When just sipping on a cup of coffee won’t cut it for your all-nighter, what do you reach for? An energy drink, of course. But with the plethora of options available, the choices can be overwhelming. Not to worry, I’m here to help. I’ve ranked the best energy drinks based on taste and my expertise as a college senior.
7. 5-Hour Energy
When I think of 5-Hour Energy, I think of long road trips where you want to avoid having a full bladder. Why else would someone drink 2 ounces of rank tasting cough syrup? The only redeeming thing about 5-Hour Energy is that it has 200mg of caffeine, making it ideal if you don’t have the time or bladder capacity to drink a 16-ounce drink.
6. NOS
With 160mg of caffeine in 16 fluid ounces, NOS is on the higher end of the spectrum as far as caffeine content goes. The drink is less carbonated than the other typical energy drinks, which makes it taste more like a chemically-infused juice. It tastes decent, but I would only drink it again if I was in the middle of an all-night study session and in desperation mode.
5. V8 V-Fusion Energy
If you want a pick-me-up that packs some nutritional value as well as a mild amount of caffeine, this is the one for you. V Fusions have a half cup of vegetables and a half cup of fruit in just 8 ounces. For 80mg of caffeine, this surprisingly tasty drink is perfect for someone who is health conscious and wants to avoid copious amounts of caffeine.
4. Rockstar
Rockstar is the dark horse of the bunch with 160mg of caffeine in a 16-ounce can. The taste reminds me of super sweet cream soda, probably thanks to the drink’s 31 grams of sugar. It’s doesn’t have the best taste, but it definitely is not the worst. Overall, Rockstar is very average.
3. Redline
The liquid heart attack. The bottle specifically warns you to only drink half the bottle and assess your tolerance from there. A full bottle packs 250mg in 8 ounces, which is by far the most of any drink on this list. I drink caffeine regularly and never get any side effects like anxiousness or jitters. However, about 10 minutes after drinking the recommended 4 oz, I could definitely feel the shakes coming on and I was wide awake.
Out of all the drinks I tried, this one gave me the most energy and the most awake feeling, but it was hard to sit still. I honestly don’t recommend trying Redline unless you really want one of the most caffeinated energy drinks out there.
2. Monster
To me, Monster tastes like being in high school and going to summer band camp in the Texas heat. The nostalgic taste is like a slightly syrupy soda. It doesn’t have the chemical-like after taste that some other energy drinks do, and it also has 160mg of caffeine. Monster is a great option that can be found in virtually any gas station or convenience store.
1. Red Bull
Ah, Red Bull. The most soda-like of all the energy drinks on this list, Red Bull is actually delicious. It is not too sweet and you don’t feel like you’re drinking an energy drink, which is a definite plus. Red Bull has a relatively modest 136 mg of caffeine in a 16-ounce can. With eight flavors to choose from including sugar-free, blueberry, and tangerine, you really can’t go wrong.
#SpoonTip: Get the Red Bull RED. The cranberry flavor is by far the best.