All around America, caffeine is part of many teens and adults’ daily morning routine. Many are reliant on coffee, tea or high-caffeinated soft drinks. But one caffeine beverage on the market that is regarded by many as the worst beverage for someone is energy drinks. Despite its bad reputation, many people still drink them daily, particularly teenagers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30%-50% of teens drink energy drinks daily. The energy drink industry has evolved beyond Red Bull, which originally started to get popular in the early 2000s and Monster energy drinks, which was popular in the 2010s. Now, more than 50 different brands are on the market.
Out of curiosity about the different brands available, I decided to taste test the top 10 most popular energy drinks today. I have tried all of them, analyzed and ranked the flavors, giving my personal recommendations for which brand currently has the best flavors.
This taste test is based on the most popular flavors of each brand represented. I am taking into consideration the flavor, amount of caffeine and carbonation levels for each drink on the list.
The following ranking is based on my personal preference and opinion. These drinks are ranked worst to best.
- Yerba Mate- Revel Berry
Yerba Mate has popped off recently as a healthier energy drink option, and I had high hopes going into this taste test. However, this beverage was not good tasting to me. It had an unpleasant flavor, which may be from the green tea in it. The berry flavor was also off-putting. With 150 mg of caffeine, it will definitely get you energized.
- Bang Energy- Purple Haze
Grape is a hard flavor to get right, and Bang definitely did not get it right. This grape flavor tasted like cough syrup. I threw away the can after only two sips, which was sufficient to judge the energy drink. The drink has 300 mg of caffeine, which is more than enough to energize you for hours. In my opinion, the drink was not carbonated enough, and the flavor left an odd aftertaste. The only reason this option ranked higher than Yerba Mate’s Revel Berry is due to its higher caffeine level.
- C4- Skittles
This is where the flavors start to get better in the ranking. I actually enjoyed the flavor of this drink, but it did not taste much like Skittles, its namesake. The flavor was very strong too. I would definitely not recommend anyone drink this if they are not able to get activity in, because this will have you bouncing off the walls. It has 200 mg of caffeine, which is in the normal range, but the addition of a supplement called Beta-Alanine adds a lot more energy to the drink.
- Ryse Energy- Kool-Aid
This is a hard one to rank. Ryse is newer to the energy drink game, being established in 2017. I think it is really cool how they were able to make an energy drink with a kool-aid flavor, and it tasted just like the classic cherry Kool-Aid. It has 200 mg of caffeine, which gives the perfect boost of energy. I just wish it had a little bit more carbonation. Overall, this is a great drink, and every single energy drink from this point on is fantastic and super hard to rank. Small differences are what make one stand apart from another.
- Red Bull- Original Flavor
Red Bull is a classic. The flavor tastes like battery acid, but weird enough, it is a fantastic taste. I also detect a touch of apple in the flavor, overall combining for a nice flavor. I know a lot of people love this flavor to death, and others hate it. To each their own, but this drink still falls in the bottom five for me. I think the level of carbonation in this drink is perfect, a nice change from previous choices that fell flat. The only negative with this drink is the caffeine content. It only has 112 mg of caffeine for a 12 oz can and only 80 mg for an 8.4 oz can. This is the lowest amount of caffeine out of any of these drinks.
- Celsius- Peach Vibe
The peach flavor in this drink is fantastic. Celsius is regarded as one of the healthier energy drink options on the market. Overall, it has the average amount of caffeine and perfect carbonation for me, and a nice, light peach flavor. While this drink is enjoyable and broke my top 5, and despite the drink’s ardent fan base, I think it might be just a little bit overhyped.
- Ghost Energy- Orange Cream
The flavor of this drink is super good. Orange is my favorite flavor in drinks, so this ranking might be a little biased. However, I know the difference between a good orange flavor and a bad orange flavor, and let me tell you, this is a good orange flavor. With 200 mg of caffeine, it provided a spark in my day, and led to me feeling productive and energetic.
- Monster Energy- White Edition
Monster Energy is one of the most popular energy drinks and has been for a while. Though I cannot put my finger on what this flavor tastes like, it is very tasty. The carbonation on this nice and bubbly, not too much, not too little. It has 150 mg of caffeine, which I think is a solid amount. I have nothing bad to say about this drink, just overall nearly perfectly executed. The white flavor is a fan favorite, and it is also my favorite flavor. If I ever plan on drinking monster energy, this is the flavor I will purchase
- Alani Nu- Orange Kiss
This is by far the most refreshing drink I have tried yet in this ranking. The orange flavor is spot on; it tastes like I am eating a freshly picked orange from Florida. It has the right amount of carbonation and that perfect 200 mg typical of these beverages. It provides a great spark for the day. This drink tastes like a day on the beach, if that makes sense. This drink is light, tasty, and overall fantastic.
- Reign- White Gummy Bear
In the number 1 spot comes Reign’s White Gummy Bear flavored beverage. I am honestly astonished, dumbfounded and flabbergasted at how amazing this drink was. It is truly the best-tasting energy drink I have ever tried. The caffeine is on the higher end at 300 mg, but it does not make you overly jittery. I recommend someone drink this before a workout, or for studying for a finals test all night. This flavor tastes like a dream, and I think that everyone in the world should try this drink at least once, because your life will be changed. I have no words, this drink is just flat out incredible.
The drinks were ranked on three categories: Taste, carbonation and caffeine. Each category is out of 5 points, and added together, making it out of 15 points total. Here is the graph of the rankings.
