"energy drink" news and stories

It isn't really fair to call this review a "taste test," because I have basically resigned to the fact that any energy drink, no matter who makes it, tastes horrible. Even Diet Coke, which could be considered an energy drink if you take into account the caffeine, is an energy drink, and the taste is starting to wear on me. A lot. That's what two to three cans of soda a day will do to you. It wears you down.

G Pure Energy comes from Norwegian Ole Sandberg, the maker of high end water, Voss. If you didnt' know that intellectually, you'd certainly be able to sense it from the bottle's design. The bottle, like Voss' bottle, is made of glass, and is topped with the signature large silver screw-on top. This bottle, however, has a curve, which could be interepreted and sexy and gorgeous, or maybe a little scary -- you know, like someone drank a little too much G Pure Energy and gripped the bottle too hard. (And that with the bottle's even being glass!)

Over the past few years, "Superfoods" such as select berries and other fruits, have been making headlines due to the high level of nutrients, antioxidants, and assorted other health benefits they reportedly deliver. Though it was difficult to source them from anywhere but health food stores or possibly your local smoothie / juice bar, they are readily becoming more available in mainstream North American products.

Anheuser-Busch has just added Goji, a small, red berry found in a remote area of Tibet, to their existing '180 Energy Drink' line. The berry is believed to increase energy and stimulate rejuvenation, and apparently contains one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit recorded. According to AB, "180 Red with Goji" contains carbonated water; sucrose; Goji berry juice; acerola juice; guarana for natural caffeine; vitamins B-6, B-12 and C; and lychee natural flavor.

Late last year, the company also released "180 Blue" which is made from the super-berry Açai, found in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil.

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A new energy drink called Liquid Experience, inspired by Jimi Hendrix, is being released this spring by Beverage Concepts. The drink, which is named after Hendrix's breakthrough album, "Are You Experienced?" is nonalcoholic and uses the guitarist's image as part of its promotional materials. While the Jimi Hendrix vodka didn't seem to excite much controversy, the energy drink is not going over too well with fans, who feel that "his image and the beautiful feelings it has created during my lifetime cheapened by base advertising." Hopefully, those somewhat disgruntled fans can take comfort in the fact that Beverage Concepts Chief Executive Josh Glass has promised to donated a portion of the royalties from the sale of the drink will go to educational causes, as many other products that have use Hendrix's image in the past have done. According to Glass, the company will probably choose a music education foundation.

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The controversial energy drink, Cocaine, has been banned by 7-Eleven convenience stores, after the company received numerous complaints from parents about the drink. The drug-like effects promised to teens by a drink named after a drug crossed the line with them, especially considering that the beverage is marketed to teens. A spokeswoman said "the product's name promotes an image which we didn't want to be associated with." And 7-Eleven isn't the only company that feels this way. Many other stores in Chicago and New York have pulled the drink from shelves.

Representatives from the drink company said that "the company wasn't glorifying an illegal drug" - even though it seems that way to just about everyone. They also say that Cocaine will be available through Amazon soon, so teens in areas that don't sell it can get their fix that way.

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Last week we heard about a man who stole 27,000 pounds of steak. But after uncovering some more food thievery, it seems that some people will steal just about anything that isn't nailed down. And that means that even roots aren't secure enough:

Thieves stole 150 plum trees from an orchard in Hungary. They were uprooted and removed from the site during the off-season. The trees were valued at approximately $9,500.

In Tennessee, a 53-foot trailer containing 2,880 cases of Red Bull was stolen by thieves who really must have taken to hear the message that "red bull gives you wings."

In a possibly related theft, a trailer containing $100,000 of Kraft sauces was stolen in the same city in Tennessee. The trailer was later recovered, but the sauce was gone. We'll have to wait and see whether anyone reports a truck of stolen chicken wings, which might explain the disappearance of the sauce.