The Art of the Sundowner: Why Ritual Isn’t Discipline, It’s Magic

Ernest Hemingway walked every day—three hours, rain or shine. Not for steps, not for cardio, not because a morning podcast told him to. He walked because it was his rhythm. A consistent tether to something deeper, something ineffable. His long walks were less a matter of discipline and more of devotion—a sacred structure that signaled to his brain: it’s time to dream.

This is the kind of ritual we’re talking about.

We live in a world obsessed with discipline. Hustle culture loves a 5am alarm and a color-coded calendar. But ritual is different. Ritual isn’t rigid. It’s relational. It’s a signal. A segue. A slow and intentional opening or closing of a chapter in your day.

This is why we’re obsessed with our nightly sundowners.

It’s not just about the cocktail, it’s a line in the sand. It tells your brain: the work is done. We’re in leisure mode now. Whether you’re barefoot on the back porch or still in your work shoes, the act of making something every night—something with a little art and flare—changes you.

And there’s neuroscience to back this up.

Your Brain Craves Cues

The brain loves patterns. It’s designed to automate. Every time you perform a habit in a consistent context—like sipping a mushroom cocktail as the sun dips—you reinforce a neural pathway. Over time, the ritual becomes the cue for a state change.

In psychology, this is known as a habit loop:
cue → routine → reward.

In this case:

• Cue: golden hour and the evening sun setting
• Routine: mixing and sipping a mushroom cocktail
• Reward: a shift into presence, pleasure and leisure

Even on a Tuesday.

Ritual vs. Routine

Where a routine is mechanical, a ritual is meaningful. The brain registers that meaning. In fact, studies show that when we imbue an act with personal significance, it triggers greater activity in the default mode network—the part of the brain involved in self-reflection and creativity.

That’s why Hemingway’s walks sparked plots, not just a calorie burn. Who knows—maybe your nightly sundowner might unlock the idea or the answer you didn’t know you needed.

Turn living into art

Unlike traditional cocktails, mushroom-powered cocktails don’t leave you feeling sick and fuzzy the next day. On the contrary,  they provide physiological support for your psychological unwind. Think of it as a nervous system nightcap, less the hangover.

Slice the citrus, bust out the china and step outside to watch the world turn like the mini miracle it is.