How we research
The Softer Hour is a guide to alcohol-free evenings: occasions, moods, recipes and plain-English explainers. This page explains where our facts come from, how we read labels, and how we keep each guide honest and up to date.
Who writes the guides
Every guide is written and checked by The Softer Hour Editorial Team. We aren't doctors, pharmacists or lawyers, and nothing on this site is medical or legal advice. When a question is about your health or your medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Where our facts come from
We start with primary sources and link them next to the statement they support:
- Federal agencies: the FDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the DEA, the CDC and the NIAAA.
- State law: state statutes and published summaries of state laws. Laws change, so we say when we checked and ask you to check your local rules.
- Peer-reviewed reviews in medical and scientific journals, for background on what a plant is and what's in it.
- Brands' own product pages and lab reports, for what's in a can (see below).
We don't use brand marketing, forums or social posts as a source for anything about safety or health. If we can't find a reliable source for something, we leave it out.
How we gather label data
- We read the brand's own product page, and the lab report (certificate of analysis, or COA) when the brand links one.
- We record only what's stated: serving or can size, the ingredient list, caffeine, the amount of a plant's main compound if the brand lists it, warnings and 21+ statements, and whether a lab report is linked.
- Each figure is shown with the date we checked it. If a brand doesn't state something, we write "Not listed". We never estimate or fill gaps.
- From a lab report we quote single figures with the report's date and a link to the full report. We don't embed or reproduce the document.
- We don't copy a brand's descriptions of how its drinks feel or what they do.
- Formulas change. The can in your hand is the final word, so check it.
No effect or health claims
We don't tell you how a drink will make you feel, and we don't make health claims. When a guide mentions safety, it uses standard cautions and links the agency that says so. Every guide that covers kava, kratom or kanna ends with a "Who should skip" section. We leave out products sold as concentrated 7-OH, and anything with THC.
How we check prices
We show a price only after checking it on the live product page, and we show the date we checked. Prices and sales change, so the price at checkout is the one that counts.
How "Last reviewed" dates work
The "Last reviewed" date under each guide is the most recent date we changed that guide's content or re-checked it against its sources. Rebuilding the site or changing its design doesn't move the date. The same content dates are used in our sitemap.
Corrections
If something is wrong or out of date, email hello@softerhour.com. Tell us the page and what you spotted. We'll check it against the source, fix it if it's wrong, and update the page's date.
How we make money
As a Botanical Brewing Co. affiliate, we earn a commission when you buy through our links. The site's owner works at Kava Culture, which operates kava bars and is a sister company of Botanical Brewing Co. (same ownership). The details are in our affiliate disclosure.
These are the standard safety sections our guides use:
Who should skip kava
- Kava drinks are for adults 21+.
- Kava has rare reports of liver problems, mostly linked to concentrated supplements. Skip it if you have a liver condition, are pregnant or nursing, or take medications that affect the liver or nervous system.
- Don't mix it with alcohol, and don't drive after drinking it. Talk to your doctor if you're unsure.
Who should skip kratom
- Kratom drinks are for adults 21+.
- Kratom can be habit-forming with regular use. The FDA hasn't approved it for any use, and it's restricted in some states and cities, so check your local rules.
- Skip it if you're pregnant or nursing, in recovery from alcohol or other substance use, or take any daily medication. Talk to your doctor if you're unsure.
- One can is one serving. Don't drink it with alcohol or other botanicals, and don't drive after drinking it.
Who should skip kanna
- Kanna drinks are for adults 21+.
- Never combine kanna with antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs) or other serotonergic medications.
- Skip it if you're pregnant or nursing, and talk to your doctor if you take any daily medication.
- One can is one serving. Don't drink it with alcohol, and don't drive after drinking it.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): FDA and Kratom
- FDA: FDA Takes Steps to Restrict 7-OH Opioid Products (July 29, 2025)
- FDA: Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Kratom
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): Kratom
- NCCIH: Kava
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Kratom fact sheet
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): MMWR, April 12, 2019
- Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association: Kratom: Summary of State Laws (January 2026)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): What Is a Standard Drink?
Links checked Oct 19, 2026.