Battery acid: An exploration of the energy drink

A Taste Test of Students’ Favorite Caffeinated Beverages

By Yoni Andorsky

Photograph by Carina McCallum

The buzz that comes from an energy drink is undoubtedly different from the caffeinated boost from coffee or tea. But why do some people, especially college students, swear by energy drinks—like Celsius and Monster—over coffee? 

It seems to me as though, as Gen Z has begun to grow into adulthood, that they largely are not big coffee drinkers. Sure, coffee (especially unsweetened coffee) can be a bit of an acquired taste, but I think that for a lot of current college students, the picky tastebuds of their childhoods have carried over into their young adult years. Another reason why energy drinks seem more appealing to college students is because they often contain more caffeine than their coffee counterparts and seem more cost efficient. 

As an avid coffee drinker myself, I have not had too many energy drinks in my life, but I thought that my first semester of college would be a great time to try some out. All of the following energy drinks are widely available on campus, so here are my thoughts and rankings.

Yerba Mate 

When I first picked up a can of Yerba Mate at City Co, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. The Yerba Madre brand (formerly Guayakí) is the most popular one in the states, as mate itself is a traditional South American drink. Each can contains 150 milligrams of caffeine, so a little bit less than some of the artificial energy drinks, but I think they work just as well. I’ve tried a few different flavors over the past couple of months, but my favorite is definitely the Enlighten Mint flavor—it has just the right amount of mintiness to make for a cool and refreshing caffeinated drink.

Celsius

Celsius is a great option if you are looking for a zero-sugar, low-calorie energy drink that also provides a wide variety of flavors. They are very sweet, fruity and fizzy drinks that have 200 milligrams of caffeine in just 12 ounces. For me, it was hard to get past the kind of chemically, metallic taste that Celsius has. Some flavors, like Peach Vibe and Kiwi Guava, did a better job of masking that taste, but it still came through and I found it a bit off-putting.

Monster and Redbull

These two, for me, are tied. The caffeine, sugar and chemical content just don’t balance out as well as Yerba Mate or Celsius. Both brands now offer zero-sugar options, but what they may make up for in nutrition, they definitely do not make up for in flavor. Monster offers a very wide range of flavors, but they are really different: some flavors, like Ultra Violet and Orange, were really undrinkable, but others such as Peachy Keen and Pipeline Punch were actually decent. Redbull also offers other flavors besides Original, but the selection is not as big as Celsius or Monster. I found the Sea Blue flavor to be the most drinkable, but otherwise, they really weren’t great.    

My final conclusions about these energy drinks are that Yerba Mate is great, Celsius is good, and Monster and Redbull are neither. Of course, you can drink whichever one you choose, but I would advise you to proceed with caution, as many energy drinks have a lot of very confusing ingredients that make it hard to discern what you are consuming. I still prefer coffee.