n0nsensical

Most people I know seem to hate them, but this is for all the freaks addicted to that sugary caffeine goodness. What's your favorite?

Mine used to be Bawls but after drinking a lot of both that and Red Bull I have to say I prefer the old classic. It's got more depth or something. Rockstar is decent, but seems like a worse imitation of Red Bull. But it's also cheaper. Amp is like an off-flavor Mountain Dew. All things considered I'd rank it last among what I've tried.

What about the health effects? Negative? Positive? Similar sugar/artificial sweetener issues as other soft drinks. Caffeine is not exactly good for you either and can lead to dependence and withdrawal. I try to space out my caffeine intake with a few days between, plus that makes it a lot more effective when I need to stay up. I also don't drink it in the evening if I need to get to sleep relatively on time. I admit for the best health, you would probably want to go to sleep on time all the time, but when you run a full weekend schedule that's not always your high priority. Do you think the vitamins and other random unpronounceable ingredients could actually be worth some benefit?

PS Can a mod please edit the poll? Replacing Tab Energy with Sparks (6% ABV), because Tab has been discontinued.
Which raises another interesting point: Energy drinks + Alcohol, what do you think? I have yet to try one premixed, but next time I'm in the convenience store I'll pick up a Sparks and report. I have tried Red Bull + vodka, and I'm sorry, unless maybe you're talking Red Bull + Ketel One, which is way out of my budget, I'd much rather take the vodka shots and chase it with the Bull.

__________________
"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln

Nisses

I prefer Red Bull, but not on an empty stomach.

Tried that once after a long night out... Impossible to calm myself or sit still at my desk while programming.
Odd, since at night it works great

I like that Nalu drink too from Coca Cola I believe. Though not for the caffeine kick.

There's another one down here called Burn which isn't half bad, but gotta stick with the classic.

__________________
Moderation should be moderately moderated.

Geo

I myself would say Red Bull for taste, but if you're looking for best in terms of energy, I would probably say Relentless (http://www.relentlessenergy.com/).

__________________
"what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger"

Push-Pull

After an overdose and subsequent crash with Jolt Cola years ago, I tend to avoid these things with a passion......

__________________
"No laws, no matter how rigidly enforced, can protect a person from their own stupidity." -Me-

"Some people are like Slinkies..... They are not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs." -Unknown-

DAMMIT! -Jack Bauer-

Seaver

I love Rockstar Juiced drinks, especially the Guava. It's in a purple can, and is sometimes hard to find. Hands down the best tasting energy drink ever.

__________________
"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

ÐiGiRed

I voted for AMP.. but then it's the only one I've tried so.. *shrugs*

__________________
Don't drink and park, accidents in cars cause people.

Martian

I buy whatever's on sale. They all taste pretty similar to me, and I'm just after the caffeine anyway.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

ObieX

I don't really count Jolt Cola as an energy drink, but i guess that is what i would vote for. I think the rest taste terrible.

__________________
We Must Dissent.

ring

The high Niacin levels in some of those drinks can be very detrimental to your health, especially if someone drinks a few of them in rapid succesion.

I go in search for a good link on this info.

Baraka_Guru

I quit caffeine in February. I don't need the extra taurine. I especially don't need it mixed with caffeine and sugar. Actually, I don't think anyone does.

I will be drinking Gatorade soon, as I'm now running. Electrolytes are runners' best friends. That's my kind of energy drink. I will buy it cheap. A large powdered mix from Costco or Sam's Club.

I'm basically against those crazy energy drinks. I think the majority of people who drink them are doing so for the wrong reasons. The addition of certain ingredients are questionable at best. For example, the addition of ginseng or green tea as minor ingredients is laughable because you need a much higher dose and daily intake for weeks to have any real effect. It's just marketing. Though I do think the taurine, sugar, caffeine blend is legit--it's just that I think it's harmful. It's basically a chemical formula to boost your metabolism in order to feed off of a glucose-based source of energy. The problem with this is related to how the adrenal system works. You shouldn't mess with that.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

BadNick

I never had one, except a small taste of Red Bull while sitting at a bar when the bartender was mixing it for someone. It tasted like bad syrup and a good way to ruin an othewise good drink. I have no plans to try them, I already have more than enough energy. I do occasionally drink one of those bottled waters enhanced with electrolytes, hoping it will make me glow in the dark.

snowy

When I drink an energy drink, I typically go with Rockstar's Zero Carb. It tastes better than any of the other sugar-free energy drinks--a bit like a melted popsicle. I don't drink energy drinks often, though; typically, I only drink them on long car trips where I'm driving and need to be alert. I definitely go for a cup of coffee before I go for an energy drink.

