If Red Bull gives you wings, Drank promises a mellow landing on a far-away tropical beach. After years of slamming energy drinks and draining cup after cup of Starbucks coffee, Americans are ready to chill out, some beverage makers believe.

"The world is imploding economically. It's a tough time right now," says John Layfield, a spokesman for Drank, a new "anti-energy" drink. "People are working their tails off. They're worried about their job security. They want a way to relax."

Drank is a grape-flavored concoction that vows to "slow your roll" for about $2.50 a can. It's part of an emerging category of so-called relaxation beverages — with soothing names such as Calm, Malava Relax and ViB (short for vacation in a bottle) — that have recently hit the market.

"There hasn't been a product that makes people relax other than Jim Beam, and that gives you a hangover," Layfield says. "It's filling a void in the market."

Willie Murphy of Antioch, Tenn., says he downs about two energy drinks during the day to keep him going. He hasn't tried the relaxation drinks yet, but he said he'd like to.

"Who wouldn't want to relax? It would be good in the evening time, when you sit down to watch television," Murphy says. "Shoot, with all the tension in the world today you need something to relax. A lot of people are so stressed out they can't sleep at night."

While the beverages, infused with herbs and other dietary supplements, may be new, the concept of turning to a product to solve our problems is not, according to Brian Hinote, a Middle Tennessee State University assistant professor of sociology. Hinote says our culture is always looking for the next quick fix.

"We don't want to put in the work. Instead of eating better or exercising to reduce stress, we'll buy a soda or take a pill," Hinote says. "The energy drinks weren't enough. We need something not only to bring us up, but to bring us down."

BEWARE OF RISKS

While relaxation drinks have different flavors and ingredients, they all contain nutritional supplements known for their calming effects, such as valerian root, melatonin and chamomile.

Drank is marketed as a beverage "for people looking to relax without resorting to medication, sleep aids or alcohol."

"A lot of people take pharmaceuticals or alcohol for their problems. This is a natural alternative," Layfield says.

But David DiPersio, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center clinical pharmacist for critical care, warns that nutritional supplements are not risk-free. For example, withdrawal from valerian root has caused seizures in some people, he says.

"I wouldn't recommend these drinks," DiPersio says. "Dietary supplements are not strongly regulated or evaluated for claims by the FDA like other drugs. We really don't know what the risk of these ingredients are because they haven't been thoroughly studied."

And while recipes for yummy mixed drinks — such as Calm-a-rita and Tropical Tranquility — are easily found on the Internet, DiPersio says it's not a good idea to mix these drinks with alcohol.

"It might have an added sedative effect," he says.

A warning on Drank's can does state that the product may cause drowsiness, so you might want to try one at home after dinner.

Brook Martin, 35, of Nashville, Tenn., said drinking one helped her unwind but didn't put her to sleep.

"Halfway through the can, I was as relaxed as I am after one glass of wine," Martin says.

Shelby Longard, a Belmont University assistant professor of sociology, says the anti-energy drink trend is interesting considering that our culture — as far back as the Puritans — shuns relaxation.

"If you compare us to Great Britain and Canada, Americans take fewer vacations," she says. "Americans tend to do things like work through lunch at their desks."

So is it odd then that anti-energy drinks are becoming popular?

"No not really," Longard says. "It takes less time to drink one of those drinks than to go on vacation."