‘The Last of Us’ Mushroom Coffee Probably Won’t Turn You Into a Zombie
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Merch tie-ins with TV shows are nothing new, but it’s one thing when it’s the tropical setting of The White Lotus and another when it’s the bleak, post-apocalyptic world of HBO’s The Last of Us. The hit show, based on the enduringly popular video game, follows the survivors of a zombie outbreak caused by cordyceps, a type of parasitic fungus. So naturally, HBO teamed up with a mushroom coffee brand for the best cup of joe to sip through the end times.
Four Sigmatic has been in the mushroom business for over a decade, predating the current craze, and their latest coffee with The Last of Us is packed with organic cordyceps, organic lion’s mane extract, and Vitamin B12. The dark roast, which comes ground, also has a high caffeine level, which certainly comes in handy when outrunning zombies.
Four Sigmatic The Last of Us Coffee
Cordyceps may not be able to turn humans into zombies, but they do infect insects like ants, changing and controlling their behavior until the insect eventually dies and the infection can spread to the next unsuspecting insect. The ability to turn insects into “zombies” served as inspiration for the video game’s creators.
As for cordyceps’ affect on humans, the fungus has been used in herbal medicine, and Four Sigmatic claims the mushroom coffee can have benefits for “energy, endurance, and stamina.”
The Last of Us returns April 13, and will be airing weekly on HBO and streaming on Max, which is available as a standalone subscription or a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. The series stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, with the new season adding Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, who is introduced in The Last of Us Part II video game and has an antagonistic relationship with Pascal’s Joel.