Odwalla just came out with a couple of new drinks along these lines--Serious Energy (yerba mate, green tea, and guarana) and Serious Focus (green tea and ginseng). According to the packaging (I just happen to have both of these in my fridge at the moment) there is 35g of caffeine in the Focus from 100mg of green tea extract. It doesn't say precisely how much is in the Energy, but it does say that it contains 200mg of yerba mate extract and 100mg of green tea extract, so we can safely assume it contains more than 35mg of caffeine. I've only had the Serious Focus yet; it's quite tasty. The fruit juice makes these a good alternative to traditional energy drinks. The 35g of caffeine isn't really enough for me to notice a difference, but I'm fairly immune to the effects of caffeine, as I drink 16-24 oz. of coffee a day.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

laconic1

I like the Monster Khaos energy juice. Other than that I really don't like energy drinks, and as others have said, they can be harmful in large doses. Plus they are just too expensive. It can't possibly cost more to make a can of energy drink than a can of Coca-cola and they charge as much for one can as a 6 pack of Coke. No wonder RedBull has so much money to spend on marketing.

Derwood

i prefer a good nights sleep

Baraka_Guru

You wouldn't believe how much my sleep quality has improved since "quitting" caffeine (i.e. below 75mg/day) and starting a running program.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Daniel_

I don't drink many, but I like the sugar free Red Bull, and the juice based Relentless.

__________________

╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝

Punk.of.Ages

Do they put crack in these things?!

One night, back when I was a cook for Village Inn, I closed on a Thursday night (I was there until 12:30 AM) and the next morning I had to open (I had to be in by 5:00 AM). I didn't sleep that night. If I had I wouldn't have gotten up on time.

On my way to work I picked up a Bookoo citrus something or other. It was the really big one. I only drank like half of the thing.

I've smoked crack. This ranked right up there with it!

The crash was worse too....

__________________
"The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion..." - Henry Steel Commager

"Punk rock music is great music played by really bad, drunk musicians." -Fat Mike

n0nsensical

Ah, consumer culture. Isn't it grand? :P I think starting random threads is also a possible side effect of drinking too many. The more I hear/think about it, the more it seems like an unhealthy concept altogether. I would not recommend drinking them on anything resembling a regular basis, or your skin may take on an unnatural hue. Use only as necessary. Not recommended for children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine.

__________________
"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln

Willravel

I drink Izze carbonated juice. It has carbs, vitamins and minerals and most importantly: no caffeine.

inBOIL

I've only tried Red Bull. I drank it a few times when I needed the extra energy, but I never drank it regularly, and haven't had it in years. It didn't taste good enough for me to drink it for enjoyment, plus I'd worry about the long-term effects of drinking it regularly. If you're drinking these things (or more traditional drinks like coffee or soda) for the energy more than once a month, you'd probably do better to look into lifestyle changes.

__________________
And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you.

Datalyss

I prefer drink mix type stuff (tea, koolaid, etc.) or milk.

Siege

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs is my choice of energy drink.

On a more serious note, i've noticed that the energy drinks i've tried have little or no effect on me. A couple people have said that i just need to find the drink that works on me. i think i'd rather just stay the sleepy way i am.

__________________
"Your name's Geek? Do you know the origin of the term? A geek is someone who bites the heads off chickens at a circus. I would never let you suck my dick with a name like Geek"

--Kevin Smith

This part just makes my posts easier to find

m0rpheus

When I need a boost what I drink is good old fashion coffee. A good black cup of quality coffee beats any of the energy drinks for me.

__________________
"it never got weird enough for me." - Hunter S. Thompson

filtherton

Coffee, bitches.

shesus

I never wanted to drink the energy drinks when they came out. I would drink coffee or regular soda if I wanted some caffeine. Nowadays, I just eat some fruit and nuts. I'm a natural kind of energy person and get enough sleep now. I guess I'm all grown up.

However, one night I went out after work and my co-worker bought me a few drinks. I didn't ask what they were, I just drank them. I was a complete spazz and couldn't sit down, let alone get any sleep. The next day I asked her what we were drinking and she said it was a drink mixed with Red Bull.

To this day, the smell of any of those drinks make me want to vomit. I'm not a fan.

