History of Energy Drinks

by Liam McDonald

Energy drinks are extremely popular among teens and young adult. Energy drinks are filled with caffeine, ginseng, taurine and sugar, which stimulate the user for a short period of time. When most people think of energy drinks, they thing of Monster Energy or Redbull, but they have been around longer than many people think.

The earliest form of an energy drink can be traced to The United Kingdom. This drink was called Lucozade. It was originally formed in 1927, to give hospital patients or people who were sick with a cold or influenza. It was officially considered an energy drink in 1983. It was said that Lucozade would “replace lost energy.” The concept of energy drinks became more popular after this, when Jolt Cola was released in 1985.

Jolt began doing many things with energy drinks, like adding less expensive high fructose corn syrup and getting rid of traditional sugar. They released the “battery bottle” in 2005, which was a re-sealable aluminum can that guaranteed freshness. Jolt also released caffeinated gum, but it didn’t sell as expected. In 2009, Jolt filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and ceased production of many of their products.

Redbull is an energy drink that has been much more successful that Jolt. Redbull is an Austrian Energy Drink and it is the most popular energy drink in the world, with over three billion cans sold every year. It comes in a variety of flavors and can sizes. It’s catch phrase is “Redbull give you wings” due to the energy that it gives consumers. Redbull even has a drink that contains coca leaves, but it isn’t widely available. Some tried to claim that Redbull can have adverse health effects due to some energy components that are added, but it was discovered that only the traditional sugar and caffeine carried any risks.

Tom Cahill is a senior at here at Colonie High, and he is a fan of Energy Drinks. He brings a Redbull or a Monster to homeroom everyday to replace a morning cup of coffee. He stated that he isn’t a big fan of coffee, but he likes the “kick” it gives him in the morning. He substitutes coffee with an energy drink so that he is ready to start his day off correctly.

These beverages are a substantial part of our culture. Energy drink companies promote events, make clothing and gear, and create interesting advertisements to appeal to customers. If it weren’t for energy drinks, people would have less variety when choosing beverages, and who knows, teenagers could be drinking tea right now.