If you tend to drink energy drinks, you most likely base it off of two factors: taste and energy.
“If I’m ever feeling tired, whether before the gym, or games, mainly school, I’ll get an energy drink for a boost of energy and the taste also plays a big factor,” sophomore Colt Monticello said.
“When I come home tired and know that I have a lot of homework to complete that night, I’ll swing by the store and pick up an energy drink,” junior Henry Feldman said.
Different brands of energy drinks have a wide array of flavors that appeal to a variety of audiences.
The list we’ve compiled is based on trends we’ve seen, along with revenue and sales of the drink.
For example, one of the most popular drinks, if not the most, Celsius, has become very versatile. Nicknamed the “fitness-focused” drink. They offer many variations. Beginning with their standard drink, it contains 200 milligrams (mg) and ranges between 30 different flavors. They have a fruit-focused “vibe” line, “essentials” for performance, a fizz-free option, all containing 200 milligrams but totaling nearly 50 flavors.
They have also introduced a “Celsius Heat” which contains 300 mg of caffeine and a powder version that you can mix in for 200 mg. Celsius features no sugar, no aspartame and no artificial preservatives, which attracts health-oriented consumers. It is the fastest growing drink in the world. Overall, it has many options to appeal to a wide variety making it number one on the list of rankings.
Redbull has a different approach. Rather than gaining an audience by promoting their flavors, Redbull takes an approach of investing in extreme sports, music and events which portrays the brand as focused on adventure, adrenaline and pushing human limits. While this isn’t necessarily promoting the drink itself, it grabs the attention of its audience. The 80 mg of caffeine, if consumed quickly enough, gives its users around four hours of energy. While the flavors are nothing special, they are the most sold energy drink in the world with a large audience, placing them as the second best energy drink in my ranking.
Monster, similar to Redbull, has an aggressive market in the sport and gaming world. They endorse Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Nascar, E-sports and many others. These sports have large fanbases, allowing Monster to be spread publicly on the daily. They have a line of over 300 flavors, continuously releasing limited-editions and region-specific flavors. They can contain between 160-300 mg of caffeine. On the market, they are the second most sold energy drink. With contenders like Celsius and Alani-Nu rising so rapidly, however, Redbull is going to earn spot three on the ranking.
Alani is relatively new to the game, being founded in 2018, a solid ten or more years after everyone else. Their rise began recently, selling a variety pack of 12 flavors, all pretty much candy-inspired. They have recently become popular among teenagers, mainly girls. If you walk around our school you will typically see a couple of them on desks or in hands. They are pretty standard when it comes to caffeine, but it’s their flavoring that separates them from everyone else. Due to this they find themselves at fourth on the list.
Ghost has made its success off a completely different approach. They use flavor collaborations like Sour Patch Kids, Warheads and Swedish Fish to appeal to younger audiences as well old heads looking for a nostalgic taste. These completely accurate tastes are what made them so successful. It introduced a completely new element to the game. While only having around 20 flavors, this dynamic has become so popular that it became the fourth most sold in the world, holding a spot at number five on the list.
All these drinks give you relatively the same “buzz,” based on caffeine. Flavoring, however, makes a big impact on these trends.
Although it seems many people drink energy drinks nowadays, many people prefer to stay away from them as well. Caffeine can have negative effects on a lot of people, whether it makes them tired or unwell in general. Options similar to energy drinks that would appeal to people who do not like energy drinks include matcha, green tea, Yerba Mate, coconut water or smoothies.
