# Can they make an energy drink that actually tastes good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017 "2005-05-16T03:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/1 "2005-05-16T03:04:49Z")
I had always thought Red Bull was the hallmark ‘awful tasting pep drink’. But I guess other soft drinks are nosing in on Red Bull’s territory. So here’s the (limited) rundown of what I’ve tried and a description of how it tasted. **Red Bull** : It tasted like carbonated cough syrup. Sometimes I’ll get a Red Bull+Vodka (occasionally called a ‘Raging Bull’). The great thing about this is that the cheapy vodka they often use actually takes the edge off the taste of the Red Bull. So it tastes like acoholic carbonated cough syrup (a bit more palpable 😉 ) **Rockstar** : I tried one of these this morning, to help pep me up for a 2 hour drive back home. The taste was startlingly medicine-y. It is hard to describe; the closest thing I can think of is that it tastes like the flourine rinse stuff they made me swish around for a minute during the hygenist’s appointment (even my dentist has been gracious enough to replace that awful tasting flourine swill with a flavored foamy flourine product). It is so unpleasantly bizarre, I actually laughed out loud in the car marvelling how they could cram a sixteen ounce can with so much…bleh. Also amusing is my friend’s roomate drinks like 12 of those things a day. I have no idea how she can choke them down. 😛 **Power Bar** : Haven’t tried it yet, but honestly I’m kind of leery about a Power Bar in liquid form. Do they just puree it into a sludge? I actually like the taste of Power Bars themselves, they’re pleasantly chewy/crispy. _still waiting for chocolate fudge in a can_ ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/2 "2005-05-16T03:11:31Z")
Full Throttle. Then again, Coke was passing them out free to everyone with a pulse on campus. (And some of us got 3 cans of it). Everyone in the Role Playing Game Group (me included) decided to take coke up on the offer. We are sitting around, knocking it back, and I comment that you don’t see “Surge” anymore. Then nearly everyone else claims that Full Throttle is Surge Redux. 3 bucks per 16 ounce can. But other than that… ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/3 "2005-05-16T05:05:02Z")
Bawls is good - kind of like super-fruity Sprite. If you’re more of a cola person, Jolt packs a definite punch, and tastes only slightly off from Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/4 "2005-05-16T06:12:28Z")
How 'bout Starbucks Double Shot Espresso’s . It’s not carbonated, but it’ll get the blood flowing through your veins at very appeasing speeds. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/5 "2005-05-16T06:29:02Z")
I’ve become addicted to Sobe’s “No Fear.” Even the sugarfree version is kickass. Of course for $2.50 a bottle ($1.50 at Marc’s!! yay!) it only kicks my ass a coupla times a week. Does well for muscle soreness - or so I have tricked my body to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/6 "2005-05-16T06:49:19Z")
Over the weekend, I became very fond of SoBe Adrenaline Rush. I was at the Richmond races, and I knew that I would be drinking. I packed a few cans in along with the beer and bottles of ice. After a couple of beers, it was a nice little pick-me-up, sort of along the lines of a coffee, and it got the stale beer and cigarette taste out of my mouth, if only for a moment. 😉 It wasn’t nearly as sweet as the [crap I got a last year](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=264371). In fact, it was rather good. I got the sugar free one Friday because of past experience, and it was tasty. On the beer run the next day, I picked up the regular kind, and it was good too. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/7 "2005-05-16T06:56:20Z")
In the UK, Purdeys tastes good, but isnt very widely available. [http://www.trevreav.co.uk/Visuals%20popup/purdeys.html](http://www.trevreav.co.uk/Visuals%20popup/purdeys.html) MiM ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Kenneth_Noisewater)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/8 "2005-05-16T07:03:05Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Full Throttle. I don’t know how you got past the first sip; I know I didn’t. It was like Mountain Dew, Sprite Remix and ten other flavors all merged into one. It was sweet enough to knock you out and just the right combination of flavors to be gross. Maybe that was the point? ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/9 "2005-05-16T07:14:22Z")
Then again, I drink Mountain Dew daily. ---
**Author:** ![baronsabato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/10 "2005-05-16T08:34:10Z")
I like the coke flavored Rockstar. It doesn’t quite taste like regular coke, but it’s not too far off. It got me through quite a few all-nighters. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/11 "2005-05-16T08:35:57Z")
Does Guinness count? That gives you energy, although mostly the energy to drink more Guinness. ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/12 "2005-05-16T09:30:20Z")
Czech ‘Semtex’ is the main Red Bull competitor and tastes pretty good. There is also ‘Erektus’ (with a caveman-type drawing of a guy with an erection) that tastes like crap…nasty nasty stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/13 "2005-05-16T09:44:05Z")
No idea how widely available it is, but Lucozade tastes nice. Not sure what flavour it can be described as, quite sweet orange? ---
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/14 "2005-05-16T10:04:52Z")
> [@JoeSki](#): > > How 'bout Starbucks Double Shot Espresso’s . It’s not carbonated, but it’ll get the blood flowing through your veins at very appeasing speeds. A friend tried this once and referred to it as “putrid in a can”. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/15 "2005-05-16T17:26:02Z")
Personaly I like the taste of Adrenalin Rush from SoBe, it is more citrus than red bull or rockstar. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/16 "2005-05-16T17:51:49Z")
This is a big if, but _if_ you like the taste of Mountain Dew (sometimes I can stand it) then **Amp** isn’t too bad. I only got them because I stopped at a gas station once that had them on sale for two for $1! I got ten of them, since I sometimes feel the need for caffinne in the morning, but don’t drink coffee. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/17 "2005-05-16T19:07:07Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Does Guinness count? Perhaps. But if so, you’ll probably have to include Anheuser Busch’s [B[sup]E[/sup] (B to the E)](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6869973/) > [@](#): > > Traditional suds spiked with caffeine, fruit flavoring, herbal guarana and ginseng. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/18 "2005-05-16T21:08:08Z")
> [@Carm6773](#): > > A friend tried this once and referred to it as “putrid in a can”. Lies! I like the stuff, but only if it’s _cold_. Like… cold cold. Kind of like the bottled Frappacinos. Then again, neither is as good as you’d find in a coffee shop, but eh. ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/19 "2005-05-16T21:37:38Z")
> [@Carm6773](#): > > A friend tried this once and referred to it as “putrid in a can”. I reccomend you give it a try yourself. I’ve had plenty of them and think they’re pretty tasty. Does your friend dislike coffee, or likes coffee so much that anything not gourmet is considered drek? I’m only asking this because to me the Double Shot Espresso doesn’t taste too different from something you’d buy in a Cafe. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017/20 "2005-05-16T22:30:01Z")
No Fear isn’t bad - very mango-y. I think that the diet version of Rock Star is significantly better than the regular kind - much less intense, tastes pretty good. I could drink 6 or 7 Starbucks doubleshots in about 10 minutes - they’re sooo tiny, but taste good! George [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-they-make-an-energy-drink-that-actually-tastes-good/304017.md?page=2)