laptop all day and hitting the afternoon tired slump, where you reach for a sugar hit. I am mindful of what I eat; I prioritise quality sleep, functional supplements, and, more recently, an IV vitamin boost. As well as cold therapy, infrared saunas, weekly lymphatic drainage, yoga, meditation, and pen-to-paper journaling. It’s a list of things I include to benefit and improve my life and longevity. I’m also a huge skincare and clean beauty fan; there’s a place for it all.
Sacro Recovery Beverage, co-founder, Ashlee Summers.
What's the first thing you do in the morning and the last before you sleep?
After being woken by Prince, my ragdoll cat, at five am without fail, I’m up and out for a walk around the waterfront. Fresh air and exercise are an absolute must for me every day, rain or shine. I love to start the morning by seeing the sunrise. Before I sleep, I try to meditate, wearing my LED mask every other night. Skincare always, morning and night. Supplements, bone broth, or a sleepy tea to help the system wind down for sleep.
What are your favourite skincare brands?
I’m a huge skincare fan. Impressive ranges include Osmosis Skincare, Young Goose, Dermalogica, and local brand ED&’I. I steer clear of anything too highly fragranced for my skin, and look for ingredients in their effective dose.
What are your go-to makeup buys?
I am a less-is-more girl and gravitate toward makeup that offers natural, dewy skin and an SPF. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is my go-to, but I recently tried Aelph Smoothing Skin Tint, SPF20 and have been loving that too. Also, Osmosis Colour Pressed Base mineral powder is amazing. The team at Clinic1 introduced me to it as a safe makeup post-treatments, and I have become obsessed. I love tube mascara, HOURGLASS Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara, which is easy to remove. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick for bronzing. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel, Kosas Revealer Concealer, and Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask. It sounds a lot for a ‘less is more’ girl, but it depends on the day and the mood. I also follow @jamieanneaesthetics for all things non-toxic in skincare; she is helping with my clean beauty transition.
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, $89. Osmosis Colour Pressed Base, $76. Tom Ford Rose Prick, from $200. HOURGLASS Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara, $65.
What is the one non-negotiable in your beauty routine?
Clean, active skincare, and Patricia from Preciosa SPA in Auckland. An expert in body-shaping and Brazilian wood therapy, I highly recommend her beauty treatments; you will not stop once you start. The excellent results have helped me feel comfortable in my skin. Patricia and the girls on her team are all incredible and very skilled. They show no mercy, but often, beauty is pain—it’s worth it.
Favourite fragrance?
I have many, but right now, Tom Ford Rose Prick.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Perfume and wine. I won’t say no to a good-quality glass of wine. I love wine tasting and discovering new varieties. I also take too many photos of my first fur child, my Ragdoll cat, Prince.
A 10-pack of Sacro Alcohol Recovery Beverage costs $50.
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