__________________
Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

Baraka_Guru

This is one of the better energy drinks out there. I prefer skim.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Grasshopper Green

Vodka and redbull is one of the nastiest concoctions I've ever tasted...second only to a jaegerbomb. Straight energy drinks taste like liquid chalk. *shudder*

Hubby works evenings and does a lot of heavy lifting at his job and he started drinking Rockstars to help get him through some of his double shifts. He is a stimulant junkie and since he gave up nicotine (yay!), caffeine became his crutch and he got addicted to them pretty quickly. He drank one almost every day. After a couple of months, he began having trouble sleeping, anxiety attacks and heart palpitations. He went to the emergency room because the heart thing was scaring him; they prescribed him some Xanax. He passed on the pills and quit caffeine completely instead. He is now back to normal and hasn't had an energy drink since.

I suppose drinking one every once in awhile is ok...but making a daily habit of them is probably a bad idea.

__________________
"They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king"

Formerly Medusa

Fotzlid

I don't drink those things. Tried a few of them but they were all disgusting IMO.

Redlemon

I dropped caffeine about two years ago. I'm just as awake in the mornings now as I used to be after a caffeine hit. Once you build a tolerance to the caffeine, you are just getting yourself back up to neutral, not boosting yourself to higher alert states.

It only took me about three days of crankiness and headaches before the caffeine was gone.

But back when I was using caffeine, I'd take any of the available energy drinks. As long as they didn't have artificial sweeteners, they give me headaches.

__________________
I can't read your signature. Sorry.

Baraka_Guru

Same here. The difference for me is that I don't crash in the afternoon, nor again when I get home from work at around 6:00. My energy is consistent throughout, though I do get the usual 4:00 "dip" that most of us get; it's just that I barely notice it now.

It took me about a week and a half before I knew my addiction was clear. The worst of it was over in three days. I'm glad I'm off it. My brain works better without it, and my energy levels and awareness have improved overall, as has my stress management. I only have a coffee occasionally--usually on a weekend. I still enjoy a cup. Coffee is a delicious beverage. I just don't want to use it as a tool. It's a tool with too many detrimental effects that go on long after you've drank the last drop. My adrenal system is happy now.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

genuinegirly

My sister used to like Sobe.
I personally can't stand the crap.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

debaser

I am not a huge energy drink fan, but when I do drink them I prefer Red Bull. Part of this is because it is the original and the best. I first drank it in Austria when they were first starting out (I assume), and I still like it despite the cough syrup taste. It is also the only company whose advertising campaign really resonates with me. I love Air Racing, Formula 1, Flugtag, and all the other stupid stuff they endorse.

__________________

spindles

Not quite the wording i'd choose for a poll, but I chose the insensitve clot option

Tried Red Bull once and decided I'm much rather a cappucino if I want a caffeine 'hit'.

__________________
who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

Nimetic

"V". Tastes sorta like apple juice. Lots of sugar though...


http://www.v.co.nz/

Plan9

Bah, Red Bull and Rip It from the DoD. Piss warm and available by the pallet.

One of the most worrisome factors of my second deployment (A-stan, 2006) was the availability and encouragement from the command structure regarding the use of caffeine and “energy drinks.” "Stay hydrated (drink bottled water) and stay awake (drink caffeinated stuff)!" Highly caffeinated, sugar sweetened soft drinks, such as Red Bull and Rip-It were available by the pallet for junior leaders to disperse among their soldiers and quickly became habit-forming. Guys would "need it" to wake up and would be cranky without it. It was as if a shot of caffeine had become an acceptable remedy to the extreme fatigue soldiers were feeling long hours without "nap time" or regular sleep.

Red Bull disappeared near the end of the deployment and was completely replaced by Rip It. My conclusion was that DoD didn't like paying the premium price for Red Bull and went with a cheaper product that yielded the same effect.

Coffee, of course, was always available... but 18-20 y.o. kids go for the more potent and sugary sweet pop flavored stuff first.

Nothing like popping one of those tiny cans at 4 AM before ya crawl into a humvee. Makes ya feel like a crack whore.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Jinn

I like the Monster KHAOS and KHAOS Lite - Green and Blue. Less sugar than a cola, less caffeine, and the only energy drink I've found that has 1000 mg of Taurine like Red Bull (my favorite in effect, least favorite in taste).

Amp, etc, are just pop. They have like 70 mg of Taurine.

__________________
"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

BadNick

Love and kisses and aqiss to all of us http://aqiss.com/

...I'm curious if any of you have any comments about aqiss

stevie667

Red devil.

Although saying that i have 100g pots of taurine & caffiene that arrived in the post today...

__________________
Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

TheClarkster

The green Monsters are my favorite for the taste of it.
For energy purposes, either Spike Shooter or Wired X294.
Those are actually pretty nuts as I could feel the energy and I have built up way too much of a tolerance to caffeine.

__________________
Do not speak Latin in front of the books.

Rekna

I like the latte flavored rockstar.